This website will remain here as an archive, but will not be updated.

Email accounts will not be monitored, and an out of office message has been placed on emails.

Yours sincerely

Francis Mallinson
Lexington Communications

Dear Residents,

After nearly 6 years, I have decided to step down as Chair of the Weir Estate Residents Association at the Annual General Meeting being held on the 16^th January 2013.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as Chair and will remember this fondly, but as many of you may know, a little over a year ago, I suffered two major strokes. For this reason, I feel now it is the time to give up as Chair, and hand over the reins to someone new.

I would like to sincerely thank Pam Burton, Vice Chair and Sue Cranmer, Treasurer who have both been wonderful friends, and have supported me. Without their support I would have given up a long time ago. We have had numerous Secretaries during my time as Chair, with thanks to them all.  The estate is now a safer, more secure and a pleasant place to live as well as visit and I feel I can leave the association with a team to take forward and carry on the valuable work.

I sincerely hope WERA can find and sustain a new executive committee and I hope that more residents will turn up to the meetings, which has been my one disappointment over the years. In order for WERA’s work to carry on, a Chair, Secretary and Treasurer must be appointed at the Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, 16^th January. I hope that WERA is able to carry on, as without a Residents Association, the estate will no longer have a voice, we will stand little chance of seeing the estate flourish in the future and our estate will be forgotten like many others.

Lastly, I would like thank all the regular attendees who turn up to our meetings every two months. Without you, our estate wouldn’t be in the wonderful condition it is, you have been fantastic in helping to make decisions – some which have been hard. I would sincerely and whole heartedly like to thank every one of you.

The Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 16^th January 2013, from 7pm at The Weir Link. If you would like more information about taking on a role, please contact:
Anthony Hillary, Resident Participation Officer, Lambeth Living
tel: 020 7926 3799  email: AHillary@lambethliving.org.uk

Yours faithfully,

Dave McEvoy

Chair

Weir Estate Residents Association is a registered Tenants and Residents Association which represents all the residents of the Weir Estate. We act as a voice for council tenants and leaseholders on a range of housing issues and services.  Membership is free and each year members elect an executive committee lead the association, and ensure that the objectives and priorities of the association are achieved.

We meet on a two-monthly basis, at The Weir Link on the estate and all our meetings are open for all residents of the estate to attend. Our next meeting is the Annual General Meeting, which has been declared to take place on Wednesday, 16^th January at 7pm, in The Weir Link.

We work closely with Lambeth Council, Lambeth Living our ward councillors and our local police to ensure our estate is clean, safe and a happy place to live.

As an estate, we are often left out as we do not have a voice to shout as loudly as others, hence, we need you to come forward and be involved!

Our meeting attendance is very disappointing, with a total of 167 properties on the estate, our usual meeting turnout is only around 10 residents! In a time when things are hard for us all and getting harder, the only way we can make an impact is through solidarity, and working together. We cannot bring miracles, but by standing together, we may just be able to bring about change. It’s time for us to stand together as a community.

At our AGM on 16^th January, we will be asking for the key positions, Chair, Secretary and Treasurer to be filled – we need you to stand forward and say yes, I can contribute a couple of hours each month to help myself and our community; and being able to step forward and say you helped to contribute something worthwhile.

We need more residents to become actively involved in WERA and our community, and help us to take ownership of our environment.  Let’s do our best to pass on something worthwhile to future generations!

Our current Chair will not be standing for nomination as Chair at the AGM, and with no Chair, the association cannot carry on it’s work.

If you’d like further information, please contact us by email info@wera.org.uk or 
Anthony Hillary, Resident Participation Officer, Lambeth Living
AHillary@lambethliving.org.uk  tel: 020 7926 3799

]]> http://www.wera.org.uk/2012/12/09/our-annual-general-meeting-has-been-declared-for-wed-16th-january-2013/feed/ 0 http://www.wera.org.uk/2012/12/09/wera-chair-recognised-with-award/ http://www.wera.org.uk/2012/12/09/wera-chair-recognised-with-award/#comments Sun, 09 Dec 2012 21:12:56 +0000 admin http://www.wera.org.uk/?p=2847

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On Saturday 1^st December, the annual Lambeth Residents Conference was held. Dave McEvoy attended as Chair of Weir Estate Residents Association, and during the awards ceremony that evening was awarded with a certificate of recognition.
The certificate was presented by the Mayor of Lambeth, Cllr Clive Bennett with the Rt Hon Keith Hill, Chair of Lambeth Living’s board expressing to the conference the work Dave has done for the estate as the reasoning for the certificate of recognition.

Dave is stepping down as Chair of WERA after 5 years, following recent health problems. The Annual General Meeting is set for Wednesday, 16^th January, whereby a new Chair to lead WERA will hopefully be elected.

Speaking following the award’s presentation, Dave said “It’s fantastic that I have been recognised for the work I have done in our community. I am sad to be leaving WERA after 5 years as Chair, but need to put my health first. I would hope residents would continue with the work WERA has participated in since the association formed, many years ago, with such achievements as the old laundry being demolished and replaced with The Weir Link centre, and during my time as Chair, new windows and doors, environmental improvements, community safety, and our new community garden.”

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Lock it and Stop it is our unique and innovative scheme to help residents who have been victims of burglary or who are at risk of being victim of burglary protect their homes.

If certain criteria are met, Lock It and Stop It is able to offer security upgrades that can include:

• Upgrading door locks using mortice double locks
• Fitting window fasteners
• Supplying property marking kits
• Providing property marked stickers to deter potential intruders.

Our experts also provide general crime prevention advice and ideas on how best to minimise the risk of break-ins, helping you to protect their homes.

We are currently using police data to work out who in the borough needs this service the most and we are going to burglary hot spots and visiting the homes of people recently burgled, to offer a free assessment of properties and their security needs.

If you want to know more or want to find out if you are eligible for this service please contact Phone 020 7926 2210 / 020 7926 5901 or email: SaferLambeth@lambeth.gov.uk.

Top 10 tips to protect your home

1. Close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you are only going out for out for a few minutes.
2. Keep your valuables out of sight.
3. Fit a mortice lock to your front door and other external doors. Consider installing a burglar alarm.
4. Leave some lights on if it will be dark before you get home.
5. Do not leave your car keys or ID documents near a door, letterbox or window.
6. Always check who is at the door and don’t open it if you feel anxious.
7. Always keep sheds and outbuildings locked.
8. Mark or etch your property with your postcode, house or flat number or first three letters of your house name.
9. Register items for FREE with a serial number at: www.immobilise.com.
10. Cancel milk or other deliveries if you will be away for days or weeks at a time.

For more help and advice visit www.metbumblebee.org or contact our local Safer Neighbourhood Team.

To report a burglary call 101.

In an emergency always call 999.

Thursday 13th  December 2012

To be held at Weir 2 at St Stephens

From 10.00 – 13.00

RSVP to Julie Reynolds  tel 020 8675 2481
or email julie.reynolds@theweirlink.org

Children’s Activities

Craft sessions & stalls

Homemade produce

Raffles and tombola

 There will even be a visit from Santa.  

The property is currently vacant, and as such the council have taken the step of appointing Ad Hoc Guardians to have live-in guardians within the property to ensure the property does not obtain squatters.

All guardians are expected to be responsible, and not cause a nuisance; should any nuisance happen by these guardians, please notify us.

We would like to thank residents who have contacted us whom were concerned about people living in the building, but can confirm that the Guardians have been contracted by the council to look after the building.

Thornton Ward Councillor Lib Peck has been chosen as the new leader-elect of Lambeth Council.  Previous Leader, Steve Reed has resigned as Leader of the council, and Brixton Hill Councillor following his election as the new MP for Croydon North.

Cllr Peck, a Labour councillor representing Thornton ward, is currently the council’s cabinet member for regeneration and strategic housing.

Lib was chosen as the new leader of the Labour group at a recent meeting by fellow Labour councillors. She will remain as leader-elect until she is formally approved as leader by a meeting of the full council, this is expected to happen within the next few months.

WERA offer our congratulations to both Cllr Lib Peck on becoming the new leader of the council, and Steve Reed on becoming an MP.

Update 12/12/12

Cllr Lib Peck said:

“I’m delighted to have become Leader of Lambeth. I’ve was born and brought up in South London and I’m passionate about making Lambeth a better place to live and work.   My priorities are getting more jobs and growth into the borough, making Lambeth safer, investing in better housing and working to improve our town centres and streets so they are cleaner and greener.”

The borough is gearing up for Christmas with a number of festive events and celebrations planned for town centres, and with the community, businesses and the council working together to help give the borough a festival feel.

Cllr Jackie Meldrum, deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for enterprise, said:

“We have an amazing variety of shops and markets in our town centres, so I’d really recommend people shop locally for their Christmas presents this year. The support of residents can make a huge difference to our high streets, particularly for smaller independent shops.

“The council is working with local businesses to provide lights and trees across the borough and help everyone get in the Christmas spirit, despite these tough times.”

A range of activities will be taking place across town centres in the run up to Christmas. They include.

Brixton – Carol singing and festivities around the Christmas tree next to Morley’s from 4pm on Friday November 30^th before the lights are switched on by the Mayor of Lambeth at 5pm. Led by local businesses and the Brixton Business Improvement District Development Company, pupils from Corpus Christi Primary School will lead the Carols. There will be a range of special events and markets in the run up to Christmas organised by Brixton Market Traders’ Federation including a ‘Makers Market’ on December 8^th selling a range crafts ~ hand made home furnishings, and collectable goods, and a retro and vintage market on December 15^th with dozens of stalls offering great Christmas gifts. For more information see www.brixtonmarket.net

Waterloo – Christmas lights provided by Waterloo Quarter will be switched on Thursday 6th December from 5.30-6.30pm opposite the Old Vic Theatre and there will also be a Community Christmas market on Friday 7th December from 11.00-3.30pm, including designer maker stalls from local businesses and community groups.

The traditional German Christmas market is also once again coming to the Southbank every day until 10pm with 80 authentically decorated wooden chalets selling a wide range of unique hand-crafted gifts and unusual Christmas presents.

West Norwood – On Saturday December 1^st there will be a special Christmas Lights event from 4pm-8pm with a steel band, carol singing and a night time food market, children’s activities and a light show put on by Creatmosphere.

A special Christmas version of the West Norwood FEAST will take place on Sunday December 2 from 10am -4pm With delicious food, vintage wares, arts and crafts and loads for the garden, it’s the place to be if you want to pick up some last minute Christmas presents.

Both events have been organised by the West Norwood FEAST, a non-profit, monthly market run entirely by volunteers from the local area, which has support from Lambeth Council.  www.westnorwoodfeast.com

The Friends of Norwood Park have arranged a Christmas tree dressing ceremony on Sunday 2 December with carol singing and refreshments including mince pies and hot drinks in the cafe area between 2pm and 4pm.

Vauxhall - Lighting of the Christmas tree Wednesday 28 November at Kennington Lane entrance to Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens with Kate Hoey MP performing the switch on ceremony

Streatham – local businesses and the council have organised a Christmas lights switch on Friday 30^th November  from 3.30pm to 4.30pm in front of the Streatham Odeon cinema on Streatham High Road. There will be entertainment by the stars of ‘Streatham’s Got Talent’ and Christmas goodies. There will also be a special artisans market on Sunday 16 November from 10am -3pm at the corner of Babington Road and Mitcham Lane.

Key changes are:

Universal Credit
Universal Credit will apply to working age households.

The idea is to replace a range of commonly claimed benefits – including Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Tax Credits and Housing Benefit – with a single payment.

It will be a major change for tenants, with the majority of people receiving the money directly and expected to pay their rent themselves out of their Universal Credit. Payments of Universal Credit will be paid monthly in arrears.

By the time Universal Credit starts in 2013, the Government aims to pay all benefits into bank accounts. If you intend to claim benefits it is important you set up a bank account or credit union account to avoid delays.

It is planned to introduce Universal Credit for new claimants from October 2013. It is expected that all existing claimants will have moved over to Universal Credit by 2017.

Reduction in Housing Benefit for homes with ’spare bedrooms’.
From April 2013, the Government are reducing the amount of Housing Benefit for tenants who have spare bedrooms in their homes. If this affects you then you will have to pay more rent each week as you will receive less Housing Benefit.

This is only affects people of working age, so if you are old enough to receive a state pension then there is no need to worry.

If you are under occupying your home by one bedroom you will lose 14% or more of the amount of Housing Benefit you receive. If you have 2 or more spare bedrooms you will lose 25% or more of the Housing Benefit you receive. This reduction will be based on the eligible rent, rather than the amount of Housing Benefit awarded 

Replacement of Council Tax Benefit
From April 2013 the Government intends to abolish Council Tax Benefit. Instead local councils will need to replace it with their own local Council Tax Support Scheme. Like Council Tax Benefit, Council Tax Support will reduce the amount of Council Tax people need to pay.

However councils will receive less money to fund this new scheme and it is likely that working age people including council tenants may have to pay some Council Tax, even if they don’t pay any now.

Benefit Cap
From April 2013 a limit will be put on the amount of benefit that working age people aged can get. This is called a Benefit Cap.

The Benefit Cap means that people should not get more in benefit payments than the average wage paid to people in work. The Benefit Cap will be:

£350 for single people
£500 for families

If you are affected you will have received a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions, please contact us on 0114 293 0000 to discuss how we may be able to help.
You can also use the benefit cap calculator at gov.uk/benefit-cap to find out if the cap will apply to you.

Incapacity Benefit to be phased out
Over the next two years everyone who receives Incapacity Benefit will be assessed to see if they are fit to work. This may result in claimants moving onto Employment and  Support Allowance instead. After the  assessment we expect that around 1 in 3 people who currently receive Incapacity Benefit will claim Job Seekers Allowance instead.

Higher Non–Dependent Deductions from Housing Benefit payments 
Claimants living with other adults in their property, have already faced a reduction in the Housing Benefit they receive (called non-dependent deductions). The adult living with the tenant is then expected to pay this sum towards the rent. The level of reduction has been frozen since 2001 but that is now being reversed, and by 2014 it is expected to be linked to inflation. Those already affected have faced reductions of between £2 and £13 a week.

Tax Credits 
Changes to tax credits were introduced from April 2012. You should check with HM Revenue and Customs if you have any questions. They can be contacted on 0345 300 3900 or visit  H M Revenue and Customs website

Child Benefit will be withdrawn from families with a higher rate taxpayer from January 2013
If you are worried about any changes to your benefit or just require further information, please contact Lambeth Benefit Services team on 0845 300 0328

Influenza, commonly known as flu, is a highly contagious infection that anyone can catch, and it can be really serious for some.  People classified as belonging to an ‘at risk’ group are over 65s, pregnant women, and those with long term health conditions.

From October, people in ‘at risk’ groups will be encouraged to get a free flu jab from their GP, and get flu safe. The NHS in London has launched the new flu safe campaign to remind people that they should get a flu jab. Flu safe is a London wide message to highlight the importance of getting the jab, and carries myth busters to dispel common misconceptions.

If you know anyone in the ‘at risk’ groups, or you work with them, please tell them how important it is that they get protected. The flu vaccine only lasts for a year, so if you had a jab last year, you will need another one to stay flu safe. The jab doesn’t contain the ‘live’ virus so it cannot give you the flu.

The best time to be vaccinated is at the start of the flu season from October to early November, so it’s good to get in early and get flu safein time for the winter.

Simply contact your GP to arrange a convenient appointment and get flu safe. It’s quick, simple and free.

For more information, speak to your doctor or local pharmacist, or visit www.nhs.uk/flu

It’s important that if you are in the at-risk group that you protect yourself from this year’s flu virus by getting the flu vaccination. If you fall into the following categories then contact your GP or pharmacist:

• Aged 65 or above

• Pregnant
• A main carer for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill
• Or with a long-term conditions such as:
  • Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Respiratory disease including asthma
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Lowered immunity due to disease or treatment
• Spleen disorders or spleen removed
• Chronic neurological disease
• For information about flu visit the www.nhs.uk/flu

The recent sign replacement on the estate was part of a programme of works carried out by Lambeth Living to change old, out-dated ‘Lambeth Housing’ signs to the new branding for Lambeth Living, who manage our homes. It was agreed that the association would pay for the block signs to be replaced as so they matched the colours on the map signs put in place by Lambeth Living, to enable visitors to the estate to find their destination more easily.

The new noticeboards were placed around the estate after residents specified they wanted to be kept more involved, and asked for noticeboards. These can be used by residents as well as the association – all in all the new noticeboards have gone down well with residents, except the noticeboard at Dan Bryant House which was ripped down by vandals, this was reported to police and Lambeth Living.

Weir Estate Residents Association is run by volunteers who give up valuable time to try to support the community, by providing information and support to our community. We are trying to improve the environment on our estate; as such the new community garden recently launched was previously a disused corner of the estate, which has been regenerated. The estate is now safer since WERA lobbied Lambeth council regarding poor standards of doors and windows on the estate, these were subsequently replaced. WERA have paid for new play equipment for the estate play-park, and continue to work with councillors, police, Lambeth Living and the council on issues such as road safety, anti-social behaviour and services to residents. We are not responsible to go and get things changed, and sorted, but we lobby on behalf of residents, and can help residents with issues, and get problems solved.

At the recent opening of our community garden, our local MP, Chuka Umunna said “the residents association here really is an exemplar of best practice, and how to do it, how to roll your sleeves up and actually change your area… the WERA is working and changing the community, is all part of the co-operative council and what the co-operative council is all about… people totally underestimate the importance of green creative space like this”.

Our London Assembly member Val Shawcross said “One of the best assets this estate has is WERA, a group which actually sticks at things, and gets things done. So many people have contributed to the garden, all these lovely pieces of artwork, it’s not just a garden, it’s also a work of art…. as well as the herbs, vegetables and fruit, the key thing being grown here is the community… and the kids have been able to see how you can make something which is a problem into a big possibility.”

The age old statement has always been, “residents associations don’t do anything for me”; but this sort of negativity spreads even more negativity. Do these people attend meetings, or try to be involved? If so, they may well have heard their issues raised regularly and letters and complaints passed to officials.

Not everything can be done instantly, processes and procedures have to be followed and can mean some issues take months or even years to resolve, such as WERA’s continued lobbying for the extension to the 255 bus route.; but this doesn’t mean we haven’t continuously been chasing these issues for results.

So why not come along, and help your local residents association, and see how your contribution can help your local community. Our next meeting is in The Weir Link, on Wednesday, 14^thNovember at 7.30pm.

Our full calendar of meetings can be found here

Police officers, PCSO’s from Lambeth Safer Neighbourhoods Teams plus enhanced numbers of special constables and cadets are being deployed to provide a greater police presence on the streets through operational activity to deter a small number of people from ruining the fun for the vast majority.

The Key safety advice being issued by the police is:

Advice to parents and carers:

• Make sure you know where your children are and who they are with;
• Go with them trick or treating if you can;
• Keep fireworks in a safe place in the house;
• Report any anti-social behaviour or concerns to your Safer Neighbourhoods Team;
• Attend organised events wherever possible.

Advice to young people:

• We want you to enjoy yourselves but won’t tolerate unacceptable behaviour or anti-social behaviour;
• Ensure you are safe by staying with others;
• Attend organised events wherever possible;
• When trick or treating avoid knocking on the doors of elderly or vulnerable neighbours and causing unnecessary worry;

Keeping your home secure:

• Close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you are only going out for a few minutes;
• Make sure UPVC doors are properly locked with a key;
• Make sure the side and/or back gate is locked;
• Lock your shed or garage;
• Make sure that any valuables are out of sight;
• Leave some lights on if it will be dark before you get home;
• Don’t leave your car keys or ID documents near doors, windows or your letterbox.

As part of this, Lambeth council and the police have issued a poster which can be displayed should you not wish to receive trick or treaters at your door, click here to download the poster.

The Weir Link are seeking a Volunteer Development Manager for a 2 year self-employed/employed, part-time role £30k pa (pro-rata)

The Weir Link is a vibrant Community and Children’s Centre in South West London. Our vision is to be a community-led organisation making a real difference, particularly to those most disadvantaged. Volunteering is at the heart of what we do and we are looking for someone to develop this area of work. You will bring your broad experience of developing volunteers and local voluntary programmes. You will have in-depth understanding of the diverse needs of local communities and the skills to build a strong, well supported and trained team of volunteers to work closely with centre staff, trustees and local communities. Fundraising experience would be an advantage. If you fit the bill we’d love to hear from you.

Closing date for applications is 12noon on 12 November 2012.

To discuss further of receive an application pack, please contact Linda Linehan via email, linda@abbevilleassociates.co.uk, or phone 07900 490465.

Further information on The Weir Link can be found at www.theweirlink.org or by contacting Karin Johnson, Karin.Johnson@theweirlink.org, or phone 020 8675 2481.

This is a collaborative and cooperative project which will include residents and businesses in the development and shaping of a website for the borough.

Rather than spending months building the site and then launching it in a big bang, the new site is being built step by step, bit by bit, and making it better as it goes along. This means there will be two sites live at the same time, the new test site (also known as an alpha site) at http://dev.lambeth.coop as well as www.lambeth.gov.uk, the current Lambeth website. The council will be listening to your suggestions and continuously improving the new site and eventually the old site will be shut down.

If you want any up to date information on Lambeth Council services always visit www.lambeth.gov.uk as all the content on http://dev.lambeth.coop is draft information.

There is lots of work to be done on deciding what the site is for and this is difficult when there are so many site users with so many different needs – the Lambeth.gov.uk website had more than 190,000 unique visitors to the site in September alone – looking at over 3,000 pages of information.

So please get in touch with the council and tell them what you think of their current website? Why do they need a website and what sort of information would you like to see on it? What do you find most useful on the current site? What is most frustrating? What one thing would you change?

If you have any thoughts on this, or anything else, then please get in touch:

1. Leave a comment on the blog at www.madeinlambeth.co.uk where you can also read more about the project
   
2. Email the team at webteam@lambeth.gov.uk
3. Come along to one of the drop-in sessions at Brixton Library on Friday 2 and Friday 9 November, between 11am-1pm (more sessions to be arranged)

This year, Lambeth Council are hosting two fireworks displays will take place at 8pm in Brockwell Park and Streatham Common on Friday 2 November.

To make sure that everyone enjoys a safe and enjoyable display, no sparklers, fireworks for personal use or Chinese lanterns will be allowed at either event.

Timetable

• 4pm Event opens
• 4.15pm Main arena entertainment, funfair and stalls
• 8pm Fireworks display
• 8.30pm Entertainment, funfair and stalls.
• 9.30pm Event closes

Free of charge

Entertainment

There will be lots going on this year with Morris men, stilt walkers, fire dancers and live music.

Find the sites

• Brockwell Park, London SE24 0NG
• Streatham Common, London SW16

There will be no parking at either display. Please travel by foot or public transport.

For up to date travel information and to plan your route please check with Transport for London (TfL) and National Rail enquiries.

The work started on 6^th August, and took around 6 weeks to complete, with jet cleaning of the whole block, and re-painting of painted surfaces.

The works were funded by Weir Estate Residents Association, to bring the whole estate up to scratch, following the window replacement programme to all other blocks back in 2010.

Many residents have praised the contractor for the efficient work with no upheaval, and commented on how nice the block looks now. Dave McEvoy, WERA Chair said “We are pleased that these long awaited improvements have now taken place, and the blocks are all looking fantastic, and we are grateful Bespoke Liberty completing the works, very well done to them. We now want to invite the Senior Management from Lambeth Living to come down and have a look at the improvements we have done to the estate”

WERA also worked with Bespoke Liberty to replace the estate block signs with new colour coded signs, which match the colours on the recent signage Lambeth Living implemented recently.

James Steele, from Bespoke Liberty said “Bespoke-Liberty have found the whole process from quotation to completion an effortless process due to the dedication and whole hearted commitment to detail from Dave and his team. We have not had any issues in the day to day running of the works and have found all residents a pleasure to work for. The estate blocks are also looking brighter with the inclusion of new block name signage. You should all be very proud of this estate and would welcome the chance to help keep it this way.”

The old estate signage did not reflect the many developments which have taken place over the years, such as Lambeth Living now being our housing provider, and Weir Estate Residents Association’s presence on the estate. The new signage has been designed to be bright, easy to read, with each block being given a colour code which matches to the maps. The estate also now has WERA branded notice boards located around the estate, and at block entrances.

Tony and Gary from Bespoke Liberty also commented “We are very pleased to have had the opportunity to work in such a wonderful environment with very friendly people. Throughout the process of the works, the residents have been very kind and more than helpful in allowing us to bring up the standard of the property to match the pleasant nature of its occupants. We look forward to hopefully working with you again in the future.”

Every Thursday:

6:30pm to 7:30pm for homework club with teacher support

7:30pm to 9pm for youth club

at St Stephens Church Centre, Weir Road, SW12 0NU

The campaign covers lots of projects, more of which can all be found on the Lambeth council website, www.lambeth.gov.uk/campaigns

The Cleaner Streets campaign is about everything Lambeth Council are doing to make Lambeth a beautiful place for everyone to enjoy.

Lambeth are working hard to keep streets tidy and well maintained. There is a £20 million programme to improve roads and pavements, which runs until March 2014. There will be a number of environmental projects to support this. The aim is create neighbourhoods that are green and beautiful and keep roads and pathways clear and safe.

But Lambeth Council cannot do it alone and Cleaner Streets also focuses on things that you can do to support it, like organising Community Freshview cleanups or becoming snow wardens.

The council can also support people to make greener lifestyle choices, such as food growing, energy saving and composting.

But while lots of hard work is put in to keep streets clean and tackle litter, action will be taken against those who don’t, especially people who commit enviro-crimes like flytipping.

The Safer Communities campaign is about everything Lambeth are doing to make our borough a safer place.

Its purpose is to demonstrate working with partners to make our neighbourhoods places where you can feel secure, where you won’t become a victim of crime, and where you can feel confident to report any issues of concern.

Lambeth Council are working hard with partners in the Safer Lambeth Partnership to reduce all types of crime, like burglary, robbery and violent crime. The campaign will highlight ways to keep yourself and your home safe and secure.

Lambeth is generally a safe place to live but your help is needed!
The Safer Communities campaign will promote how you can help to make your neighbourhood safer, including setting up Neighbourhood Watch schemes and reporting incidents to the relevant authority.
Crime is falling in Lambeth, but the council are not being complacent and continue to work hard with police and community leaders to make our borough safer.

The More Jobs campaign is about everything Lambeth council are doing to support you if you are looking for work.

Times are tough, and people need help finding work and apprenticeships as well as access to training and education. The campaign aims to help you by signposting the right advice, information and services.

Using the unique position as champion for the borough, they are also working hard to drive job creation by encouraging businesses to grow the local workforce, and the campaign will promote that work.

In addition, the national context of rising unemployment and changes in welfare legislation means the number of people needing support has increased. The campaign aims to support you with advice and information about services and schemes the council and it’s partners offer around access to employment, benefits, and financial advice.

The campaign covers lots of projects, more of which can all be found on the Lambeth council website, www.lambeth.gov.uk/campaigns

Lambeth champions are people or groups of people that go that extra mile to make a positive contribution to their local community or to be a good neighbour.

Whether it’s the care they show to neighbours or the time they give to keep the local area clean or safe these people are essential for creating a good place for people to live.

Lambeth council recognise and thank them for their hard work, dedication and commitment to Lambeth.

More details about Lambeth champions can be found here

New pages include:

Anti-Social Behaviour
Repairs (Lambeth Living and Wandle Housing Association)
Parking
Recycling
Rubbish and Waste
Communal Cleaning
Grounds Maintanence

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We are hoping to work with some Green Community Champions, to help our community learn about growing and maintaining our community garden, teaching everyone how to grow their own veg. Whatever your age, ability or experience, everyone has something to offer!

We have also now received further information from the police
that there has been an attempted burglary at DAN BRYANT HOUSE.

If anyone witnessed the offender entering the property, leaving, or anyone acting suspiciously, please contact the police on 101.

Please remain vigilant, and contact the police on 999 if you see anyone acting suspiciously.

Crime Prevention Advice can be sought from:

Thornton Safer Neighbourhood Team – tel: 020 8721 2622
Email: thornton.snt@met.police.uk

The event takes place from 11am to 6pm.

The free standout urban festival celebrated all that’s best about the countryside.

Entertainment over the weekend will include live music from some of the hottest bands, sheep dog displays, horse jousting, flower and vegetable competitions, along with great cultural offerings and traditional fare amidst the beautiful backdrop of the City skyline from the historic Brockwell Park.

Healthy Cook and Eat Session   

Come along to our cook and eat session and learn how to cook healthy meals and snacks for you and your family. Sessions will focus on health messages and developing your skills. You can learn in a relaxed environment, whilst having fun and eating what you make!

Eco Sew-Shall Club

  Reshape and re-vamp to new

Get that look for Less

Learn to use vintage sewing machines

Skills Sharing
 

Get support to start or complete any stitch work, or re-vamp clothes, toys or quilts in a relaxed environment.  No previous experience necessary.

Free crèche available but places are limited so must be booked in advance.

When?
09.30 – 11.30 Fridays

Dates:
Sept 14th, 21th 28^th
Oct 5rd, 12th 19th 26^th
Nov 9th,16th, 23rd, 30^th
Dec 7th, 14th

Free course for parents and carers

Helping my Child with Reading

TIME: Tuesdays 10am – 12:30pm

WHEN: Tuesday 25 September – Tuesday 4 December 2012

WHAT will I get from attending the course?

· You will find out how children learn to read and how you can help them at home.

· You will have the opportunity to share experiences and ideas with other parents.

· You can gain an OCN Certificate at Level 1 or Level 2

HOW much does it cost?

The course and crèche places are free.

WHERE: Weir Link Children’s Centre, 33 Weir Road, London SW12 0NU

For more information on any of the above courses, or to book your place please contact:

Julie Reynolds
Outreach Coordinator
The Weir Link & Maytree Children’s Centres

t. 020 8675 2481
e. julie.reynolds@theweirlink.org

The Weir Link, 33 Weir Road, London SW12 0NU

www.theweirlink.org

Work is due to commence on Monday, 6^th August 2012 by Bespoke Liberty Property Maintenance Services.

We would ask that residents clear the balcony of all your belongings, including doormats so cleaning work can commence.

We would like to thank you for your co-operation, should you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us.

All Bespoke Liberty Property Maintenance workmen will be wearing T-Shirts with the Bespoke Liberty Property Maintenance logo on and high visibility jackets at all times.

If any residents have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact WERA.

The garden project was launched to regenerate a disused area on Anfield Close, which had fallen into disrepair, and replace this with a sensory garden and food growing project.

During the process, our appointed contractor, Touchwood Trees have held lots of workshops teaching local residents about planting, garden maintenance, composting and creating mosaics to be displayed in the garden.

The garden is home to all sorts of fruits, vegetables and herbs. The project has been made possible thanks to funding received through mobile phone masts on the estate, whereby the money goes towards environmental projects to improve the lives of the local community.  We now have a fantastic space for the whole family to come together to enjoy and learn.

Unfortunately, the one part of the day which we were not in control of was the weather, and unfortunately it did rain but this didn’t disappoint guests and residents, as everyone huddled together under gazebos and umbrellas. Guests included our local ward councillors, Cllr Lib Peck, Cllr Diana Morris and Cllr Ed Davie, Lambeth Council Leader, Cllr Steve Reed, Mayor of Lambeth, Cllr Clive Bennett and Chuka Umunna, MP for Streatham.

The project has had an impact on many people, who have taken part to help create a bright, fresh and thriving community environment, with local children and adults coming along to many of the workshops held by our appointed contractor, Touchwood Trees to create mosaics, and plant lots of herbs, vegetables and flowers.

Free refreshments and snacks were available from 12noon, with food and drinks including lots of fruit and savouries, and champagne and pimms.

The formalities commenced at around 1pm with WERA’s Chair, Dave McEvoy said “As you will see the community garden has grown from something that used to be a derelict area with no purpose, and thanks to Weir Estate Residents Association this space has definitely flourished.  We have been planning this garden for just under 3 years… with the many vegetables, herbs and a few flowers I am sure you will agree that it is a great area for the community to relax and get to know each other. Even more, learn. During the speech, Dave, thanked Chris Adamson and Caroline Fraser from Lambeth Living for allowing the project to take place and Karen and Mick from Touchwood Trees for their hard work putting the garden together.”

Cllr Lib Peck spoke on behalf of the local councillors “…there’s nothing WERA can’t do, except control the weather. They have created a fantastic space and it’s a real credit to everyone here today who have made something which was really horrible into something absolutely lovely.”

This was followed by an address by our London Assembly Member for Lambeth and Southwark, Valerie Shawcross, before the unveiling of the commemorative plaque. Val Shawcross said “How fantastic it is that you’ve managed to turn something which was such a liability, into something that is such an amazing asset. The last time I came to Weir Estate was for the windows project, and I just had this lovely feeling about the Weir Estate as every time I come down here, it’s to see something getting better. One of the best assets this estate has is WERA, a group which actually sticks at things, and gets things done. So many people have contributed to the garden, all these lovely pieces of artwork, it’s not just a garden, it’s also a work of art…. as well as the herbs, vegetables and fruit, the key thing being grown here is the community… and the kids have been able to see how you can make something which is a problem into a big possibility.”

We were also delighted that our local MP, Chuka Umunna was able to say a few words “I remember walking around this space with Dave and the WERA team when it wasn’t like this at all and I haven’t actually seen all the different stages, but its amazing to see what has been done here, and how you’ve transformed this area… the residents association here really is an exemplar of best practice, and how to do it, how to role your sleeves up and actually change your area… the WERA is working and changing the community, is all part of the co-operative council and what the co-operative council is all about… people totally underestimate the importance of green creative space like this”.

The garden is open to anyone to come along, maintain and enjoy from around 8am to darkness.

Thank you to Richard Linton for the photographs, and Weir Estate Resident Hassan for the video footage.

Weir Estate was once again buzzing with activity on Saturday 16^th June, when local residents from across the community descended on the annual Weir Community Day.  The event was co-organised by the Weir Estate Residents Association, and The Weir Link, as part of the strong working relationship between the two organisations.

Both organisations work hard to improve the area, and embrace the community. This has been achieved by building strong partnerships, and helps to ensure crime is low, residents have an opportunity to raise issues and concerns, and the green spaces and properties are maintained regularly.

The event had music provided by local radio station Generation Radio from Clapham Park and the iconic steel band beating out their old and new tunes.

Visitors to the event were brought together to enjoy an afternoon of fun and knowledge provided by a large number of service providers who brought along their own exhibits. Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust’s Community Services team were on hand to offer practical advice about eating more healthily and quitting smoking, as well as sexual health promotion. Local residents also came along to sell their homemade cakes and jewellery.

Our estate contractors once again were on hand to offer practical advice about their services, as well as freebies. Morrison Facilities Services had a range of freebies, and this provided an excellent opportunity for residents to interact with those people providing their repairs service. Pinnacle PSG had organised a fantastic activity for all ages of painting plant pots and then planting seeds.

Thames Water were on hand to offer advice on how to use water more efficiently and showed off some free products which you can order to be more water efficient.

Lambeth College came to give out their prospectus’ and offer course advice.

Local housing organisations, Lambeth Living, Metropolitan Clapham Park and Wandle Housing Association were brought together to offer housing advice; whilst Lambeth Living held a free raffle to win tickets to the London 2012 Olympics!

Children were able to enjoy activities ranging from a large bouncy castle, and the new jungle run inflatable assault course, with face painting and activities by Lambeth Play Association.

The event was assisted by a team of volunteers who helped set up the event from across the community.

Refreshments were on offer and children were able to enjoy the many other fun activities while adults could get lots of great advice and information.

The event also recognised four years of the successful Weir Link Centre which opened its doors in June 2009.

The new Mayor of Lambeth, Cllr Clive Bennett came along and said “Fittingly, with all the effort of preparation in place the sun appear on cue for the community day arranged by Weir Estate Residents Association.  As Mayor of Lambeth I was pleased to enjoy the day and experience the immense commitment of the Weir Link and WERA to tenants and be introduced to the staff at the Children’s Centre, a most commendable provision of early years learning, that is able to foster trust and build relationships that will allow people of different cultures and beliefs to share the benefits of social belonging.”   

Full List of Exhibitors

Thornton Ward Councillors
Clapham Park Project
Clapham Park Neighbourhood Forum
Friends of Agnes Riley Gardens
Clapham Park Time Bank
Amy’s Bargains
Home Made Knitwear
Fair Trade
Wraps & Fruit Kebabs
Somali Snacks
Wandle Housing Association
Weir Estate Residents Association
Lambeth Living
Thames Water
Yasmin’s Cupcakes
Cecilia’s Bread & Cakes
Morrison Facilities Services
Pinnacle PSG
Steel Band
T. Brown Group
Thornton Safer Neighbourhood Team (Police)
Metropolitan Housing
Lambeth College
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust Community Services
Lambeth Link
Shaka Services
Bowel Cancer U.K
Guys & St Thomas’ Community Nutrition
London Fire Brigade
Inflatables (Bouncy Castle & Jungle Run)
Power of Living Word – Toy Stall
The Weir Link Polish Group
Food Bank
St Stephens Youth Club
The Weir Link

For more information contact The Weir Link on 020 8675 2481

The garden will be officially opened by our newly re-elected London Assembly Member, Val Shawcross, on Saturday 7^th July, from 12noon at the Weir Community Garden, Anfield Close, Weir Estate, SW12 0NT.

Back in October 2009, the association agreed proposals for the disused derelict site, to be turned into a community garden; and then in February 2011 we appointed Touchwood Trees to put their design into reality. Now, we have a fantastic community space for all the family to enjoy.

More details on the garden can be found here

The Weir Community Day is taking place on Saturday, 16th June, and to ensure the safety of 

Closures are as follows:

• Road in front of Quennel House (Closed from between Jewell and Glanville Houses)
• The road and parking spaces in front of Weir House (closed from between West and Olding Houses)
• Parking and Car Park in front of The Weir Link and access from Weir Road to this area.

Access for emergency vehicles will be maintained during this time only.

Permission granted by Lambeth Living.

Dear Cllrs King, Ellis and Usher

I am emailing you on behalf of the Weir Estate Residents Association. We are a collective and strong voice for all residents who live on the Weir Estate, Weir Road SW12, and we seek to represent the views and concerns of residents in a fair and unbiased manner to bring much needed change and improvement to their lives.

We have been following closely over the last few years the issues with the proposed extension of the single decker 255 bus route from Streatham Hill to Balham Station.

We are strongly in favour of the proposed extension, and write to you to outline our reasons for this.

The proposed extension to this route will allow more mobility for the residents of this whole area, to and from the two main town centres close to where they live; Streatham and Balham. Many of the elderly and vulnerable residents are unable to make the journey into town centres by themselves, and some are therefore housebound due to this – by extending this bus route, it will allow these residents to have a freedom, and improve their lives dramatically. There is very low car ownership on our estate, and the safety of our community is paramount to the association, primarily the safety of women during the months when nightfall draws in earlier, and to help the elderly, vulnerable and disabled residents to be able to have more easy access to local town centres, as currently there is no transport provision to this area.

We understand that Old Devonshire Road residents have had concerns regarding this, namely due to increased congestion in a road that already has congestion issues at peak times to do with Travis Perkins and Balham Mosque. Travis Perkins will shortly be moving from Old Devonshire Road, over the border to Weir Road in Lambeth, hence there will be less congestion caused by this. We understand there is no desire from the Old Devonshire Road residents to have this bus route, but in the long term, this has to be looked at from a community perspective, and not just individual residents, and whether they actually want the route or not. We have spoken to a resident of Old Devonshire Road, who once they realised the impact of not carrying out this extension, and the affect it has to the elderly, vulnerable and disabled in the community they have changed their mind, and are now in favour of this proposal. We would be happy to come out and explain to residents of Old Devonshire Road the reasons why having this bus route is so vital to our community. We do not want to cause an argument, but only present the difficulty of the residents on Weir Estate and the surrounding areas of having such an inaccessible transport situation.

This bus route will provide a great interchange between many transport links, as well as links from local sheltered housing accommodation and schools into the main town centres.

In these times of environmental concern, all organisations, as well as local authorities are under increased pressure to ensure they have a sustainable future. I am sure Wandsworth council will be trying to help reduce local traffic congestion and pollution, and contribute to reducing carbon emissions by encouraging their residents, members and employees to use local transport as much as possible. Therefore, encouraging TfL to adopt new transport links, such as this proposed link from Streatham Hill to Balham.

Transport for London have revised the plan and we would therefore urge you to re-think your decision, and seek to support the proposal of this route, and move forward to have the service implemented as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely

Dave McEvoy
Chair

For and on behalf of the Weir Estate Residents Association

Tenants and leaseholders in Lambeth are being urged to come forward to take a role in shaping the work of Lambeth Living – London’s largest Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO).

Lambeth Living leaseholders from across the borough and Lambeth Living tenants living in Clapham, Stockwell & Vassal, and Norwood are being encouraged to represent their communities by becoming a director on the board of Lambeth Living.

The organisation manages 34,000 properties in the borough and is governed by a board of 16 directors, made up of elected tenants, leaseholder representatives, independent directors and Lambeth council nominees.

The successful applicants will serve a four year term as a Lambeth Living director, tasked with directing and controlling the company’s work.

Lambeth Living chairman, Keith Hill, said: “This is an exciting time to join the board. We have just embarked on a multi million pound stock investment project – the Lambeth Housing Standard. It is vital that tenants’ and leaseholders’ priorities are represented by champions on our board.

“Our directors contribute to the board through expertise learned firsthand from living in a home in the borough.

“They are then able to help determine the strategy and direction of Lambeth Living in the interests of residents”.

The position is voluntary although reasonable travel and out of pocket expenses (including child minding or care provision) are reimbursed and board members can also benefit from an opportunity to learn new skills and join training programmes. Board members are also expected to attend evening meetings and committee meetings.

To register your interest or to find out more contact Kamla Peerboccus on 020 7926 3401 or email Board@lambethliving.org.uk by Thursday 31st May, or find more information here

Noisy neighbours – your days are numbered. That is the firm message from Lambeth Living as the noise nuisance service on housing estates is beefed up.

New specialist noise monitoring equipment has been bought and Lambeth Living housing staff are getting specialist training as part of the crackdown against nuisance neighbours.

A recent Lambeth Living survey shows that most complaints about anti social behaviour centres on noise – comprising more than one third of all reported complaints. Most of the noise nuisance complaints are commonly about loud and late running parties, televisions, car radios, noisy DIY works or revving engines.

From excessively loud dog barks to noisy stereos, the new equipment will allow staff to quickly and accurately gather data and evidence of noise by monitoring, recording, and providing written evidence of sound levels. Where the sound level is confirmed as too high, Lambeth Living staff will visit the person making the noise to ask them to stop.

Persistent noise offenders can also be issued with a noise abatement notice if they continue causing a nuisance – if they ignore the notice, they could face a court date and a fine of up to £5,000.

Neil Litherland, Lambeth Living Chief Executive, said: “Noisy neighbours can have a huge and negative effect on peoples’ lives. By ramping up the noise nuisance service, we’re turning up the pressure on the people who cause this kind of stress”.

If you are a Lambeth Living tenant and you are suffering noise nuisance you should let your local housing office know or you can contact Lambeth Council’s noise control service on 020 7926 5999.

ONE YEAR  DEFECTS LIABILITY PERIOD

 The ‘defects liability period’ for all the works that were carried out in your property under the LHC Scheme Phase 5 – Major Works in 2010/11 is coming to an end in June, 2012.

‘Defects liability Period’ is the period during which the original contractor is responsible for making good any problems that have appeared in the work that was done during that programme.

The contract covered Roof, Windows, doors renewal and Associated Works.

If you have noticed any defects with the roof, windows and doors since the works were completed please report them to us on or before the 15^th day of June, 2012 for our contractor to remedy such defects before the end of the period. 

You can contact us by email: majorworkscentral@lambethliving.org.uk

For all other repairs and enquiries please contact the Lambeth Service Centre on: 020 7926 6000.

Many thanks.

You may also contact:

Henry Otu, Customer Liaison Officer: 0207 926 3988 email: hotu@lambeth.gov.uk

Davina Gopala, Business Support Officer: 0207 926 3973 email: dgopala@lambeth.gov.uk

Competition information and entry forms:

Scarecrow competition: Information | Entry Form

Vegetable Sculpture Competition: Information | Entry Form

If you would like any further information, or would like to exhibit, please contact us

]]> http://www.wera.org.uk/2012/05/12/events/feed/ 0 http://www.wera.org.uk/2012/05/08/londonfire-fire-safety-day-on-weir-estate-sunday-10th-june/ http://www.wera.org.uk/2012/05/08/londonfire-fire-safety-day-on-weir-estate-sunday-10th-june/#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 19:39:09 +0000 admin http://www.wera.org.uk/?p=2396

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Weir Estate Residents Association are excited to announce that following last year’s fantastic Estate Fire Safety Day, Green Watch from Tooting Fire Station will be visiting the Weir estate on Sunday 10^th June from 1pm.
London Fire Brigade will be offering FREE fire safety checks to all flats on the estate. They will ensure you are aware of fire safety, and fit fire alarms where required.

 

If you have any queries, then please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

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Staff working for Lambeth Council are to be given paid time off to help out with community projects and volunteer at local Lambeth charities under a new scheme launched this week.

Nearly 3,000 council employees are being encouraged to spend up to three days a year away from their offices, rolling up their sleeves to help out with local projects, charities and community groups.

Under the new Lambeth Volunteering Scheme, staff could help out at local youth clubs or sports teams, join a community group for a clean up or tree planting campaign, help out at a pensioners’ lunch club, mentor a young person, or help with literacy programmes in a local primary school.

Any local group or voluntary organisation will be entitled to bid for help through the new council volunteering scheme. Every member of staff will be entitled to up to three days a year to volunteer in the community.

They will be expected to make sure this does not affect their main jobs so there is no negative effect on frontline services. Staff who take part will get a better idea of the issues facing Lambeth residents in their daily lives – which will help improve the services they run. Volunteering days will be approved in advance by managers, but if every one of almost 3,000 staff takes part that will mean 9,000 days of volunteering will be available to local groups, creating a huge new resource for community-led action.

The volunteering scheme is part of Lambeth’s cooperative council initiative which aims to hand more power over council services to local people.

Cllr Steve Reed, Leader of Lambeth Council, said: “Community groups do fantastic work right across Lambeth, but they often tell me they could do even more if they had more volunteers.

“At the same time, people sometimes tell me the council can feel remote from the local community. I think it’s a great idea to get the council’s employees out of the town hall and into the community so they can hear directly from residents what problems they are facing and then give their time to help fix them. This will be good for our community and good for our employees, and it’s a real example of the cooperative council in action.”

Kieran Casey, WERA’s Communications Officer commented “This is a fantastic resource for local community groups to be able to see work done. In a time of so many government cuts, it is very refreshing to see Lambeth council offering such a great opportunity to the community of Lambeth and the council’s staff.”

WERA are delighted that our local assembly member, Val Shawcross has once again been re-elected to be our Lambeth & Southwark Assembly Member, with almost 53% of the vote.

Boris Johnson was re-elected as the Mayor of London.

The standard will make sure that all our homes are warm, safe and dry; in good repair and well maintained and will include improvements to roofs, door entry systems, bathroom, windows and guttering.

Not all homes will see works take place, as 46% already meet the standard, and it will not include kitchen or bathroom replacements, only upgrades where necessary.

Find out more about the standard at www.lambethliving.org.uk

Thames Water have announced the need to impose water-use restrictions from April 5^th to combat the effects of an increasingly severe drought after two abnormally dry winters in a row.

The decision comes after one of the driest two-year periods in southern and eastern England since records began. Since March 2010 the region has had 35cm less rain than normal.

With groundwater levels across parts of the Thames Water region close to the lowest levels ever recorded, many tributaries of the River Thames are running desperately low. Thames Water has been running a publicity campaign since the middle of last year urging its customers to continue to voluntarily use less water, offering households free devices such as water-saving showerheads, tap-inserts and four-minute shower timers.

You can order these free devices here

The temporary use ban states out that hosepipes cannot be used for gardening, recreational uses (such as filling swimming or paddling pools) or cleaning purposes except where specific exemptions apply.

Under the terms of the ban, customers can still water their gardens and clean their cars provided they use either a watering can or a bucket, not a hose. Some of the restrictions are clearly specified as applying to domestic uses of water.

Advertisements have been placed across London, such as the one above, and the one below.

More information can be found here
Temporary Use Bans (TUBs) are imposed by a water supplier under Section 76 of the Water Industry Act 1991. This legislation was amended recently to increase the scope of restrictions that can be controlled by water companies.

The planning group, consisting of Weir Estate Residents Association, and The Weir Link organising this year’s Weir Community Day are appealing for volunteers to help on the day. The Community Day is scheduled to take place on Saturday 16^th June, from 1pm to 4pm.

The event which has taken place on the estate for several years, always proves to be a fun filled extravaganza of a day, and we need you to once again help make the day special.

Each year, volunteers help to set-up the event, man stalls and clear up afterwards.

If you would like to help, please contact us.

The old estate signage did not reflect the many developments which have taken place across the estate, such as the 3 new properties on Anfield Close, The Weir Link centre as well as the Eamonn Fotrell Centre. The new signage has been designed to be bright, and easy to read, with each block being given a colour code rather than a number as the old signs were.

The signage is bigger which allows it to also be seen from the road, and all entrances to the estate now have signage to enable visitors to find their destination more easily.

Lambeth have launched a drive to recruit 1,000 interested young people and residents by the end of March.

Printed materials are going out to schools, youth groups, churches etc. These first 1000 will then shape the future development and role of the Young Lambeth cooperative itself.

The more young people and residents that register the bigger and better the cooperative will be, and the more people will be able to play a positive role in delivering the positive activities that the vast majority of our young people want to access.

Lambeth council want to set up a Young Lambeth cooperative that will oversee some services for children including play and youth.

We want young people (aged 11 and over), parents, local residents, groups and organisations to help us do this.

To register your interest, please complete the Young Lambeth cooperative registration form.

If you would like further information please:

• Email: cooperativecouncil@lambeth.gov.uk, or
• Telephone: 020 7926 3778

This approach will see collaboration between different stakeholders and be defined by:

• Localism – engagement and involvement of local communities
• Co–production – so that local communities and stakeholders are involved in deciding what and how services should be delivered
• Developing cooperative models for service delivery that include mutuals, lead partner organisations, friends of groups
• Community commissioning – local people deciding which services should be commissioned to support young people.

THE Weir Community Garden, a community garden for the local community, run by the local community is now nearing completion. Last weekend our appointed contractor for the landscape and ground works, Touchwood Trees, held another weekend of workshops aimed at teaching the community how to manage the garden, as well as creating more mosaics to be placed on the walls around the garden area.

The garden has been funded by Weir Estate Residents Association, to resurrect a derelict piece of land on the Anfield Close corner of the estate, and this has already drastically improved the look and feel of the area, with painted walls, mosaics and planting. The garden will be home to all sorts of edible plants (and non-edible plants), including fruit, vegetables and herbs. WERA Communications Officer, Kieran Casey: “The plans for this area have been in place for a while now and the transformation is almost complete. Lots of residents have come out to help with the workshops, planting and maintenance of the garden, but we need more people to be involved. The garden is for our community, and run by our community. We are very thankful to those people who have been involved in the project throughout, and continue to help.

Our aim is to develop a community garden facility whereby local residents can come and spend time, and children can come and learn. We are also involving the garden in the estates recycling provision, with composting and possibly a wormery.”

During the planning of the project the association engaged with the estate’s community through a series of consultations, and meetings, to come up with a final design and to meet the aspirations of residents.

We were also joined this weekend by our local ward councillors, Cllr Ed Davie, Cllr Diana Morris and Cllr Lib Peck, who helped out with planting, and met with local residents.

Cllr Ed Davie said: ‘This is a great project which gives people the opportunity to grow food, compost waste, work with their neighbours and enjoy a great new public space. The residents’ association should be very proud of what they have achieved for their community.’

Theresa Greene from Wastewatch who is managing the Our Common Place project in Lambeth, came along to the event with the Veolia Recycling bus, to offer practical tips and advice on reducing waste, reusing waste and recycling waste. More information about the project can be found on the Wastewatch website, or here.

The next workshops for the community garden will be on Wednesday, 28^th March from 11am to 4pm to help with the composting area.

Below is a transcript of the interview.

What have you achieved during your time as an MP?

I gave five specific practical pledges, policy related but what I would do as an MP.

1. I would carry on holding on holding surgeries in the same locations as Keith Hill, and also add another location in Brixton, which I have done.

2. I said I would be the first MP to establish an office within the constituency, and I have done that.

3.  I said I would give up my then job as a solicitor, to devote my time to doing my functions as MP. I did the day after I was elected.

4. I would be fully transparent and accountable. All my expenses and allowances are published on my website.

5. I would regularly do people’s question times, which I have done one all over the constituency, with another one currently being arranged.

Those were the five practical things which I committed to do, and I have applied for further money to have more staff, but this enables me to provide a better service to my constituency.

For wider policies, some of the issues I have been more affected by emotionally is the youth violence particularly within the borough, and it is an acute problem for us in Lambeth, as well as other boroughs such as Southwark, Lewisham and Hackney. Almost immediately after my election, it became an even bigger issue than it already was with the death of Zac Olumegbon in June 2010 and the incidents of violence and the tragedies we have seen carries on, and have carried on through to July 2011 with the murder of Nana Darko-Frempong in Tulse Hill, and so the first parliamentary debate which I initiated and held in the House of Commons was on serious youth violence, I have been in very close contact with ministers on this issue and have pressed them for funding, as I don’t think they have provided Lambeth with enough funding to provide adequate youth provision, which is one way to tackle the issue. I have also quite recently become the chairman of the London gangs forum, which basically takes learning and best practice from across all the different boroughs and encourage to learn from each other. This brings together the London boroughs, the home office and other third sector organisations who otherwise are not keyed in and so that is one way I can use to power my office to bring people together and we will be feeding into the governments gun crime consultation which has recently opened, and will submit a report.

A top down solution is not the answer to this problem; it has to be a bottom up with the community working with the different agencies.

Secondly, housing is an issue for many people, in respect to those who are subject to the austerity cuts on benefits, which is making people’s lives hard, but also the ongoing problems we have with lack of investment in social housing stock. I have been working closely with the council, to address not just the provision from Lambeth living but also I have been working with lots of the other registered social landlords and housing associations on individual casework which people have, but also working with them to put pressure on the government to provide money to complete the decent homes updates. I have met with ministers and raised questions in the House of Commons about this, since I was elected.

Thirdly, the other big issue is education. The government have put forward its calibration of the academies programme. I am slightly hesitant about the academies programme, but I am clear it has to be about the local people and local governing bodies to decide. What was very clear to me was that in making the decision whether or not to adopt academy status, the governors just felt they didn’t understand the issues or have access to the information to make an informed decision. I worked with my other Lambeth colleague MP’s, we convened some round tables with school governors and head teachers to discuss and share views on whether or not to adopt academy status and in the course of that we had about 200 governors across Lambeth come along to the events we hosted for them in the house of commons. There are many other things, the other thing is obviously the school places issue. I have met with Cllr Pete Robbins who leads on Children and Young People’s Services and with Tessa Jowell and Kate Hoey. We went to the Department for Education to meet with Michael Gove to press for more money to address the acute problem we have with primary school places.

There are many others, but those are just some of the highlights.

Would you say it’s been a successful two years for you?

I am pleased that where we can we have helped thousands of constituents with individual casework, but what I find frustrating at a national level is not being in government. I am a member of the shadow cabinet, and we have a constitutional agreement to hold the government to account, but we are not the ones in control of the levers, and there are so many decisions they are making which I think are bad for my community.

Back when you were a Parliamentary Candidate, you listed the biggest challenges in the constituency as:
the economy and the ongoing recession; anti-social behaviour, prostitution and burglary; ensuring that the supply of school places meets demand; ensuring that everyone has access to high quality, affordable, decent housing and housing services; funding for the provision of activities for our youth; the regeneration of Streatham High Road and our main thoroughfares; improved public transport links to the area; and, promoting environmentally sustainable living in the area and reducing the litter and pollution on our streets.

How do you feel this has changed since you’ve been our MP?

I think the Safer Neighbourhood Team’s which Labour established government in all of the wards. In the eight wards in my constituency have been doing fantastic sterling work with the Safer Neighbourhood Panels to address some of these issues, and I think ASB is still an ongoing issue, and is one of the reasons why I thought ASBOs were a good thing. If you had a problem family causing misery to the rest of a block or estate, it helped provide further powers to those in authority to address that. I think it’s still an ongoing issue and this is one of the reasons why I oppose the government’s 20% cut in police funding. We agree with the independent inspector of policing who says that a 12% cut is sustainable and will not affect policing, but 20% is way above and beyond. If we learnt anything from the unrest we had in the borough, it is that police numbers matter.

What ways do you engage with residents and hear their views?

Today we have been out on one of my walkabouts. I have over 20 estates in my constituency and we have been out this morning with residents, officers and members of the SNT to look at issues, and pick up problems.

We are constantly in contact with people via email and over the telephone, people do find it a bit frustrating that we don’t have the telephone line open all day but the reason we don’t have it open all day is if everyone is on the phone all day, then the casework can’t actually be dealt with.

Thirdly, we have the people’s question times, we have had around 7 of these, and I also try to get out and about in the community to different events, there’s usually a flurry of events around summer and Christmas.

I am a massive user of social media, I have picked up casework through social media, Facebook, twitter and also my website to engage with residents.

Also, my advice surgeries and drop in surgeries.

I have to be in the House of Commons all day, Monday to Wednesday and usually half day Thursday, hence I’m not in the constituency as much as I’d like. I usually work a 7 day week, due to my responsibility, but I also have my national responsibility. I try one weekend in four to have my own time, and see family and friends. The demands on your time are huge.

I have also done coffee mornings, and picked up casework.

What does your role of Shadow Business Secretary entail? And how does help your constituency?

We as an opposition have two constitutional functions. Firstly we are there to hold the government to account as Her Majesty’s loyal opposition and to question what they are doing, and to point out where they are getting things wrong, or right. This is an important part of any government to be an effective opposition for democracy to function. And secondly, we are an alternative government, a shadow government, so come to the election we are the alternative that you put forward to the people to run the country, it’s very important so people have a choice. Simply it’s between a Conservative led government with support from the Liberal Democrats which is pursuing an economic policy which goes too far too fast, and has seen long term unemployment in the constituency double in the last 12 months, and chocking off growth, a labour party which is devoted to enabling people individually and their families to achieving their full potential in a strong and cohesive society and a growing economy where wealth is created and people can prosper and succeed.

I am part of that alternative government, and I lead not only on business but also on international trade, universities, further education and postal services and employee rights too. I lead nationally on behalf of the people to hold the government to account on that respect but also in terms of saying this is a different way of doing it. Like any other UK constituency, we have business who are struggling to succeed and expand in the really difficult economic environment, go onto the A23, the longest piece of continuous high street in Europe which I am proud to say runs through my constituency and see the difficulties being faced. We also have further education institutions like Lambeth College, and many young people who want to go to university but are worried about having to pay £9000 tuition fees, so all the national stuff has a huge impact on the people I represent locally, and one of the great things about being in the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Business Secretary is it further empowers me to raise those issues in a high profile way on behalf of the people I represent.

What are your overall views on the tory/lib dem coalition?

My politics start from the view we are all mutually independent so we all depend on each other. My view of conservative party politics is it’s generally a me, myself and I culture. it is important to give individuals the ability prosper, and strive to achieve their best, but having people  needs  a strong society to do that, whether that’s through a good education system , or providing good policing so people running businesses are safe in the knowledge they  are not going to be burgled and looted or in terms of providing the vulnerable, the poor, the people who can’t help themselves, the elderly, the disabled, the infirm whether it is giving them the help that I think we as human beings have a duty to provide. I don’t think that’s something the conservatives subscribe to, they have always ideologically thought that its very much about the individual and that’s it. I don’t really know what the liberal democrats stand for, and all I do know is they promised a lot, to increase investment in our schools and to protect the NHS and not to impose higher tuition fees to people living in this area, and all I do know is they have been part of this government and have supported the plans to basically privatise the NHS, they relayed on their promise not to introduce higher tuition fees, in fact it was the Lib Dem Business Secretary who imposed that on people in this constituency and they have supported policing cuts, all of these are things they and their councillors promised local people that they wouldn’t support and they have.

There is huge concern over the NHS Reforms, what is your view of the NHS and these proposed reforms? Despite the petition having well over 160,000 signatures, the government still say this may not be debated in parliament, do you think this is right?

I think this is wrong, and there should be a full debate of what they are proposing in parliament, and what they thought to do is shut-down by saying the people who are opposing what they are planning; are not wanting to change and reform the NHS where it’s needed. We are not against change and reform, but it’s got to be done in the right way, and they promised there wouldn’t be a top down reorganisation and that’s precisely what they are imposing on the NHS and they are going to waste £2billion in the process which is money which could be spent on patient care, and improving local services.

I am really proud, that under our labour government we saw in our constituency 6 new or improved health centres being built, and everybody loved them.

Would you say you are a keen labour supporter as an MP for Labour?

Absolutely. I joined the labour party because just look at all the things we have done and supported historically, whether it was the establishment of the NHS, our internationalist vision, thoroughly opposing the apartheid regime in south Africa, and the votes for working people and women. We have always been the ones who have been on the front foot when it comes to equal, fair, democratic Britain. The strength of our vision is the thing that has held back the conservatives from winning the majority.

How do you feel about the unpaid work experience scheme the government have in place?

I don’t mind work experience I think it’s a good thing for people to get work experience as I think it helps to improve their ability and enables people to get access to skills, the problem of course with the governments work experience programme is that if you went onto a programme and withdrew, for example if it wasn’t very good and you didn’t get the experience you expected, they would withdraw benefits, which I thought was wrong. Secondly, there is a discipline issue with the government paying commercial organisations to take on people for work experience and then using those people to do work which employees would otherwise do, I think that was worrying, but they appear to have listened to some of the concerns of the businesses who they engaged to do the work experience who said, like I have that stopping peoples benefit if they left the programme was not something they can support, but not opposed to the principal of work experience.

Yesterday you gave a speech at the CBI about reforming the UK economy, can you tell us about this in brief?

One of the things we need to do is we have got two problems, firstly the economy hasn’t quite been delivering for businesses, people and  families for some time, that is one of the reasons we have one of the biggest squeeze on living standards in a generation, despite increases in productivity, efficiency in which our businesses are operated haven’t been translated into higher wages for people, so wages nationally stayed the same, despite inflation and rising costs. Secondly, we are also facing much more competitive pressures coming internationally from other market economies like Brazil, China and Russia, that presents opportunities as a new market to sell our products into, but also more competition for things we already sell. My speech was about how we can work in partnership with business to make sure we are well setup as a country to exploit these new opportunities so they deliver better outcomes for British people. One of the things I actually said during the speech and I talked about Lambeth in the speech, if we want to sell into these new economies we have to improve our language skills, and traditionally we have focussed on French and German in our schools, latterly there has been a bit more focus on Spanish, but I think we need to be looking at what are the language skills which we need as a nation to exploit these new economies. We have one of the largest Portuguese speaking populations in Lambeth, which provides us with a unique link and ability to connect up with Brazil to exploit that big economy and we are just not using it. We need to do much more to make use of that not just for the Diaspora community, but also to create jobs for the community as well.

Do you think the recession is as a result of the coalition?

Yes. We aren’t quite in a recession yet, we’ve had one quarter of negative growth if we get another, and technically we will be in a recession. I hope we don’t get another quarter of negative growth. The simple fact is, our economy has stagnated and flat lined for most of the last 12months, long before the euro zone crisis started to impact on our economy, but the worrying thing is, that is still yet to feed through. That was because of what the government did. When I became an MP, and labour left government, unemployment was falling and growth was rising and business was beginning to flourish again, but because of what they did, confidence fell, and therefore demand fell for goods, so we are in the situation we are. There is just over 2.6million people out of work and in the constituency alone we have just over 4300 people claiming Job Seekers Allowance. That is the situation we find ourselves in, and that’s why we have been arguing they should change course, and adopt our plan for growth which includes creating 100,000 jobs for young people, along the lines of the future jobs fund scheme, which was helping so many people in Lambeth.

We don’t often see you down here, what are you doing for this part of the constituency?

All of the things I have been doing with policing, gang prevention, housing and casework are all throughout the constituency. I don’t think it’s fair to say that I’m not seen around, as I try to get to all parts of the constituency, for example Weir Estate is one of 20 estates in the constituency, so getting around everywhere is a challenge considering the best time I can do that is a Friday or Saturday. We deal with lots of casework from Thornton residents. We have supported the setting up of the Weir Community Garden. I do surgeries within the ward, but these must be organised by appointment.

I held a coffee morning in The Weir Link, and met residents and picked up casework, and attended the Weir Community Day, and recently done a walkabout on the Weir Estate.

We were very sad to hear of the boundary changes, and if these come into force our part of the constituency will form part of the new Clapham common constituency which will be a highly conservative area. Do you think it is right to make these changes, and to split Streatham constituency up so much?

No. I don’t agree with it, and I think the Lib Dems have a lot of explaining to do. I was quite bemused to see they had been putting out leaflets asking residents to rise up and oppose the proposals that their government is putting through, and they support. It’s quite extraordinary. Clapham Common Constituency is forecast to be a marginal.

Chuka would like to thank WERA and everyone involved for the very valuable work you do. Serving the estate and making it the very vibrant community that it is.

 You can contact Chuka by several methods:

email: chuka.umunna.mp@parliament.uk

web: www.chuka.org.uk

twitter: @ChukaUmunna        facebook

This weekend we will also have the Lambeth Council Recycling bus, 11am to 3pm. 

See poster below for full details.

Work has started on our community garden and there also been many other trials and tribulations along the way; but I think we have faced them and tackled all of them. In August 2011, I suffered a stroke and my speech has caused me difficulty to be able to chair any meetings, but I have continued to oversee the work of the association, with the assistance of the Communications Officer and partner, Kieran Casey and our Treasurer, Sue Cranmer. I would like to thank Cllr Lib Peck and Cllr Ed Davie, for stepping in as chair during my period of illness.

Weir Estate Residents Association continued to play a vital role around the estate, and this report is an outline of the association’s year. This year’s main project which I have overseen has been the community garden; from the planning and appointing of contractors, to the work now being almost complete.

Although there have been difficult times, I have strived to ensure all the priorities which the association agreed upon, have been met as fully as possible; more information on our priorities are within this report.

We have continued to build upon our strong partnerships and have continued to find new partnerships during the course of the year. Sadly, a large proportion of the estates residents still fail to come along to the association’s meetings, or do not get involved in many of the other activities, such as the workshops recently held for the community garden. However we must not forget those residents who continue to support the association, and turn out to each meeting without fail. These residents take an active role in the decision making process which continue to see changes brought to our estate.

I continue to have the belief that WERA will continue to strive year on year, and help to support our residents with their voice on both local and national levels, and look forward to residents continuing to support the work of the association throughout the coming year, bring our community together with one collective voice.

Dave McEvoy
Chair 

The full report can be found by clicking here (pdf)