Creating Community event (2)

We enjoyed an excellent day at St John's Seven Kings today with large numbers attending our Creating Community event where the Archdeacon of West Ham opened our community garden, the Seven Kings and Newbury Park Resident's Association were presented with a Living Streets award by the Mayor of Redbridge, a range of community groups provided information about their services and a successful plant and table-top sale was held.

My dedication prayer for the community garden opening is: I dedicate this community garden for the enjoyment of local people and to the glory of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I pray that this garden will be a place of rest, reflection and pleasure for all who use it in future. May your Spirit fill this place enabling people to receive comfort as they remember loved ones and to enjoy the artworks that will be placed here and the beauty of the plants which grow here. May this place also come to be a focus for the local community as groups of local schoolchildren tend it and through the information provided via its noticeboards. May your peace and blessing rest upon it in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Lou Reed et al - Perfect Day.

Fitter for Walking mural

Last night this mural was created on the wall of Downshall Primary School. It is one of a series of outcomes from the work which the Seven Kings and Newbury Park Resident's Association have undertaken in partnership with the Fitter for Walking project.

The artwork was produced by artist Effie Coe from Invisible Dust, an art and environmental science organisation, and children from Downshall Primary School. During workshops with Effie, the children were asked to create their own imaginary visions of the surrounding streets both now (left) and into the future (right). The original drawings in the coloured blocks and the slogans were produced by the children themselves.

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Victoria Williams - Shoes.

Resident's Association AGM

Last night we held the AGM of the Seven Kings and Newbury Park Resident's Association (SKNPRA) with a greatly increased turnout reflecting our increased membership. We heard from the Sergeant of the Seven Kings Safer Neighbourhoods Team and the local Neighbourhood Watch Manager, as a result of which two of our members volunteered to act as co-ordinators for new Neighbourhood Watch schemes in the area. We also agreed to re-establish the Friends of Seven Kings Park group.

In my remarks as chairperson I said: 

"Yesterday I was at the first meeting of a group which will try to bring together churches, community groups, faith groups, residents’ associations, schools, and trades unions into one campaigning body for Redbridge.

During the meeting it was said that power is the ability to act. On that basis Seven Kings and Newbury Park Resident’s Association has been a powerful group this year and in past year’s. As you will hear in the report to be given shortly by our Secretary, Audrey Shorer, we have acted on a wide range of issues and have been successful in bringing new resources into the area and in changing Council policy.

People often say, and even more so in a time of recession, that we can’t make a difference, we can’t change anything around us, that we have no power. SKNPRA and other community groups in this area are demonstrating that that is not true. We can make a difference. By working this year with the Fitter for Working project we have succeeded in making a number of small improvements which add up to a significant improvement in the local area; even in a time of cuts, getting Council money spent on a new bench and repairs to the bandstand! By working together with other groups, such as TASK and the campaign to save King George’s Hospital, we are also contributing to larger-scale changes; seeing a new library opened, an existing library saved; and, hopefully, A and E and Maternity Services retained at King Georges Hospital. Taking a series of small actions and joining together with other groups to make our voices heard does have an impact and can lead to significant improvements. And that is what we have seen demonstrated this year.

Audrey Shorer gave the Secretary’s report outlining our main areas of work over the past year:

"This has been quite a busy year for us with some successes and some disappointments.

We were pleased to be involved with the opening of the new Library in Seven Kings in July. Also in July we teamed up with Tom Platt on the Art Trail Walk as part of our Fitter for Walking project. This led to two street cleaning exercises teamed up with the Redbridge Cleansing Dept along Aldborough Road South.

Several other improvements have been made as part of the Fitter for Walking project including a seat at the junction of Aldborough Road South and Brook Rd, Cycle rail planters at St Johns Church and plans for a mural on the dull wall of Downshall Primary School.

We would like to thank Tom Platt for all his support and advice on these improvements.

We were able to convince Area 5 and 7 of the need to repair and repaint the bandstand in Seven Kings Park which has been done. We hope you will all come to see it when St John’s church have their Praise in the Park event on the 3rd July, picnic at 2pm, praise at 3pm.

We were disappointed that despite our petitions, letters and presentations to Redbridge Cabinet over the closure of the toilets in Seven Kings Park, this still went ahead. But all is not lost as we are negotiating with Area 5 and 7 to fund the re-opening from their budget.

Our other disappointment was the sudden news in March that Downshall Centre was to be converted to an Independent school in September regardless of all the community groups that use the centre. Members of your committee attended many meetings and made presentations to Redbridge Council and to the management of the proposed school.

We understand that those groups which use the centre in the evenings can continue to do so but the daytime users like the lunch club will have to find other venues.

We also joined in the protest meetings regarding the threat to KGH A and E and Maternity Depts. where Jonathan spoke emphatically against the closures. We await the decision of the Health Minister.

We have continued to report faults to Highways and Cleansing where necessary and these have been dealt with. We keep in contact with TASK and Newbury Park Neighbourhood Watch.

Two dates for you to put in your diaries. One is this Saturday 21st at 10.30 when the St John’s Church Community Garden is officially opened by the Archdeacon of West Ham and attended by the Mayor and Mayoress elect, followed by a table top and plant sale.

The second is the annual Community Festival on Sept 18th at Barley Lane Recreation ground with fun and information for all the family."

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Neil Young - Walk With Me.

Creating community event

St John's Seven Kings is holding a Creating Community event on Saturday 21st May, which includes the opening, by the Archdeacon of West Ham, of the community garden at St John's and the presentation of a Living Streets award to the Seven Kings and Newbury Park Resident's Association (SKNPRA).

The community garden, which has been supported financially by Area 5 and 7 committees, London over the Border and the Fitter for Walking project, includes: new seating and plantlocks; a community noticeboard; sensory planting; original artworks; and a remembrance area. In addition, an area has been set aside for use by children at Downshall Primary School.

SKNPRA is receiving the Living Streets award for its work, with the Fitter for Walking project, in improving the local environment along Aldborough Road South in order to get more people out walking. This has included: a community audit of Aldborough Road South; presentations of the audit findings to the Area 5 and 7 committees; a community clean-up day; plantlocks for the community garden; a new bench at the corner of Brook Road and Aldborough Road South; walks organised for children at Downshall Primary School; a community mural project at Downshall Primary School; publicity for the local Church Art Trail; Church Art Trail walks; Newbury Park SNT action on speeding; successful funding application to Area 5 and 7 comittees for repair of the Seven Kings Park bandstand; and a successful community campaign to retain the Aldborough Road South public toilets.

The opening ceremony and the award presentation will take place at 10.30am and will then be followed (between 11.00am and 1.00pm) by a community information event in the community garden and a plant and table-top sale in the St John's Centre. For the community information event, community groups are being invited to set up a stall in the community garden displaying information about their work between 11.00am and 1.00pm.

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The Kinks - The Village Green Preservation Society.

Community Audit outcomes (2)

As part our project to improve the environment along Aldborough Road South, the Seven Kings and Newbury Park Resident's Association (SKNPRA) asked Redbridge Council for a bench near the shops, which has now been provided. The bench was requested to assist those needing to rest when going to and from the local shops and demonstrates that the Council, despite current financial constraints, are willing to consider and support requests from the community where possible.

In March 2010 SKNPRA, in partnership with the Fitter for Walking project, undertook a community audit of Aldborough Road South, a key road in Seven Kings linking the High Road and Eastern Avenue via Seven Kings Park. The findings of the Community Audit formed a report which was presented to the Area 5 and Area 7 committees and highlighted issues of traffic speeds, pavement parking, damaged paving, renewal of signage, litter, and seating in public areas along Aldborough Road South.

Since that point SKNPRA and the Fitter for Walking project have been negotiating with the local authority and other groups to implement a number of the recommendations from the report. Outcomes from the report have to date included:

• the Fitter for Walking project purchasing two plantlocks (planters to which bikes can be locked) for the community garden at St John's Seven Kings and funding leaflets publicising the Church Art Trail for which Aldborough Road South is one of three main link roads;
• through Redbridge Council's Street Cleansing service, a major clean-up of Aldborough Road South was organised which saw large amounts of rubbish removed from front gardens;
• a successful funding application to the Area 5 and 7 committees to repair and renovate the bandstand in Seven Kings Park;
• Tom Platt from the Fitter for Walking project has been working with pupils from Downshall Primary School to discuss the benefits of walking and the important role they can play in the local community in making their streets safer, more attractive and more enjoyable places to walk and spend time in. He has led three walks to Seven Kings Park with the Year 1s.
• Tom Platt has also started to run an art project with Years 5 and 6 at Downshall School in collaboration with artist Effie Coe from Invisible Dust. Pupils will work with Effie to explore creatively the role they can play in the local community in making their streets safer, more attractive and more enjoyable places to walk and spend time in. At the end of this process Effie will use the children's artwork to inspire a mural for the outside wall of the school. The purpose of the mural will be to make the street a more attractive and vibrant place.

SKNPRA and St John's Seven Kings will be organising a community event, in the community garden at St John's, on Saturday 21st May to celebrate these achievements, open the community garden, provide community information, promote gardening, and hold a Plant and Table-top sale.

 

Mark Kennedy, Membership Officer for SKNPRA says, "Our aim has always been to work closely with residents in both the areas we represent, together with community groups, council departments and other independent agencies from time to time to achieve one aim which is to actively to improve the communities we live in. The improvements in Aldborough Road South resulting from our Community Audit are our latest initiative to get our hands dirty to improve the road and area for all resident's benefit. We are always on the look out for new members to join our association as the more members we represent the more we can achieve with people giving us their views and support to make the community a better place to live in for all to enjoy."

 

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Maire Brennan - No Scenes of Stately Majesty.

Aldborough Road South clean-up (2)

Audrey Shorer, myself and Tom Platt (Living Streets) with Council officials and members of the Safer Neighbourhoods Team at the Aldborough Road South clean-up

Cllr Bellwood with a Council Enforcement officer at the clean-up

Redbridge Council's Street Cleansing service were out in force on Aldborough Road South and Cameron Road today at the request of the Seven Kings and Newbury Park Resident's Association. Large amounts of rubbish were removed from front gardens and Seven Kings and Newbury Park Resident's Association members, with the support of Cllr Bellwood, the Fitter for Walking project and the Seven Kings Safer Neighbourhood Team, assisted with litter picking to ensure a full clean-up of the area.

The clean-up was agreed with the Council as one response to the Community Audit of Aldborough Road South undertaken by the Seven Kings and Newbury Park Resident's Association as part of the Fitter for Walking project run by Living Streets. Our Community Audit of Aldborough Road South highlights issues of traffic speeds, pavement parking, damaged paving, renewal of signage, litter, and seating in public areas along Aldborough Road South. We are calling for greater enforcement of the 20mph speed limit; traffic calming measures; a review of parking in the whole area; and additional signage to local amenities. Alongside these requests, we are offering to help fund new public seating and have helped organise today's clean up of the area and are planning a Spring 2011 event to promote pride in the upkeep of front gardens.

Mark Kennedy, Membership Officer for the Seven Kings and Newbury Park Residents Association said, "Our aim has always been to work closely with residents in both the areas we represent, together with community groups, council departments and other independent agencies from time to time to achieve one aim which is to actively to improve the communities we live in. The clean up in Aldborough Road South, Newbury Park is one of our latest initiatives to get our hands dirty to improve the road and area for all resident's benefit. We are always on the look out for new members to join our association as the more members we represent the more we can achieve with people giving us their views and support to make the community a better place to live in for all to enjoy."

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Flyleaf - Fully Alive.

Community Garden Project (2)

New noticeboards

New border & cleared remembrance area

Plantlocks

Work started yesterday on the community garden at St John's Seven Kings. A small team worked exceptionally hard to clear the remembrance area, create a new border, put together and fill two plantlocks, and assemble and erect two noticeboards. We also took delivery of benches for the community garden.

Funding for the community garden has come from Area Committees 5 and 7, London Over The Border, and the Fitter for Walking project of Living Streets. As well benches and new noticeboards, we are using this funding to create areas of sensory planting and a remembrance area with a central sculpture around which minature roses will be planted in memory of loved ones. The plantlocks combine tubs for planting with secure bars to which bikes can be locked, encouragement for people to cycle to and from the building.

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Bob Dylan - In The Garden.

Review of SKNPRA's year

It has been another active and engaged year for the Seven Kings & Newbury Park Resident’s Association.

We held two successful walkabouts this year. The first was in Newbury Park and resulted in a number of immediate repairs followed by a fuller inspection of the roads covered by the Council. The second walkabout was a community audit of Aldborough Road South carried out with the Fitter for Walking project run by Living Streets. This has resulted in a report which has been sent to Council officials and which will be discussed by the Area 5 & 7 Committees and Downshall Primary School. Some of the initiatives which are supported by or beginning as a result of this report include: St John’s community garden project; SKNPRA’s offer of a new bench at both the Aldborough Road South shops and Seven Kings Park; and the creation of an Art Trail involving the local churches.

Issues we have specifically raised this year have included: the path from Seven Kings Park to the Eastern Avenue (which is now complete); opening of the park toilets on Sundays; a range of streetscape issues (including graffiti, road signs, and potholes); the reopening of Downshall Avenue (which was unsuccessful); together with issues and ideas relating to the Crossrail Corridor Area Action Plan.

We have supported the establishment of the Friends of Seven Kings Park group and the St John’s Neighbourhood Watch through the active involvement of Resident’s Association members in these groups.

We have also supported community campaigns led by the Aldborough Hatch Defence Association, Oaks Lane residents, Seven Kings & Goodmayes Allotment Society, Take Action for Seven Kings and Vicarage Lane Play Park. The campaign for a new library in Seven Kings has been successful. It is hoped that the new library on the High Road will open in July and SKNPRA has contributed to the community group with which the Council has consulted in planning for the new library.

We have actively publicised SKNPRA through the production of new flyers and posters, leaflet drops, and a stall at the Our Community Festival. As a result, we have seen our membership grow.

Our thanks go to: Mark Kennedy, our Membership Secretary, for overseeing this expansion of the Association; Audrey Shorer, our Secretary, for ably recording our meetings and taking forward much of our work; and all committee members for their continuing support and input to the Association.

Our thoughts are particularly with Audrey at this time when the funeral of her husband Peter, who was Vice-Chair of the Association, is to be held here at St John’s tomorrow. We record now our appreciation of and thanks for the contribution that Peter made to the Association, for the engaged and unfailingly polite manner in which Peter’s contribution was made, and, perhaps most of all, for the friendship that we enjoyed with Peter. Our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with Audrey and her family in their loss.

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Runrig - Protect And Survive.