Sydenham Assembly Coordinating Group - 27 January 2011 Meeting

Minutes of meeting

Present: Cllr Chris Best, Andrea Chaney, Barry Milton, Alona Sheridan, Pat Trembath, Christine Thompson and Paul Gale Local Assembly Coordinator

Apologies: Cllr Marion Nisbet, Angela Halland Derek Bartell

1. Introduction and apologies

Cllr Chris Best welcomed everyone to the meeting and noted the apologies.

This was followed by a discussion regarding trader representation at the Assembly and the need to ensure that more traders are involved. There are 300 traders within Sydenham and the with the loss of the Town Centre Manager there is a genuine need to engage, the Group suggested that the trader at ‘Party Daze’ may be interested in a liaison role.

2. Assemblies and Mayor’s Fund

Cllr Best appraised the group that there is currently a £18,750 Mayor’s Fund for 2011/2012 following the 25% cut as part of the November budget savings. We also have a rollover of £1,500 from the 2010/2011 Mayor’s Fund. It is proposed that the Mayor’s Fund is renamed and becomes the Assemblies Fund as under the budget savings being considered the Locality Fund of £10,000 is cut.

There then followed a discussion about when to decide which 2011/2012 projects will be funded and whether to ‘hold some money back.’ The Coordinating Group decided that we will discuss the Mayor’s Fund in more detail at the March Assembly with a view to deciding upon the proposals at the June Assembly for £15,000. There will be a contingency fund held back, which can be used for events such as Halloween, Christmas including funding for a Christmas Treeand lights as there is no town centre budget next year.

1. Additional item - It Kickz’ Music Project

Sasha Leacock from ForestHillSchool told the Coordinating Group about the following project and application towards Sydenham 2011/2012 Mayor’s Fund. The project will also be applying to both the Forest Hill and Perry Vale Mayor’s Fund and represents a collaboration with the Millwall Community Scheme. This is a two year project and aims to provide opportunities for children and young people living and/or receiving education in the Sydenham, Forest Hill and Perry Vale Wards, to experience, engage and participate in live music making activities where normally they would have limited or no opportunities to do so. The IKMP will deliver a unique programme of 90 x 1½ hour OOSH music workshop sessions, 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 and transition peer mentoring activities (i.e. out of school hours (OOSH) clubs and groups), projects and performances. An estimated age breakdown is as follows: 37 x 10-12 years; 30 x 13-16years; 3 x 16-18 years. Through the project young people will be introduced to live music making, developing practical skills and musical understanding and appreciation. They will develop creative musicianship through playing in small and large ensembles; performance skills (including musical expression); and have an opportunity to gain a recognised arts qualification (i.e. the National Arts Award).

The IKMP will also deliver the following outcomes and benefits for children and young people:

increase participants’ engagement in live music making activities;

develop knowledge, understanding, skills and experience in musicianship;

develop instrument technique and performance skills;

increase exposure, awareness and experience of a range of music genres;

develop leadership and independent learning skills;

provide opportunities to gain a recognised national qualification through the Arts Award;

provide progression routes to further music education training, through partnership links with LMS and LewishamCollege;

improve participants’ confidence, sense of achievement, teamwork and ability to collaborate with others.

Q Cllr Best – How much are you applying for?

A SL – We are applying for £9,000 from each of the three wards

Q Pat Trembath – Music colleges such as Trinity, Goldsmiths and the Laban are carrying out increasing work within the community, you may be able to work with them.

A SL – We are liaising with partners regarding a more strategic approach to this project.

4. Coordinators Report

4.1 Devolved Budget

Paul told the Group that under the devolved budget of £3,200 we have:

£1,800 available for publicity and engagement

£1,400 available for meeting production.

This means that:

• There is a £220 overspend on publicity and engagement
• There is £895.10 remaining from the production budget

This leaves £675.10 for the March Assembly

4.2 The March Assembly – Costs

Door to door letter delivery £385*

Hire of Grove Centre £144

Biscuits £6

* The leaflet will have to be printed in black and white

Total £535

Leaving an underspend of £140.10

4.3 The Underspend

• This money cannot be used for assembly projects
• This money cannot be rolled over

The money can be spent on assembly promotion, assembly publicity and / or refreshments.

Councillor Best told the Coordinating Group that she was not happy about the leaflet being printed in black and white as we have been printing in colour from last January; the Coordinating Group agreed. Councillor Best then stated that she wants the door to door leaflet produced in colour as the devolved budget only started in August and there was no plan for the year. Consideration was given to using the underspend from Greening Sydenham or by a reimbursement following the expensive costs of the Naborhood Centre.

Paul told the Group that Sydenham is the only ward that has a coloured door to door leaflet, Cllr Best asked Paul to clarify this as she thinks that CroftonParkhas colour in their Newsletters.

PG– I have liaised with the CroftonPark Coordinator and CroftonPark does not have a coloured door to door leaflet, it is printed in black and white.

4.4 The Naborhood Centre

Paul told the Coordinating Group about problems using the Naborhood Centre for an assembly, as well as being quite small (especially for a voting event), it is logistically extremely difficult to set-up with no help from staff on site. This creates particular problems as all the furniture has to moved from downstairs. Cllr Best said this was an internal matter as the Naborhood Centre is run by Community Services and should be considered as a team effort. Cllr Best is aware of a review of the cost of hiring community venues and will raise the security costs and the costs of hiring the Naborhood Centre again. The Coordinating Group felt that the Centre is a good venue due to its high street location.

4.5 My Place Wells Park Road

There will be a local meeting before the main planning committee on Tuesday 1st February from 6.30pm until 7.30pm at the Fox, 150 Kirkdale, Sydenham, SE26 4BB The meeting will be chaired by Cllr Best and Andrea will be coming along as the community champion.

5.Update on spending of the Localities and Mayor’s Fund

Councillor Best told the Coordinating Group that Aileen Buckton has now approved all the Mayor’s Fund projects and that Julie Sutch, the Town Centre Manager has managed to get the fencing in the alleyway behind Co-Op, between Girton Road and Tannsfeld Roadinstalled.

The lighting in Earlsthorpe Mews is still outstanding and it is suggested that Paul contactLucy or Laura from Earlsthorpe Mews (rather than Ian Davenport) to liaise with them as they have knowledge of the bank account with Natwest.

5.1 Cleaner and Greener £353 Underspend

Pat Trembath suggested that green planters need planting up especially outside the Post Office and the Dolphin, maybe we could ask the Mayow Park Nursery to assist. Paul to speak to John Thompson.

6. Planning the Assembly Meeting Thursday 3 March

The Group reviewed the draft minutes from the last Assembly meeting held on the 13 January and gave comments to Paul so that he could finalise the minutes.

Barry stated the need to have a follow-up report following the meeting with LOROL at the March Assembly, the Group agreed this as an agenda item.

6.1 Agenda for Assembly 3 March

• Budget (including Library decision on 1 March
• Darren Brown Eco-Computer Systems Library proposal
• Report on the high street and station approach
• Housing and Planning in Sydenham, including what is happening and Willmott Dixon update. This will include the Bell Green development
• The Sydenham Assembly Fund – Discussion based upon Bellingham Mayor’s Fund method of petitioning ideas with deadline of Tuesday 19 April and voting at the June meeting.

Paul to draft the agenda and contact Willmott Dixon to speak as well as other housing providers including Lewisham Homes.

6.2 Publicity

• Door to door leaflet – Paul to draft
• Lewisham Life – Paul to check
• Web pages – Paul to check
• Facebook – There is now a Sydenham Assembly Facebook page - Paul to develop
• Sydenham Society Website – Barry
• SydenhamTown Forum - Chris

There then followed a discussion regarding filming at the Assembly as this happened at the January meeting. Concerns were expressed about this and the implications regarding editing and permission. Therefore the Coordinating Group has decided that there will be no more filming at any Sydenham Assembly unless agreed and discussed beforehand.

7. Date of next Coordinating Group meeting

Thursday 28April from 7pm at the Grove Centre

Deadline for Mayor’s Fund proposals Tuesday 19 April and to be covered in the door to door leaflet

8. Any other Business

No other business, the meeting finished at 9.10pm

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