Churches can survive and thrive in changing and challenging times

The Evens Evening at St John's Seven Kings, which was my farewell event in the parish, was a very special evening for us as a family. I gave a presentation of the recent East London Three Faiths Forum Tour of the Holy Land, there was a delicious bring and share supper, and there were words of thanks and presentations to Christine and I.

Here is the speech I gave at the end of the evening:

St John’s is a diverse and busy church in a diverse and changing area. This makes it an interesting and dynamic place to be. When that is combined with committed, caring and creative people in the congregation and community, the parish provides opportunities for ministry which is engaged and engaging, innovative and traditional, memorable and mundane.

Over the past eight years together we have: celebrated anniversaries (Contact Centre, Mothers’ Union, 110 years of the Church); been inspired by the examples of those no longer with us such as Dorothy Hart, Doreen Gullett, John Toll and Barbara Trump among others; maintained our work with children and young people; drawn new people into ministry in services and leadership; welcomed new people into the congregation as a result of our community engagement, the occasional offices of baptisms, funerals and weddings, and through people moving into the area; contributed to successful community campaigns for much needed local facilities; organised art exhibitions, bazaars, community information events, concerts, light opera performances, literary panels, a Praise Party, a wide range of social & fundraising events, table-top sales and a talent show; supported the setting up the Sophia Hub social enterprise support service; worked closely and well with our friends in the Seven Kings Fellowship of Churches and the local cluster of Anglican churches; and expanded the range of community groups using the Parish Centre.

As a result of this shared missional activity, St John’s is well known in the borough as a well used and well loved community hub; a church that is open, welcoming, engaged and engaging. We have achieved this together in a challenging context for the borough’s churches which results from the changing demographics in the area. The multi-faith nature of this parish means that Christianity is becoming numerically a minority faith in the area bringing significant challenges for maintaining church buildings and congregations as a result. While understandably, but unhelpfully, this can result in a defensive attitude developing among Christians, overall at St John’s we have been open to engagement and dialogue with our neighbours of other faiths through our support of Faith Forum and Three Faiths Forum events and the work of the Sophia Hub and Scriptural Reasoning group. In addition, although there has been resistance, we have faced up to the changes needed to address the financial issues which arise from the challenge provided by changing demographics and have worked our way together to a place of renewed financial viability. We are, therefore, an example of how churches can survive and thrive in changing and challenging times and locations.

None of this has been achieved without debate and stress, conflict and challenge both for you and for me. All of this – continuity, change and challenge – has contributed to the ministry we have done and the foundation for the future which has been laid.

St John’s will be a hugely interesting and attractive parish in which someone new can minister. It has been a privilege for me to be your minister for the past eight years, to get to know and grow in friendship with you all, to face the challenges and take on the opportunities of this area, and most of all to do ministry together; to share in activities which benefit the local community, bring diverse groups together, develop understanding and community cohesion, bring people to Christian faith and to a deepening of their faith.

Thank you for the opportunity to have been part of all this together with you. Thank you for all that each one of you contributes to the ongoing mission and ministry of St John’s. Thank you because of the impact that that ministry has individually and overall. Thank you for all that I have learnt and for all the ways that I have developed and grown through being here. Thank you to all those who have shared ministry and leadership with me here and thank you to all those who given me particular support, help and encouragement in the time that I have been here. I pray for God’s continued rich and deep blessing on you as individuals, congregation, church, parish and community.   

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Bernadette Farrell - Christ Be Our Light.

Progress on step-free access to local stations

Seven Kings & Newbury Park Resident's Association, along with other community and lobby groups, has been campaigning for step-free access at Newbury Park and Seven Kings stations.

It is great news, then, that an announcement has been made that Seven Kings station will have step-free access as part of the Crossrail development. Click here to read the story of this announcement in the Ilford Recorder.

TfL have also, in a separate press release, said that Newbury Park station 'could be made step-free with third party contributions and the LU fund.' While this is a long way from being a firm commitment on step-free access at Newbury Park, it is a public acknowledgement of intent on TfL's part which should be publicised and on which they should be regularly questioned and asked for updates on progress.

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Show of Hands - Are We Alright?

Seven Kings & Newbury Park Residents Association (SKNPRA) Newsletter

Audrey Shorer, Secretary to SKNPRA, writes:

Our AGM held on the 16th July was well attended and we were pleased that PC Jackson-Plume was able to give us a run down on activities in Newbury Park & Seven Kings. He explained the recent restructuring of staff in Redbridge which left 1 Sergeant , 1 PC and 1 PCSO for each ward.

Although crime figures were down in Newbury and Seven Kings, those in Chadwell & Clayhall have risen.

He urged members to attend the 3 monthly Police Ward Panels to raise local issues. The next meeting is on Monday 15th Sept. 7.30 at Barkingside Police station. If you are interested, please contact newbury.snt@met.police.uk address to FAO Ward Panel.

NEW CHAIRMAN.

The Rev Jonathan Evens has been our hard working Chairman for 6 years. Due to his three month sabbatical and heavy work load he asked to stand down as Chairman. We were most grateful for the untiring support he gave us throughout our activities.

We were pleased to welcome David Stephens as our new Chairman. He has been a Newbury Park resident for 39 years and is Chairman of the Civilian Committee of 4F (Ilford) Squadron Air Cadets also the East Sector representative on the civilian committee of the London Wing, Air Cadets.

He has already put in much time and effort as acting Chairman since Jonathan stood down.

SECRETARY’S REPORT. Audrey Shorer.

We have been involved in 3 main projects this year.

The first was to petition TfL to install step free access at Newbury Park & Seven Kings stations. You may remember that work was started on a lift shaft at Newbury Park Station in 2009, but TfL ran out of funds for the project and the hole was filled in.

In July last year we held a protest meeting at Newbury Park which was well attended and reported. Since then we have continued to badger TfL and Mayor Boris Johnson with support from Redbridge Councillors. Recently Boris indicated that SK might receive funding for step free access.

We would like to thank committee member Peter Robinson for all the time and effort he has put in with letters, e-mails & phone calls on this ongoing project and I ask you all to sign the petition here tonight.

The second project is for a permanent swimming pool in Ilford. We have been campaigning on this issue since 2003 when the old pool was threatened with demolition. Since then we have seen many plans and been given many promises, the last one that a pool will be built in 2018 but no indication of the cost or where it will be built.

I would like to thank committee members Martin Clinton & Kate Kennedy for their efforts in contacting Redbridge Councillors, Boris Johnson and local swimming groups with an ongoing demand for a pool.

The third project was to object to a proposal by Redbridge Council to close St Johns Rd and put a mini roundabout at the junction of Aldborough rd Sth and Meads Lane.

Our Chairman, Jonathan, Mark and myself spoke at Area 5 & 7 committee meetings to point out the futility of this plan. The proposal was rejected by both committees. We continue to press TfL for traffic lights at this junction.

Our Chairman, Rev Jonathan Evens has set up the Sophia Hub Timebank at St Johns church which is a community network to help and advise local entrepreneurs wishing to start new businesses. They have regular meetings with speakers on a variety of subjects such as business planning, e-safety and customer service. The use of internet is available at St Johns church where the meetings are held. The next meeting is on Tuesday 26th August 7pm. If you are interested, contact ros.southern@sophiahubs.com

In between times we have dealt with issues of parking, fly-tipping, lighting and planning.

I have produced 3 Newsletters since the last AGM. The last one sent by e-mail to all those who have given their e-mail address. The rest have been hand delivered or posted. I would like to thank all those who help with the hand deliveries.

TREASURER’S REPORT. Jayanti Parmar.

Our bank balance at 31 03 2014 stands at £ 2,815.03 Expenditure over the year was £749.85.

A full account report is available on request.

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY’S REPORT Mark Kennedy.

It has been a busy twelve months for me in this role. I promised you as members (households) last year that I would with my committees support increase the membership to 200 members by the end of December 2013. I have to say that I owe you all an apology I was unable to hit this target in December, which I hope you will forgive me for. However, I did manage to increase the membership to 200 a short time ago in 2014 and I have to say that it is with great pleasure that I can report that the membership number for this association has now reached 222 members, an increase of 60 members. Our membership of roads where we have members has increased as well from 50 roads last year to 60, an increase of 10.

As far as I can tell, judging by other residents membership numbers that exist in the London Borough of Redbridge we can proudly boast to be one of the biggest if not the biggest residents association in Redbridge. We are certainly one of the few residents associations that can say that we are adding new members almost every week. If I do not personally recruit a new member every week, I feel disappointed. My mandate in this role is to increase the membership base and broaden our coverage of roads. So far so good, but the hard work and journey must continue.

Why do we need a big membership base? It is important that we continue to grow and recruit new members so we become or are more representative of the areas we serve as a residents association. The more members we have the louder our voice is, the more united we are as a community in tackling an issue and a force to be reckoned with in the Seven Kings and Newbury Park areas.

My target for 2014/15 is to increase the membership form 222 to 272 over the next 12 months. To do so, I need your help! We all know, a neighbour or a friend that lives in Seven Kings and / Newbury Park. I would like to encourage you all to speak to your neighbour(s) and or friends and ask them to join us. I can email you copies of membership forms for you to forward on to your neighbours/friends/contacts. I cannot recruit NEW members all on my own. The increase in membership is a credit to this committee in their support and to some of you in your support in the local neighbourhoods and at community events in raising our profile and recruiting new members, to which I thank you all. Just think, if we recruited one NEW member each, we would double the membership to 400 members at a stroke, now that would be an achievement!

PRESS & PUBLICITY REPORT. Mark Kennedy.

I have covered the role of Press & Publicity for the last 12 months. During this time the following has been achieved:

· Sponsored Newbury Park Lift Campaign Sheet –

Printed and distributed to all residents association members.

· Working with Peter Robinson, lead Campaign Co-ordinator on our committee, together he and I managed to persuade over 80 people to come out in support of the Lift campaign at Newbury Park station. Amongst those present was local MPs Lee Scott, Ilford North Mike Gapes, Ilford south Roger Evans, GLA member for Havering & Redbridge and of course the VIP’s our members. All came out for our protest in July 2013 last year for a photo shoot. I was a great turnout and demonstrated a united community spirit.

· Press Release and Photo re: Newbury Park Tube Lift Campaign featured in Ilford Recorder, Yellow Advertiser, Woodford Recorder and Wanstead & Woodford Guardian in mid July 2013, which was great publicity for the association.

On the Letters Page for Community comments of the Ilford Recorder we received a name credit as a SKNPRA residents association from Ron Jefferies, Chairman of Aldborough Hatch Defence Association, which is another local residents association serving residents in Aldborough Road North where he wrote in support of us on the Newbury Park lift campaign.

Local Radio station, TIME 107.5 FM also covered the campaign story and interviewed myself and Roger Evans, GLA Member for Havering & Redbridge which was broadcast on Saturday 13th July 2013, the day of the photo gathering at the tube station. The interview was broadcast to listeners in Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge.

A Poster promoting the SKNPRA was very kindly displayed in the shop window of Creeds Ironmongers shop in Seven Kings to attract new members for a few weeks.

A photo gathering promoting the non-access for lifts to Seven Kings Rail Station was held on Thursday 29th August 2013 at 09:30 am organised by Transport for All, Lianna Etkind, Campaign and outreach coordinator. I popped along for this 30 minute event and took part in the photo shoot alongside Cllrs Bob Littlewood and Stuart Bellwood and a handful of supporters. The BBC London Tonight camera news team were invited along to film the event which is centred on persuading Crossrail to perform a U turn in their policy and install lifts at the station. Lianna invited me to make a speech which was filmed to be broadcast on the Thursday London Tonight News alongside Bob’s speech. Sadly, my and Bob’s speech was not broadcast on the news, but it was exciting to take part and to highlight the non-lift issue at Seven Kings and Newbury Park stations.

Press Release and Photo re: Newbury Park Tube Lift Campaign featured in Ilford Recorder, as an updated story featuring in this paper in early 2014.

Ilford Swimming Pool Campaign – Photo Shoot outside the former Swimming pool site on Saturday 28th September 2013 – both I and my youngest daughter, Isabella took part in this event, which led to the photo being published in the Ilford Recorder, sadly my quote for the SKNPRA was not published.

Table Top Sale – Saturday 10th May 2014 – Venue: St John’s Church, St John’s Road – our committee booked a table for this event and through their efforts, we were able to recruit x10 NEW Members and raised our profile at this event. Well done to all that took part!

St Peter’s Church – Craft Fayre and Flower Festival – held on Saturday 28th June 2014 - we had a stand at this event for the first time and recruited x3 NEW members and again raised our profile in the community. This event showcased our display table display board, put together by Audrey and I must give her full credit for her efforts as the display caused a great deal of interest in our association and questions too. It was a great crowd puller and this helped us engage with the public, so thank you Audrey. Additional thanks for the helpers on the day that manned the stall, Ray Alavoine, Patricia Alavoine, Peter Robinson, Jayanti Parmar, Gill Gough, Shy Choudhary, Mosharaf Ashraf, Darrell Arjoon, Masaeb Ahmad, Rodney Foster, Bob Greenfield, Christina Greenfield and Susan Samuels.

Ilford War Memorial Day Gardens Open Day – Saturday 2nd August 2014 – We had a stand booked at this event Stands included exhibitions of library activities and displays by the Ilford War Memorial Action Group, Western Front Association, Royal British Legion. We are took part in this event to recruit new members and raise awareness of our association.

Planned - Future Publicity

· On-going campaign for Lifts at Seven Kings and Newbury Park

· General publicity promoting the association

· Leaflet Deliveries to recruit new members.

YOUR COMMITTEE. We were pleased that members of last year’s committee were all willing to stand again. We welcomed new member Andy Walker onto the committee. You will know of Andy’s untiring work in the ‘Save King George Hospital’ campaign ever since the threat to close the A&E department was imminent. We will continue to support this issue.

OPEN COMMITTEE MEETINGS. Our Chairman David Stephens wishes to invite all members to our regular committee meetings so that you can see how we work, put forward suggestions and hopefully, volunteer to help in the many activities with which we are involved.

Our next committee meeting is on Monday September 1st 8pm at St Johns Church Hall. We hope you will join us !

LONDON BOROUGH OF REDBRIDGE COUNCIL MEETINGS.

As you may know, the new Redbridge Council has discontinued Area Committee meetings at which members of the public could voice issues during the Public Forum. We have made good use of this contact in the past by speaking up on your behalf, with successful results. An alternative Forum is being discussed and we await a decision in order to continue our good relationship with Council.

Now it just remains for me to wish you all a happy holiday time wherever you are going or if you are staying at home, enjoy and relax in the sun (even when it rains it’s good for the garden).

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Martyn Joseph - On My Way.

Continuing fight for step-free access at Seven Kings and Newbury Park stations

'After learning Crossrail is still searching for ways to fund step-free access at Seven Kings, campaigner Ron Jeffries, 80, said he feared he would never see lifts at the station in his lifetime.

Mr Jeffries, of Aldborough Hatch, said: “Redbridge will miss out on step-free access and I think that is wrong - I do believe that Seven Kings should be step-free.”

Mr Jeffries, chairman of residents’ community group Aldborough Hatch Defence Association, has campaigned tirelessly, with all three political parties, for Crossrail to rethink its plans for Seven Kings.

“I was not put at ease by Matthew White,” added Mr Jeffries. “I am not at all satisfied.
“We will keep the campaign going and we will not be giving up.”

Mark Kennedy, a committee member on the Seven Kings and Newbury Park Residents’ Association, echoed Mr Jeffries’ words and insisted the groups would “fight on”.'

Read the full story in the Ilford Recorder by clicking here.

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Over The Rhine - Meet Me At The Edge Of The World.

A tale of two stalls

 

I was with Henry Shelton at the Art for Art's Sake art sale today where commission4mission had a stall selling a variety of items designed by our artists. The sale was organised by Danielle Lovesey and featured several local artists.

I was also with Myra Whiskar at the Winter Festival organised by the Seven Kings Business Partnership at the car park on Seven Kings High Road where Seven Kings Sophia Hub and Seven Kings and Newbury Park Resident's Association shared an information stall. The Festival's activities included stalls, refreshments, storytellers, art workshop, fairground rides, stage school singers and a visit from the Mayor, prior to the switching on of the Seven Kings Christmas Tree lights. 

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Arcade Fire - The Horn of Plenty.

We've started - but we won't finish!

Here is some of the local coverage in the Ilford Recorder and Yellow Advertiser of last Saturday's photo-call at Newbury Park Station organised by Seven Kings and Newbury Park Residents Association (SKNPRA). My letter to the Mayor of London based on our campaign is below: 

Dear Boris,

You have a reputation for candour and non nonsense talk. I am writing to ask you to use some of your famous candour with planners on the transport system in London who have been consistently promising step-free access to residents in Newbury Park and Seven Kings at our local stations and then failing to deliver.

Transport planners have been playing cruel tricks on local residents over step-free access at local stations. First, at Newbury Park where work started and then stopped, later at Seven Kings where Crossrail promises were made, then broken. As Chair of the local Resident's Association, I call on you to ensure London's transport planners make good on these broken promises and deliver the step-free access that has repeatedly been promised to local residents.

Extensive preparatory work for step-free access at Newbury Park Station was carried out in 2009/10 as detailed at http://daps-ltd.co.uk/portfolio_item/newbury-park-station-step-free-access-design-and-build/. This work cost £3.5m, public money which will have been utterly wasted unless TfL complete what they began and deliver step-free access at this Station. 

At the time this work was cancelled, London Underground said: "The status of the Undergrounds step-free plans is very disappointing to us - after years of planning and development work." They also stated that "the enabling works which had taken place will as far as possible ensure future SFA routes can be preserved" in order that "These projects could be restarted in the future" (http://www.transportforall.org.uk/news/-64-million-cost-of-abandoned-step-free-tube).

These have proved to be weasel words because this project has not been restarted and, although work is happening to make certain stations step-free, this does not include Newbury Park.

This is not the first occasion that TfL have agreed to action in our local area only to later change criteria in order to, in effect, renege on earlier promises. Through our Residents' Association, local people are saying that we have had enough of this practice. The reasons why Newbury Park Station warranted step-free access in 2009/10 still stand and we call on you to ensure that TfL finish what they started. 

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Luxury - When Those That Are Not Do Become Those That Are.

Newbury Park Station: Step-free access photo-call

The Seven Kings and Newbury Park Residents' Association (SKNPRA) organised a photo-call to encourage Transport for London to carry on the work of installing access free lifts at Newbury Park Station, started in 2009 and abandoned due to lack of funds.  Over 60 folk arrived on Saturday 13th July including Lee Scott MP and Mike Gapes MP, Councillors, Revd Jon Evens and Revd Kate Lovesey, and GLA member Roger Evans.

Local activist, Ron Jeffries said: "What a terrific turnout at Newbury Park this morning - two MPs, two C of E priests, numerous Councillors - I counted some 62 in the photograph I took from the top of the ladder. This morning gave me hope for the future - that so many folk rose from their Saturday slumbers on possibly the hottest day of the year."

Peter Robinson, who organised the photoshoot for SKNPRA said: "I would like to thank everyone who attended this morning's photo-shoot at Newbury Park Underground station, to show their support of our campaign to get the work on the installation of lifts at the station completed, five years after it was started.

We knew at the outset that persuading London Underground that these lifts were not only necessary, but a good idea, was not going to be easy and the responses we have received from them so far only serve to strengthen our determination to keep this matter on everyone's agenda. Looking around the assembled crowd this morning, with Labour and Conservative MPs and Councillors, members of various Residents Associations and others confirms the wide support for the campaign across the whole community."

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Vashti Bunyan - Train Song.

ACCESS FOR ALL AT NEWBURY PARK UNDERGROUND STATION

Why Seven Kings and Newbury Park Resident's Association think the installation of lifts at Newbury Park Station is not only essential but desirable: -

1. The financial situation of TfL is now much improved. This being augmented by income from the
Olympic Games sale of tickets, both from the IOC directly and the general public.

2. The improved facilities at Stratford particularly the lift installations on all platforms have been of
great assistance to disabled people as well as those with prams, buggies and luggage. In many
cases enabling them to attend the Olympics and the Stratford Westfield shopping centre.

3. The installation of two lifts at Newbury Park Station, we understand would be a simple and cheap
operation (perhaps the reason it was selected in the first place) as comparable to some other
stations.

4. It is also worth noting that Newbury Park station is the first point of entry to the underground
system for people living in Romford and further along the A12.

5. It is one of the few underground stations in the area with significant car parking facilities, 456
spaces, including 6 disabled bays.

6. This district has an aging population and hence a large number of people who are
disabled. Unlike many other stations which have either lifts and/or escalators for part of movement
from platform to street Newbury Park has neither. Therefore many are prohibited from using the
station altogether for this reason.

It is an additional blow to the local community that changes to the Crossrail plans mean that Seven Kings rail station will be one of the few on the route that will not have step-free access.

If you would like to get involved in the campaign and add your voice you can write to: -

a. Mike Brown, MVO, Managing Director of London Underground, 55 Broadway, London SW1H
0BD.

b. Mr Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, Greater London Authority, City Hall, The Queen's Walk,
More London, London, SE1 2AA. Email: mayor@london.gov.uk (please provide your full postal address in the email).

c. Mr Roger Evans, Greater London Authority, City Hall, The Queen's Walk, More London,
London SE1 2AA. Note: Roger is the elected GLA member for Havering and Redbridge.
Email: roger.evans@london.gov.uk (please provide your full postal address in the email).

Please copy in email SKNPRA committee members Peter Robinson and Mark Kennedy respectively as: Robbo.1962@yahoo.co.uk and markkennedy18@hotmail.com on all correspondence.

PHOTOSHOOT and PUBLICITY Opportunity:

If you can, please attend the photo-shoot that we are organising at the Newbury Park tube
Station on Saturday 13th July 2013 at 10:15 am. Gather outside Newbury Park station
entrance. The photo should take around 15 to 20 minutes to organise.

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Tom Waits - Downtown Train.

SKNPRA AGM: Volunteering and achievements

These are my Chairman's remarks at tonight's Seven Kings & Newbury Park Resident's Association AGM, based on http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/resources/how-to-guides/volunteer/doc/benefits-of-volunteering.html:

Getting involved in the work of SKNPRA can make a real difference to your own life and the lives of those around you. Getting involved offers the chance to give something back to the community or make a difference to the people around you. It also provides an opportunity to develop new skills or build on existing experience and knowledge. Regardless of your motivation, getting involved will be challenging and rewarding.

Here are some reasons to volunteer:

Learn or develop a new skill 

Volunteering is the perfect vehicle to discover something you are really good at and develop a new skill. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow.  Learn as if you were to live forever.” It is never too late to learn new skills and there is no reason why you should ever stop adding to your knowledge. Planning and implementing a campaign on a local issue can, for example, develop goal setting, planning and budgeting skills. These are examples of skills that can enhance a career but you don’t have to develop skills with the intention of facilitating your career. The possibilities for developing and using new skills are many.  

Be part of your community

No man or woman is an island. We sometimes take for granted the community that we live in. People and societies co-depend on each other for survival but growth of such things as commercialism are seeing traditional values being disregarded. Communities are suffering due to the growth of selfishness in society but we can bridge that expanding gap through volunteering. Volunteering is ultimately about helping others and having an impact on people’s wellbeing. What better way is there to connect with your community and give a little back? As a volunteer with SKNPRA, you certainly return to society some of the benefits that society gives you. 

Motivation and sense of achievement

Fundamentally, volunteering is about giving your time, energy and skills freely.  Unlike many things in life there is choice involved in volunteering. As a volunteer you have made a decision to help on your own accord, free from pressure to act from others.  Volunteers predominantly express a sense of achievement and motivation, and this is ultimately generated from your desire and enthusiasm to help. Sometimes volunteers are regarded as do-gooders and those that hold that view also assume that one person can never make a difference. It may be true that no one person can solve all the world’s problems, but what you can do is make that little corner of the world where you live just that little bit better.

Boost your career options

A survey carried out by TimeBank through Reed Executive showed that among 200 of the UK’s leading businesses:

·       73% of employers would recruit a candidate with volunteering experience over one without

·        94% of employers believe that volunteering can add to skills

·        94% of employees who volunteered to learn new skills had benefited either by getting their first job, improving their salary, or being promoted

Also, if you are thinking of a career change then volunteering is a perfect way to explore new fields.

New interests and hobbies

Sometimes we do get locked into the “rat-race” of life and volunteering can give that escape to everyday routine and create a balance in our lives. Finding new interests and hobbies through volunteering can be fun, relaxing and energizing. The energy and sense of fulfilment can carry over to a work situation and sometimes helps to relieve tensions and foster new perspectives for old situations. Sometimes a volunteer experience can lead you to something you never even thought about or help you discover a hobby or interest you were unaware of. You can strengthen your personal/professional mission and vision by exploring opportunities and expanding your horizons. 

New experiences

Volunteering is a brilliant way to get life experience. Whatever your involvement with us, you will be experiencing the real world through hands-on work.

Meeting a diverse range of people

Volunteering brings together a diverse range of people from all backgrounds and walks of life. Both the recipients of your volunteer efforts and your co-workers can be a rich source of inspiration and an excellent way to develop your interpersonal skills.  Volunteering also offers an incredible networking opportunity. Not only will you develop lasting personal and professional relationships but it is also a great way to learn about people from all walks of life, different environments, and new industries. Networking is an exciting benefit of volunteering and you can never tell who you will meet or what new information you will learn and what impact this could have on your life.

Send a signal to your employer, teachers, friends and family…

People pay attention to your life outside the environment in which they have direct contact with you. For example, your employer would be interested in the activities that gives you a good work-life balance, just as academic institutions are interested in your extra-curricular activities. Volunteering reflects and supports a complete picture of you, and gives real examples of your commitment, dedication and interests. Show people what you are passionate about and maybe you will inspire them too!

Last year Peter Robinson volunteered to join the SKNPRA committee. As a result, this year we are able to tell you about the campaign for step-free access at Newbury Park Station which Peter is running. We could run that campaign without his volunteering. If you are prepared to get involved as he has done, there will be other campaigns and other issues that we can tackle which would simply not have been possible without you. So, for all these reasons when we come to elect our committee do please think seriously about volunteering.

Audrey Shorer, our Secretary, reported on our achievements in 2012/13:

Our biggest success last year was to get the public toilets in Seven Kings Park re-opened. They will be managed and maintained by Redbridge Vision and should be open 7 days a week. We are aware that some Sundays they have not been open but this has been brought to the notice of Vision and will be closely monitored. They are closed at the moment because the hot water boiler failed and is being replaced.

In September, the new park bench was installed in Seven Kings Park near the bridge  at a cost of £480.00 plus an engraved Traffolyte plate at £15.  The bench is made of very durable recycled polystyrene.  Redbridge Vision installed it free of charge. The Ilford Recorder did a photo shoot of the event.

In November we organised a protest meeting outside the park gate at Beddington Road against Redbridge Council’s decision to leave the park open at night. This has since been rescinded and the gates are now locked at seasonal closing times.

Our Chairman has attended meetings of the Seven Kings Ward Panel to report problems of drug dealing in Norfolk & Elgin Roads,  He has also spoken at Area 5 meetings to speak on a variety of issues on behalf of the residents.

I have reported to our Community Ward Police, problems of car repairs in Farnham Road which was dealt with. I also reported to the Cleansing Department, pallets and rubbish dumped in Seven Kings Water which was cleared.  Also reported on line via Redbridge i several incidents of fly tipping, litter and dog fouling all of which have been dealt with promptly by Redbridge Council.

The £100.00 which you voted to donate to Seven Kings Park Users Group was a great help with the initial setting up of the group towards the cost of postage, stationary and a Laminator.  The Chairman David Wynne-Fitzgerald thanked our Association for their generosity.

The Community Day on 18^th May in St John's garden was a great success with several new members signing up. We would certainly like to repeat this next year.

And finally I would like to thank all those people who help with delivering the Newsletter which cuts the cost of postage.

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King Crimson - Epitaph.

Lack of step-free access at Newbury Park and Seven Kings stations

The Seven Kings & Newbury Park Resident's Association (SKNPRA) has recently written to the Mayor of London about the lack of step-free access at Newbury Park and Seven Kings stations.

It is our understanding that Newbury Park Station, amongst others, were designated to have lifts installed some time ago. However, as confirmed by a poster at the station in November 2009, these plans were dropped due to financial problems which TfL were experiencing at the time. The Yellow Advertiser reported in December 2009 that “workmen at Newbury Park station have begun filling in lift shafts after cash for disabled access ran out”. The reported £4.6 million already spent on the project appears to have been wasted.

Our members believe that this would be a good time to revive the plans for Newbury Park Station and have identified numerous reasons for this:

1. The financial situation of TfL is now much improved. This being augmented by income from the Olympic Games sale of tickets, both from the IOC directly and the general public.

2. The improved facilities at Stratford particularly the lift installations on all platforms have been of great assistance to disabled people. In many cases enabling them to attend the Olympics and the Stratford Westfield shopping centre.

3. The installation of two lifts at Newbury Park Station, we understand would be a simple and cheap operation (perhaps the reason it was selected in the first place) as comparable to some other stations.

4. It is also worth noting that Newbury Park station is the first point of entry to the underground system for people living in Romford and further along the A12.

5. It is one of the few underground stations in the area with significant car parking facilities, 456 spaces, including 6 disabled bays.

6. The district has an ageing population and hence a large number of people who are disabled. Unlike many other stations which have either lifts and/or escalators for part of movement from platform to street Newbury Park has neither. Therefore many are prohibited from using the station altogether for this reason.

We believe that the cancellation of this work and the changes to the Crossrail plans for Seven Kings station mean that local residents have moved from a position where step-free access was promised for both stations to the current position of many continuing being denied access to the public transport system in the area. We believe this to be unacceptable in the 21st Century. We believe too that there is considerable support in our approach from local MPs, MEPs, Councillors and Transport Unions as well as the general public and we will be sharing our correspondence with them.

SKNPRA will hold its AGM at St John's Seven Kings on Monday 17th June at 8.00pm.

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The Dream Academy - Power To Believe.

Community Information Day / Plant & Table-top Sale

We had a very successful Community Information Day combined with a Plant and Table-top Sale today at St John's Seven Kings which, as can be seen from the above photos, was a way of bringing our diverse local community together over Pentecost weekend as part of the Pentecost Festival's Biggest Birthday Party Ever initiative. Despite dire weather forecasts earlier in the week we had a dry morning in our Community Garden, with occasional glimpses of sunshine for good measure.

The Community Information Day was organised by the Seven Kings & Newbury Park Resident's Association (SKNPRA) and featured information stalls for: 5th Seven Kings Brownies, ASNET, Downshall Pre-School Playgroup, local churches, Goodmayes Quranic Study group, Kumon, National Blood Service, Newbury Park & Seven Kings Ward Councillors, Redbridge Labour Party, Redbridge Swimmers Association/Barkingside 21/Ilford Historical Society, Redbridge Voluntary Care, Scouts & Rangers, Seven Kings Conservatives, Seven Kings Park User's Group, Seven Kings Safer Neighbourhood Team, Shine Dance Class, SKNPRA, Sophia Hubs and St Johns Road Neighbourhood Watch.

The Plant and Table-top Sale, ably organised by the Social and Fundraising Committee at St John's, had a wide range of stalls, excellent refreshments and was packed throughout the morning.

The event enabled the local community to support the ongoing work of St John's whilst enjoying the event as a whole. The Community Information Day brought our community together strengthening existing relationships and, for many of the groups present, introducing them to new users or volunteers.

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Noah And The Whale - Give A Little Love.