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.

Community Audit outcomes

In March of last year Seven Kings & Newbury Park Resident's Association (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. The Community Audit report highlighted issues of traffic speeds, pavement parking, damaged paving, renewal of signage, litter, and seating in public areas along Aldborough Road South. In it we called 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.

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. First, the Fitter for Walking project supported the development of a Community Garden at St John's Seven Kings by purchasing two plantlocks (planters to which bikes can be locked) and also funded leaflets publicising the Church Art Trail for which Aldborough Road South is one of three main link roads. 

Next, 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 and SKNPRA members, with the support of Cllr Bellwood, the Fitter for Walking project and the Newbury Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT), assisting with litter picking to ensure a full clean-up of the area.

Just tonight Area 7 agreed their part in funding, together with Area 5, the repair and renovation of the bandstand in Seven Kings Park, as a result of a funding application made by SKNPRA. The bandstand is a valued community facility which had fallen into disrepair in recent years and its restoration will signal that Seven Kings Park is not being neglected, even in a time of severe budget constraints.

In addition, following a request from SKNPRA, Redbridge Council have ordered a new bench for installation near the Aldborough Road South shops. The Fitter for Walking project have arranged with Newbury SNT for a speed gun to be used in Aldborough Road South by Downshall Primary School. The project is also beginning to do walking initiatives with the School and it seems likely that a mural may be painted on the blank school wall in Aldborough Road South, all as recommended in our Community Audit of the road.

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 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 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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Paul Weller - Broken Stones.

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.