Perry Vale Assembly
Thursday 19 May 2011
7pm – 9pm
ForestHillSchool
Dacres Road,SE23 2XN
Minutes of the Meeting
1. Welcome, introduction & format for the meeting
Deputy Head Diane Sparks welcomed the assembly to the school on behalf of the Headmaster Steve Brady.
Cllr Paschoud (Chair) introduced the other councillors and he then asked members of the Coordinating Group to stand and make themselves known to the assembly. He explained that there are two main items on the agenda tonight, the allocation of the Assembly Fund and the Perry Vale Road Safety and Traffic report.
- The Perry Vale Assembly Fund
Councillor Pashchoud told the assembly that that there is £24,550 to spend in Perry Vale and that there are eight applications, each applicant will have three minutes to present their proposal and there will then be an opportunity for the assembly to ask questions. The assembly will then be able to vote for which proposals they would like to fund.
Proposal 1 – From spade to plate
Applicant - Green Peas UK / Grow MayowCommunityGarden
Amount applied for £4,930
Project Description - The ‘ from Spade to Plate’ is a 35 week project that will give residents the opportunity to get together and grow their own food, flowers and learn about practical gardening activities, such as :
- Planting, growing, propagating, and caring for plants.
- How to start a vegetable garden but you don’t know how?
- Not sure which plants will grow well together?
- What do these plants need in order to produce well?
- Also topics will be Forest gardening and permaculture ideas. People have the opportunity to learn about potting up planting out of plants, pond maintenance, and the creation of habiat areas such a log pile. Sessions will be led by the project experienced garden coordinators and everyone will gain practical skills in gardening.
The project will have weekly workshop sessions and will also focus on weekends where local families with children, schools and other local community groups can take part. This will allow them to learn all about growing food and how to develop their own community gardens to support Lewisham Council's target of creating 62 community gardens by 2012.
It will achieve a community garden that will offer local residents the opportunity to get together with their neighbours, friends and family to grow their own food, flowers and plants. This is community empowerment with local people coming together to create something which is sustainable, adds to the environment and encourages local citizens to get involved in their own community garden project, by providing them with helpful hints.
Q Are you in MayowPark
A Yes next to the pavilion
Q How many people visit
A 30 Young people on Sunday’s, plenty of park users and volunteers
Q How long have you been going
A We started last year
Q Will you be happy to return to the assembly and report back on your project
A Yes of course
Proposal 2 Community Basketball Project
Applicant - Lewisham Thunder Basketball Club
Amount applied for £8,800
Project Description - This project will provide basketball sessions for the community at all ages and levels and promote interest in the sport in the local area. We intend to give young people the opportunity & outlet to positively spend their out of school hours engaging in a healthy activity and also to interact with different ethnic groups. All this will be achieved at a grassroots level offering a basic program of fun basketball activities, which will support and encourage them into playing, coaching, volunteering or officiating course. The outcome affects of this project will be; a platform for young people to make a positive contribution; an increased number of young people having better social interactive skills; a decrease in the drop off rate for 15+,; increased confidence, and a safe and supervised environment where they can improve the quality of their lives. This project is both a prevention and enabling approach to youth engagement offering children and young people the opportunity to be healthy, enjoy & achieve, have fun and stay safe, utilising the tool of basketball.
The local community will be able to try basketball in a safe environment with high quality coaching. We are will have a particular focus on developing participation in the 14-19 age bracket and will provide players with technical training in addition to teaching the values of teamwork, responsibility and self discipline, thereby reducing the risks of anti social behaviour and crime in that age group. The club pathway that we have established as an exit route will further develop this interest and also enable players and the community to participate in basketball, both competitively and socially. We aim to cater for all abilities The borough’s young players have a chance to take part in one of Steve Bucknall’s, England Men’s U18 Head Coach, famed Basketball Clinic coaching sessions.
Q How many people take part in sessions
A 20-40 depending upon the sessions
Q How do you recruit people
A Park initiatives, playground visits and web based promotion
Q Are you based in ForestHillSchool
A Yes
Q Do girls play
A Yes, it is all-inclusive and includes wheelchairs
Q Will you be willing to return to the assembly and report back if you receive funding
A Yes of course
Proposal 3 Saturday Knowledge Interchange Project (SKIP)
Applicant - Seniors
Amount applied for £2,950
Project Description
- The Saturday Knowledge Interchange Project [SKIP] will engage participants in intergenerational activity and learning based workshops.
- Those participating will be young people [aged 8yrs – 15yrs] and older people [aged 50yrs and older].
- Workshops and activities will be delivered by participants who will be supported as appropriate by SENIORS staff. Participants will be offered guidance and support in areas that are identified. This will provide participants with the tools to build confidence, self esteem, and to use skills and knowledge they have acquired through their life journey [long and short] to promote and create better understanding and respect of historical, modern, and shared values.
- Lewisham has a very diverse community with the widest of global retentions and displacements. It also has older and younger people sharing facilities [buses, sports facilities, shops, etc] and this project’s aim is to break down some of the barriers that separate people by building bridges that will lead to better understanding and appreciation of the different constituents that make up Lewisham’s population. This project is designed to promote social cohesion.
- The Saturday Knowledge Interchange Project will support participants to engage in and experience the following activities, knitting, computer skills, texting and facebook, arts and crafts, traditional cooking, gardening, music, reading and literature, games and sports, and to explore and gain insight into the way that society/ life has changed [or not] over the years.
- SKIP will promote intergenerational learning and exchange [interchange] through fun activity.
- Economic Climate: this project represents excellent value for money at an investment [Mayor’s Fund contribution] of £4.10 a week per participant for the duration of the project. Per active session.
- Meeting Local Priorities: this project is designed to promote social cohesion between generations.
- Community Solutions: this project will be managed by a voluntary sector project involving Lewisham’s residents.
- Encouraging Voluntary Support Within The Local Community: this project will benefit from specialist subject volunteers from local community and local businesses.
- Efficiency With Few Staff Resources: SENIORS has a good track record of managing operations and projects with minimal staffing and other resources.
Q Where will this project happen
A At Seniors Centre and Kilmorie and RathboneSchool
Q How will you engage with the youth
A Through schools our network of parents and our volunteers
Q Will you be happy to return to the assembly and report back on your project
A Yes of course
Proposal 4 It Kickz Music Project
Applicant - It Kickz
Amount applied for £8,342
Project Description -The It Kickz Music Project (IKMP) is a 2 year music education programme developed in collaboration between Forest Hill School (FHS) and Millwall Community Scheme (MCS).
The project aims to provide opportunities for children and young people living and/or receiving education in the Perry Vale, Forest Hill and Sydenham Wards, to experience and engage in live music making activities where normally they would have limited or no opportunities to do so. (N.B. Please note that the IKMP is open to all young people and not just those attending ForestHillSchool).
The IKMP will deliver a unique programme of 90 x 1½ hour out of school hours (OOSH) music workshops, 50 hours of summer programming, peer mentoring activities, and collaborative/partnership projects and performances. The project will engage with 70 children and young people, working directly with 30 young people aged 13-16 years, plus a further 40 children and young people aged 10-18 years through outreach, transition and collaborative work. Participants will also have the opportunity to gain a nationally recognised Arts Award qualification.
Young people from within the target wards were consulted and a specific need for live music making opportunities (as opposed to music technology) was identified. The IKMP will fill this current gap in OOSH music provision within the target wards, increasing the availability and accessibility of music education amongst disadvantaged children and young people (i.e. in receipt of free school meals) who cannot afford to sustain expensive private music tuition.
IKMP participants will benefit from a number of positive outcomes, including developing creative musicianship (through ensemble work), practical and performance skills, and musical understanding and appreciation; being able to access and gain a qualification credit (i.e. National Arts Award); and developing transferable leadership, social and communication skills (i.e. teamwork and ability to collaborate with others), helping to unlock their potential and enhance their future education, career and economic aspirations and outcomes. Additional positive outcomes include increased enrichment, improved self confidence, an enhanced sense of achievement, ownership and responsibility for their learning, and more positive attitudes towards education and citizenship activities.
Q How many of the young people will be from Perry Vale
A 50-60% if not more
Q Will it still work if other assemblies do not fund
A Yes, we will eliminate certain elements of the project
Q Will you be happy to return to the assembly and report back on your project
A Yes of course
Proposal 5 Security Mirror – Trilby Road Alleyway
Applicant - Farren Road NHW
Amount applied for £350
Project Description -The alleyway between South Road and Trilby Road is used by a large number of residents, many on their way to and from work via Forest Hill Station. A security mirror at the Trilby Road corner will deter would be robbers,(robbery is a Perry Vale SNT priority) and reassure pedestrians that no one is ‘lurking’ round the corner of this much used and vital route. The ‘fear of crime’ issue is thus addressed as well as actual deterrence.
1 Pedestrians / residents will have a view round the corner. they will not be anxious that there many be a robber / criminal in wait.
2.Mirror will be a crime deterrent.
3.There will be a more beneficial impact for frail, older, disabled, economically disadvantaged (e.g. cannot afford a car) or otherwise vulnerable pedestrians.
4. Reduction in the fear of crime
Q How vandal proof is the mirror
A It is not glass and it is mounted very high up and out of reach
Q Will you be happy to return to the assembly and report back on your project
A Yes of course
Proposal 6 A Free open-air Film Show in MayowPark as part of Sydenham Arts Festival 2011
Applicant – Sydenham Arts Festival Ltd
Amount applied for £1,552
Project Description -The Open Air Film Show will be held on Wednesday13 July. The evening programme starts at 8pm with live music provided by local musicians. A programme of short films made by local residents will be shown at 9.15pm and the main feature of the evening will be the showing of the original “The Italian Job” (starring Michael Caine), part of which was filmed in CrystalPalacePark. The main feature will be introduced by Sydenham-based author and broadcaster Matthew Sweet.
The evening will provide an opportunity for all sections of the local community to come together to share an evening of music and film.
The third annual Sydenham Arts Festival runs from 1 July to 17 July. In 2011 we will provide live performances in the Sydenham Road including theatrical performances and exhibitions in “pop-up” shops, “Arts in the Park” and Family Fund Day in the (Home) Park with live entertainment and children’s activities working with Friends of Home Park, an Open-air Free Film Show in Mayow Park, working with Friends of Mayow Park, a Visual Arts Trail and also free taster performance workshops and much, much more including a Celebrity Poetry Night at Sydenham School with former Poet Laureate, Sir Andrew Motion, and a supporting cast local Lewisham poets.
In Perry Vale Ward events are planned to take place in Forest Hill School, which include Sydenham Arts Festival sponsored free ‘taster’ workshops, as part of Forest Fest - a play-writing workshop for young people, four Laban-run dance workshops with something for all ages and abilities, Mayow Park (Film Night) and Normanton St Methodist Church (Visual Arts Trail and a Raise the Roof Choir concert).
The Sydenham Arts Festival is already established as a major community event in the SE 26 and SE 23 area and we want to build on this to improve community cohesion and a sense of place.
Q Will you be willing to report back to the assembly if you receive funding
A Yes
Proposal 7 Leadership, Citizenship and Community Cohesion Youth Project.
Applicant - Teachsport
Amount applied for £2,920
Project Description - We want to work with 20 volunteers and young people (16+) within the Ward to give them the opportunity to gain a Nationally recognised qualification, UK Leaders Level 2. At the same time our 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 2 course. Initially, once qualified the candidates will be able to work voluntarily (for 10 hours each = 200 hours) within Perry Vale Ward alongside our Teachsport coaches to offer the local community increased opportunities to participate in leisure activities. Following the successful completion of the Level 2 course, the candidates will be able to take the first steps to employment via these qualifications.
The 20 volunteers and young people will increase the number of activities for young people across the ward with the target of reducing the number of young people out on the street and therefore reducing crime and making the streets safer for residents. The school volunteers will be able to increase after school and pre school activities within the primary schools in the Ward.
Q Will you be happy to report back to the assembly if you receive the funding
A Yes we can and we can also bring case studies too
Proposal 8 SydenhamGarden Community Activities
Applicant - SydenhamGarden
Amount applied for £4,400
Project Description-SydenhamGarden is an award-winning local charity that aims to transform lives through therapeutic activities. We deliver a range of events and opportunities for the local community, although our service focuses on Lewisham and Bromley residents experiencing mental ill health or other significant illness, enabling them to improve their quality of life, social interaction and physical and mental health in a supportive community environment.
This year our key target is to support 120 people with therapeutic gardening and art and craft activities. Of this 120, we anticipate at least 80 people will report an improvement in their mental health, physical health, opportunities for social interaction and/or quality of life.
To support our core activities of therapeutic sessions, we provide a range of community activities which complement our service users’ recovery by bringing them closer to the local community and providing opportunities to meet and work together. These activities also provide access for the whole community to participate in SydenhamGarden’s work, enjoy our garden, nature reserve and allotment site, meet other people and find out more about mental health and environmental issues. We also provide information to inform local people about mental health awareness through our newsletter which is distributed to around 200 people and placed in various locations around the borough. We normally aim to deliver these activities with funding from other sources, but this year funds are more tightly stretched and we are seeking additional funding. We have already secured some funds from Awards for All, and hope that the Perry Vale Assembly Fund will be able to support us with the remainder.