Lewisham Central Assembly 06 September 2011

THE LEWISHAM CENTRAL ASSEMBLY

Tuesday 6 September 2011

7-9pm

Lewisham Methodist Church

Albion Way, London, SE13 6DE

Minutes of the Meeting

Welcome, introduction & format for the evening

Cllr Stella Jeffrey (Chair) welcomed everybody and introduced the agenda for the evening which included the following items:

·  Making the most of sports and leisure facilities

·  Community Safety Update, Sgt David Laurie

·  Assembly Fund Presentations

·  Voting for assembly fund

·  Break for tea, coffee and opportunity to meet the presenters and other residents

·  Annual election of assembly coordination group

·  Community Updates and AOB

·  Announcement of Assembly Fund vote

·  Date of next meeting and formal close of assembly business

1 Making the most of sports facilities

The presenters were Matthew Eady and Colin King from the Councils sports and leisure service. The main points were as follows:

Current Facilities

•  Ladywell Leisure Centre

•  Ladywell Arena

•  Wavelengths Leisure Centre & Library

Future

•  Loampit Vale

•  Wavelengths Leisure Centre

•  Prendergast Vale School

Fusion Lifestyle Contract - Facilities

•  Ladywell Arena

•  Ladywell Leisure Centre (until 2013)

•  Loampit Vale Leisure Centre (from 2013)

•  Forest Hill Pools (from 2012)

•  The Bridge Leisure Centre (including indoor bowls centre)

•  Wavelengths

•  Bellingham Leisure & Lifestyle Centre

•  Forest Hill School Community Sports Centre

Sports Programmes

•  TrySport.

•  Sports small grants scheme – coach education & club development

•  Volunteers – School and community based

•  Free Access for gifted and talented

•  Community Investment Fund programmes

•  Sports Apprentices.

•  CIF volunteering scheme

London 2012 Events & Programmes

•  Torch Relay – route and torchbearers

•  Get Set Programme – free tickets

•  Look & Feel

•  Pre – games training camps

2 Community Safety Update- Sgt David Laurie

118 arrests and 59 persons charged in connection with the civil disturbances that occurred in early August 2011.

Sgt Laurie read from an agreed statement prepared by the Borough commander.

The 6 August peaceful march in Tottenham was followed by rioting and looting, first in Tottenham and later in Tottenham Hale retail park.The spread of news and rumours about the previous evening's disturbances in Tottenham sparked riots during the night of 7 August in the other parts of London including Brixton and Wood Green. The morning of 8 August was quiet, but by evening areas across London were affected by widespread looting, arson and violence which included Lewisham Town Centre Subsequently, there has been 118 arrests and 59 persons have been charged. There were reports that the Blackberry messenger service was used by looters to organise their activities, and that inflammatory and inaccurate accounts of events on social media sites may have incited disturbances. The police are currently examining more evidence in some detail and further arrests are expected in the future.

3 Assembly Fund Presentations

The following assembly fund presentations were as follows:

PROJECT 1 £10,000.00

Youth Village (Lewisham Council Youth Services)

Project description

This project involves 3 wards working together to address the issue of lack of youth provision as all three has youth as their priority. These wards are Ladywell, Lewisham Central and Rushey Green. The Youth Village aims to assist young people from the ages of 5-19 and up to 25 years old if they have learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

The project is located in the Ladywell Adventure Playground as its base. There will be a total of 3 sessions operating at the village. One session from Adventure and 2 sessions from the Ladywell day centre. The playground is used by 5-16 year old young people from 3 until 7pm and can be utilised by 13-19 before 3 and after 7pm onwards and linking with other community groups.

Financial breakdown

PROJECT 2 £3,600.00

Mercator Estate : Autumn programme

Project description

Elevating success propose to deliver a 1 week Holiday Programme during the October 2011 School half term holiday for up to 40 young people aged 8-16 living on the Mercator Estate in Lewisham. The programme is designed to give participants the opportunity to engage in a range of exciting outdoor activities that they would otherwise be unable to access. The School’s Out Programme will feature activities which will be inclusive and free at the point of access to all young people.

The programme will offer young people a chance to visit various locations which they otherwise might never have attended, and for some these opportunities don’t come along often. Therefore a programme such as this will have a positive impact on the young participants helping to broaden their physical and mental horizons and challenge perceptions around issues such as territory and neighbourhoods.

Financial Breakdown

PROJECT 3 £2,920.00

Leadership, Citizenship and Community Cohesion Youth Project.

Project description

Teachsport UK want to work with 20 volunteers and young people (14+) within the Ward to give them the opportunity to gain a Nationally recognised qualification, UK Leaders Level 1. At the same time the project will, improve community activities for young people and enhance community safety via a programme of activities including the local parks activity project. The course will include a session run by local police officers on individual personal safety awareness and promote safer streets.

The attendees will be offered the chance to attend a Nationally Recognised UK Leaders Level 1 course. Initially, once qualified the candidates will be able to work voluntarily (for 10 hours each = 200 hours) within Lewisham Central Ward alongside the Teachsport coaches to offer the local community increased opportunities to participate in leisure activities. Following the successful completion of the Level 1 course, the candidates will be able to take the first steps to employment via these qualifications.

Financial breakdown

PROJECT 4 £4,000.00

Spot the Fun (Glendales Ground Management)

Project description

Spot the Fun is a sports programme aimed to encourage children and young people to engage in recreation within the parks. This program is to include diverse communities of interest, as well as gender, age, ethnicity, religion and faith, social background and sexual orientation. The scheme has been designed to encourage children and young people to be involved in all types of play, and to create games that are not purely associated with ‘normal’ sporting activities. The activities will encourage children and young people to spend a greater amount of time within the park. This creates a safer environment for children to get pleasure from a free play area.

Financial breakdown

PROJECT 5 £6,929.00

Mobile DJ and MC Van (British DJ and MC Academy)

Project description

The idea is that once or twice a week, the mobile unit the Bass Station goes to an area or estate spending two-three hours teaching, having fun, gaining qualifications for under 25 yr olds, giving a greater presence in the community involving young people regardless of their age or background. It is designed to engage in activities learning about music through radio shows, interview techniques, positive lyrical writing and is open for everyone.

The outreach Bass Station is a fully equipped van with the latest DJ equipment fitted into the boot, which most young people and adults from deprived areas would not have a chance to experience otherwise. The tutors at the academy are teachers at colleges, youth workers as well as experienced artists and have the expertise to engage anyone no matter what background, ethnicity or age.

Financial breakdown

PROJECT 6 £3,750.00

Day club for older people (St Swithuns church hall)

Project description

To provide a weekly day (10am -3pm) for older members of the community to meet in a warm and welcoming environment for refreshments, activities, fun and socialising. The provision would include a hot lunch and some entertainment and advice signposting as well as board games, dominoes, art and craft and other table activities. They plan to introduce intergenerational contact using young volunteers to provide table service, partners for games and conversation.

The entertainment and advice sessions would include chair exercises, drama, singing, signposting for services, healthy eating, keeping warm, keeping mentally and physically fit, general wellbeing. This low level provision of care and social interaction would benefit the community by contributing to the health and wellbeing of our older people, delaying or even preventing problems brought on by inactivity and isolation. As the club develops we would like to be able to provide transport for less mobile people – limited provision will initially be made using volunteers.

Financial breakdown

PROJECT 7 £4,900.00

Improvements to St Swithun’s Community Hall

Project description

The St Swithun’s church hall is at the heart of the community in Hither Green. There is a serious problem with the acoustics which currently renders it unfeasible for amplified live music.

The solution is principally to cover the reflective surfaces in sound absorbing materials which are in keeping with the character of this Victorian hall. Ideally it will be possible for the absorbent materials to be moveable so as to create smaller echo free spaces if required. It is quite feasible to achieve a 40%-50% reduction in the echo using a variety of materials. Additionally installation of high quality PA speakers will enable sound to be most effectively directed, and XLR cabling will allow it to be effectively monitored (i.e. away from the stage)

Financial information

PROJECT 8 £5,561.00

St Mary’s Churchyard Heritage Interpretation Bid

Project description

To place Heritage Interpretation Boards in the churchyard which will explain its history, and which will also give details of some of the more prominent Lewisham residents who are buried there. Descriptions of the unusual architecture of some of the tombs, together with the interesting lives of those interred there, will fascinate local people, and will encourage them to value their heritage, and appreciate the legacy left to Lewisham.

The churchyard will become a more attractive place as the Heritage Interpretation Boards will increase the number of people taking an interest in the churchyard, and bring a greater variety of people visiting it. All ages of the local community will be interested in their local history, and interested to realise that many past eminent local residents, who are buried in the churchyard, have left legacies from which we benefit today. School children and families studying their local history will be drawn to learn from the boards.

Financial Information

The meeting was adjourned to allow residents to vote followed by the refreshment break