Volunteer sought: Publicity Coordinator

Tai Chi Thursdays 2pm @ Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre

Grey Power on Christmas Day!!

Dear Neighbours

Great news!!

Kim Connell, Community Services Manager, Age UK Lambeth, has confirmed:

·            The mini-cab is booked with Bobby’s Cars

·            7 older people from around Kennington

·            Will get together at The Black Prince PH

·            For lunch on Christmas Day!!

This has all been made possible by:

·            Funds raised at our Charity Auction – thanks again to Coordinator, Pauline Amphlett, and her team

·            Donations from individuals who prefer to remain anonymous

·            And, too, to everyone who is willing to give up their time on Christmas Day to make this all possible.

STOP PRESS!!

There are still several places available.

If you know of an older person who might be home alone on Christmas Day and would rather join the ‘Grey Power’ people, please contact Kim in confidence right away!

Kim Connell
Community Services Manager
k.connell@aclambeth.org.uk

Merry Christmas to All!

Very many thanks
Best wishes
Cathy Preece
Administrative Assistant

Tai Chi moves indoors for the winter

Secret Santa in Kennington

Tesco bus to be cancelled - again

Dear Neighbours

As at this time last year,
Tesco have apparently decided to cancel the free bus service that so many of us - particularly the elderly and disabled - rely on.

Please write to

Philip Clarke
Chief Executive
Tesco
philip.clarke@uk.tesco.com

asking him to have the decision reversed for good.

Very many thanks
Best wishes
Cathy Preece
Administrative Assistant

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kennington Association

c/- 235B Kennington Lane SE11 5QU
E: KenningtonAssociation@gmail.com
W: http://sites.google.com/site/kenningtonassociation/

KA Volunteer Needed: Membership Secretary

Photos from the Table Top Sale outside The Dog House PH on Saturday 3rd December from Dariusz Adamek

Follow this link for Photos from the Table Top Sale outside The Dog House PH on Saturday 3rd December from Dariusz Adamek
www.photoadamek.com
www.flickr.com/photos/dariusz_adamek
photoadamek@gmail.com
07882312685

Strip Theatre presents Jesus II at the White Bear Theatre - DISCOUNT TO KA MEMBERS

Calling all volunteers: Table Top Sale @ Sat 3 Dec 10:00 - 13:00

Dear KA Volunteers

You'll have seen that the Table Top Sale on 3rd December,
is hard on the heels of the Bazaar (26th Nov)
so those volunteers will likely be collapsed in a heap!

This is the last chance to raise funds for this year's Secret Santa!

Is anyone else available to help Marie and Betty with the Table Top Sale?

If yes, please contact:

    * Marie - if you are able to help with the KA stalls:  wilhelminabradley@gmail.com


Very many thanks
Best wishes
Cathy Preece
Administrative Assistant

    Table Top Sale
    £10 PER TABLE
    LIMITED AVAILABILITY!
    CONTACT MIKE ON 07847 182489 ASAP!!
    BOOKS, BRIC-A-BRAC, NEARLY-NEW CLOTHES, REFRESHMENTS
    COME ALONG FOR A FUN MORNING!
    IN SUPPORT OF SECRET SANTA!
    When:
        Sat 3 Dec 10:00 – 13:00 London
    Where:
        The Dog House PH, Kennington Cross SE11 6BY (map)

Reminder: Table Top Sale @ Sat 3 Dec 10:00 - 13:00

Bazaar Collections - do you need a pick-up?

Dear Neighbours

Thanks to Gisella and the team
this Saturday's Bazaar is coming together nicely!

Galo and Mike are lined up to pick up the van
from Pimlico Plumbers on Friday afternoon.

If you would like a collection,
do be in touch and they will do their best to get to you.
If you could let us have your phone number,
Mike will phone when they heading to yours.

Very many thanks
Best wishes
Cathy Preece
Administrative Assistant

Reminder: Table Top Sale @ Sat 3 Dec 10:00 - 13:00

KA Volunteer Needed: Membership Secretary

Reminder: Bazaar @ Sat 26 Nov 11:00 - 13:30

Dear Neighbours

If anyone is available to help with the bazaar on the Friday evening and/or the Saturday,
please phone Gisella on 020 7820 0434 over the weekend (as she is on vacation from Monday).

Very many thanks
Best wishes
Cathy Preece
Administrative Assistant



On 29 October 2011 12:00, Google Calendar wrote:

more details »
Bazaar
Confirmed:

Arfa Shah
Betty Severn
Cathy Preece
Christine Eames-Jones
David Tisdall
Julie Tidsall
Marie Bradley
Maureen Malcolm
Pat Brennan
Veronica Ledwith

Tentative:

Mike GebreYohannes

Apologies:

Eric Guibert


Bazaar

Saturday
26th November
1 1 am – 1.30 pm
St Anselm’s Church Hall
Kennington Cross
(Junction Kennington Lane / Kennington Road)

Having a clear-out?
Deliver items to the hall Friday 6pm-8pm or Saturday 9am-10am
or contact Arfa on 07875 100276
Sat 26 Nov 11:00 – 13:30 London
Kennington Association

Diary Alert: KA Bazaar: Saturday 26th November

KA Charity Auction 2011 - photography by Dariusz Adamek

https://picasaweb.google.com/KenningtonAssociation/KACharityAuction2011?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCN7J75GigcD9Gw&feat=directlink

Reminder: KA AGM @ Mon 10 Oct 18:30 - 20:30

Confirmed:

Christine Eames-Jones
Steve Morgan
Veronica Ledwith
Betty Severn
Brenda Collins
Fiona Clark
Stephen Blurton
Ann Carey
Jon Davies
Nikolas Fordham
Pauline Amphlett
Stephen Blurton
Cathy Preece

Tentative:

Jonathan Hall
Rani Biring
Mark Harrison

Apologies:

Andra Nelki
Malcolm Baines
Henry Ashwin
Brian Clivaz
Caroline Pidgeon
Jo Hykin
Kay Coombs
Robert Doberschek
Vicky Bowman
Sarah Ritchie Calder
Richard Malins
Priscilla Baines
Rod & Pat Brown
Sally Prentice
Sally Gainsborough
Marie Bradley
Laura Swaffield
Nazir Sulemanji
Keith Hills
Linda Haddock
Sr Marie Therese
Mary Acland-Hood
Paul Graville
Mark Brown
Meredith Dufton
Judith Weir

Dear KA member

It would be very helpful if you could let us know if you are able to join us.

Very many thanks
Best wishes
Cathy Preece
Administrative Assistant

Monday, 10 October is the Kennington Association AGM!

This year, we have a guest speaker, Val Shawcross, CBE, member of the London Assembly for Lambeth and Southwark, who will give a brief talk and answer questions, so come prepared!!

Plus, most important, you will get an update on what the KA has been doing, and

ELECT NEW MEMBERS TO THE KA COMMITTEE!

The Kennington Association is completely dependent on volunteers and needs many to make it a successful concern.

The Executive Committee is made up of up to12 members plus at least four Officers (Chair, Deputy Chair, Secretary and Treasurer) for a total of no more than 16.  We also depend heavily on our administrative assistant, Charity Auction leader, Bazaar Coordinator, and Planning Forum head.

If you would like to volunteer to serve on the committee, or would like to nominate anyone else to be a committee member, please use the following form.

Nominations will also be accepted from the floor at the AGM .  The Officers are elected by the committee at the first meeting committee meeting following the AGM.

Those serving on the committee must be members of the KA.

So please join us 10 October, 6:30pm, Durning Library.


From:   

CONTACT NAME _______________________________________________________

ADDRESS ____________________________________________________________

__________________________________ POSTCODE ___________________

Telephone ____________________________________________________________

Email ____________________________________________________________

Signed __________________________________  Date _________________________

NOMINATION(S)

I nominate the person named below:

CONTACT NAME ______________________________________________

ADDRESS ____________________________________________________________

_________________________________________ POSTCODE ___________________

Telephone ____________________________________________________________

Email ____________________________________________________________

On 30 September 2011 18:30, Google Calendar <calendar-notification@google.com> wrote:

more details » KA AGM When Mon 10 Oct 18:30 – 20:30 London Where Durning Library, 167 Kennington Lane SE11 4HF (map) Calendar Kennington Association Who (Guest list is too large to display) Going?   Yes - Maybe - No    more options »

Calling all volunteers! Helpers needed for the Auction!

Dear Volunteers
Calling all volunteers! Helpers needed for the Auction!

1. Can you help David with the bar, please?
• Set up on Thursday evening
• Manning the bar during the auction from 5pm for the viewing
• Closing down on Thursday evening after the auction
• Dismantling on Friday morning
2. Manning the Preview from 5pm to 8.30pm on Wednesday evening
3. Dismantling the auction on Friday morning
• Taking leftover items to the garage - Car Pool volunteers?

If anyone has any time to spare,
we'd all be very grateful for any help you can offer.

It's all for great causes: 

• Secret Santa
• Grey Power
• Art School Hardship Bursary

Very many thanks
Best wishes
Cathy Preece
Administrative Assistant

Reminder: Charity Auction @ Thu 22 Sep 18:30 - 20:30

Reminder: Table Top Sale: Saturday 24th September outside The Dog House PH - in support of Secret Santa!

Monday, 10 October is the Kennington Association AGM!

Dear KA member

Monday, 10 October is the Kennington Association AGM! 

This year, we have a guest speaker, Val Shawcross, CBE, member of the London Assembly for Lambeth and Southwark, who will give a brief talk and answer questions, so come prepared!!

Plus, most important, you will get an update on what the KA has been doing, and

ELECT NEW MEMBERS TO THE KA COMMITTEE!

The Kennington Association is completely dependent on volunteers and needs many to make it a successful concern.

The Executive Committee is made up of up to12 members plus at least four Officers (Chair, Deputy Chair, Secretary and Treasurer) for a total of no more than 16.  We also depend heavily on our administrative assistant, Charity Auction leader, Bazaar Coordinator, and Planning Forum head. 

If you would like to volunteer to serve on the committee, or would like to nominate anyone else to be a committee member, please use the following (and attached) form.

Nominations will also be accepted from the floor at the AGM .  The Officers are elected by the committee at the first meeting committee meeting following the AGM.

Those serving on the committee must be members of the KA.

So please join us 10 October, 6:30pm, Durning Library.

From:     

cONTACT NAME _______________________________________________________________

ADDRESS ______________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________ POSTCODE ___________________

Telephone ____________________________________________________________________

Email _________________________________________________________________________

Signed _________________________________________  datE _________________________

NOMINATION(S)

I nominate the person named below: 

NAME _________________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS ______________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________ POSTCODE ___________________

Telephone ____________________________________________________________________

Email _________________________________________________________________________

Reminder: Table Top Sale: Saturday 24th September outside The Dog House PH @ Sat 24 Sep 10:00 - 13:00

FOLSAP: Lollard Street Adventure Playground

Dear Councillor Robbins

Over the past six months the Friends of Lollard Street Adventure Playground have been pleading with you to delay the closure of our Adventure Playground to enable us to find an alternative model of management that would retain its opening hours to fit the needs of parents and children for safe after-school provision in an area of great need. You took the time to listen to parents and the young children who attended a meeting with you in May. You seemed to understand from what you heard, that this was not just about the need for free and adventurous play with excellent and varied indoor provision, important though that is. But, that this was also a safeguarding issue relating to after-school provision for parents struggling to work, often in low paid jobs with inflexible hours.

You persuaded us that it would be worthwhile our trying to produce a business plan and get properly constituted, in the spirit of the ’cooperative’ council! You assured us that your officers would provide us with the necessary information to do this so that we would be able to calculate costs and research outside partners and funders. We were working hard to do this when we learned that you had already gone out to seek tenders from a long list of organisations with whom the Council already had contracts. In the meantime, without proper notice to the parents and children, you closed Lollard Street Adventure Playground and others.

In my last letter to you (16^th August), I queried the process the Council had adopted in this case. It did not seem to accord with its own code of practice. We understand now that only two organisations/businesses applied to run the Council’s seven Adventure Playgrounds at much reduced hours. In three of the playgrounds this would amount to only one session a week. The contract would be for six months starting immediately.

Now we are told that the contract cannot be awarded as, surprise surprise, the process was wrong! We are told today, that Lollard Street, and we assume at least three others, will remain closed whilst the Council sorts itself out.

I ended my last letter to you, asking whether this was the best we could do for our kids?  Is it?

Yours sincerely

Anna Tapsell

Hon Treasurer Friends of Lollard Street Adventure Playground.

Chair of Kennington Association.

FOLSAP: Lollard Street Adventure Playground

The council have made considerable changes, detailed in the attached letter to users, to the opening hours of Lollard Street Adventure Playground. In effect the playground will now be open for only one day a week until next April when it is proposed, as part of the Co-operative Council Agenda, that the playground will be transferred to a new provider.

The Friends of Lollard Street Adventure Playground (FOLSAP) are continuing to seek out the means to keep this vital resource available to local children and their families and to reinstate the opening times to five days a week plus school holidays.

FOLSAP: Lollard St Adventure Playground

Dear Councillor Robbins

I hope you received my emails dated 13th and 16th August, as I have had no acknowledgement.

To summarize:

On June 16th FOLSAP organised a meeting of parents and children to which you explained Lambeth Council's proposals for outsourcing the management of Adventure Playgrounds in Lambeth. You explained that the voluntary and Council-run APs would be brought together under the auspices of some form of Trust. In response to our questions you assured us that if FOLSAP, for example, were to put forward a viable business plan, there was no reason why the Council should not pass the management of this AP to such a local group. If that were to happen you said that the amount of money allocated would be only £45,000.00 for the year, due to the Government cuts.

You told us that the APs would have to reduce their hours to one weekday session and Saturday mornings from September 1st. Parents and children at that meeting emphasised to you how important it was for this AP in Lollard Street to be open during the weekdays after school as parents relied on it as a safe place for their children to be if they were unable to get home from work; afterschool childcare being scarce and expensive with many parents having to take low-paid jobs with inflexible hours to make ends meet and maintain such benefits as they were entitled to. Indeed, it was agreed that this was a 'safeguarding issue' in a significantly impoverished area of Lambeth.

Following that meeting and recognising the very short timescale we had to develop a business plan we worked hard to do so. We consulted with possible partners, such as Lambeth Play Association and the Black Prince Community Trust. We tried, unsuccessfully, to obtain from your officers details of the terms under which the Council would be outsourcing this provision and what the liabilities would be, particularly in relation to existing staff and maintenance issues. Officers were courteous, but uninformative.

In the middle of August we were told two new things: that Lollard Street AP would be reducing its opening hours to one session on a weekday only. There would be no Saturday opening. Secondly, the Council would be seeking to offer our building to other voluntary groups who needed meeting provision. Officers would be calling a meeting of 'stakeholders' on 18th August at Lollard Street to tell us about the Cooperative Council (the Council seems to have found money to employ a consultant to do that) and what was the future for us.

Few, if any, stakeholders attended that meeting but the FOLSAP officers were there as arranged. We were told that bids had already been invited from play organisations currently under contract with the Council. The tender process would be closed on August 31st and our AP would be totally closed during the Bank Holiday week despite the fact that children were still on school holiday.

We were also told that there was no £45,000.00 available to a local management project. We asked for details of the Tender Specification and the list of approved contractors but officers did not feel able to share this with us without further advice.

Subsequently, I received from Sarah Warman both the Specification and the Approved List. I have to say that I was surprised to discover that the voluntary Adventure Playgrounds, far from being placed alongside the Council-run ones as you had explained, were actually on the Approved List for taking over the Council-run ones. I was also dismayed to see that the list included some projects that charge for entry.

Along with this information Sarah has also invited FOLSAP to a meeting on September 2nd to see how we could interact with the new provider.

What can I say? We all appreciate the position in which local authorities find themselves. We also thought we understood the ethos behind the 'Cooperative Council' but this experience has been an appalling one. Firstly, it all started too late, well after the Council knew where these cuts would lie. Secondly, Councillors and officers have presented mixed messages, not I think deliberately, but through incompetence and poor coordination. Thirdly, the Council has not acted with transparency and some of us are very doubtful as to the propriety of the tender process and the speed with which it has been implemented. Lastly, as we understand it, the successful bidder will take over its role next week, but only until April 1st. Is that right?

I went to the Kennington AP this morning and found just a scrawled ungrammatical note pinned to the gate saying that it would be closed this week. No explanation or other information about when it might be open. Two little boys were there with their table tennis bats. Their parents were back at work.
At Lollard Street there is no notice, just the timetable of the previous full week’s activities.
Is this the best we can all do for our kids?

Yours sincerely

Anna Tapsell

Hon Treasurer, Friends of Lollard Street Adventure Playground
Chair of Kennington Association

Reminder: Table Top Sale: Saturday 24th September outside The Dog House 10:00 - 13:00

Bazaar: Garage ready to accept deliveries

Dear Neighbours

We are now ready to accept items for our next bazaar into the garage.
Hurrah!!

If you are having a clear-out
please contact Arfa on 07875 100276
to arrange access to the garage on the Ethelred Estate.

We do not have a van;
however, if items will fit into a car,
we could ask the Car Pool volunteers if they could help.
Please email me with your contact details for forwarding to them.
KenningtonAssociation@gmail.com

Very many thanks
Best wishes
Cathy Preece
Administrative Assistant

UPDATE: Charity Auction: Here's a taster of what's come in so far....

The Seventh Kennington Association Charity Auction

Welcome to the Kennington Association’s Annual Charity Auction, an eagerly anticipated event in our community, which is now in its seventh year.

The money raised will go to our Secret Santa and Grey Power schemes, and proceeds from the sales of student art works will go to a Student Hardship Bursary at City & Guilds of London Art School.  Secret Santa was initiated in 2005 to provide £40 worth of supermarket vouchers for 100 of the neediest young families in the neighbourhood.  A new initiative in 2010, Grey Power funds a Christmas Day meal for isolated elderly people, with transport provided.

The KA would like to thank everyone who has worked so hard to make this auction a success, especially Winkworth Kennington for their sponsorship of £1,000 to underwrite all expenses, thereby ensuring that all funds raised go directly to our good causes.  We are delighted that the Art School is again hosting the event and thank Magnus von Wistinghausen and Ursula Faure Romanelli for all their work in the planning throughout the year.  We would also like to thank Sarah Lee at Countryside Alliance, who cheerfully takes delivery of and stores all artworks donated in the months and weeks leading up to the Auction, Andra Nelki for the catalogue photography, and The Black Prince PH for catering for the event.  Crucial to the running of the auction are the many KA volunteers who beaver away in the background from early in the year to the night itself, with special gratitude for the expertise and good humour of our Auction Coordinator Pauline Amphlett.

Anna Tapsell

Chair

Kennington Association

 

Calling all volunteers: Table Top Sale - 24th September

Dear KA Volunteers

You'll have seen that the Table Top Sale on 24th September,
is hard on the heels on the Auction (22nd)
so those volunteers will likely be collapsed in a heap!

Is anyone else available to help Marie and Mike with the Table Top Sale?

If yes, please contact:

• Mike - if you wish to help with the overall organisation of the day:  mikestrong23@yahoo.co.uk
• Marie - if you are able to help with the KA stalls:  wilhelminabradley@gmail.com

Very many thanks
Best wishes
Cathy

Table Top Sale: Saturday 24th September outside The Dog House PH - in support of Secret Santa!

UPDATE: Charity Auction: Here's a taster of what's come in so far....

Reminder: FOLSAP: FREE KIDS KARATE Wednesdays 2.30pm during summer ... @ Wed 10 Aug 14:30 - 15:30

Calling all volunteers: more Car Pool people needed, please

Dear Neighbours

We have a small team of Car Pool volunteers;
however, we could do with a bit more help, please.

If you could be willing to occasionally schlep items
from one part of Kennington to another,
we'd be very pleased to hear from you.
If you have a van, even better!

Right now, there is some art work in the garage on the Ethelred Estate,
that needs to go across to the office of Countryside Alliance,
for inclusion in the Auction.

Would you be able to help with this,
or other similar stints, please?

Very many thanks
Best wishes
Cathy Preece
Administrative Assistant

UPDATE: Charity Auction: Here's a taster of what's come in so far....

UPDATE: Charity Auction: Here's a taster of what's come in so far....

FOLSAP: FREE KIDS KARATE Wednesdays 2.30pm during summer vacation from 27th July

Charity Auction: Here's a taster of what's come in so far....

Dear Neighbours

Behind the scenes our volunteers are busy working on our Annual Charity Auction in September.

Huge thanks to Winkworth Estate Agents at Kennington Cross for sponsoring our Auction to the tune of £1000!! This will more than cover the costs involved in pulling it all together.

As last year, the Auction will be held at the City & Guilds of London Art School on Kennington Park Road.  The date is Thursday, 22^nd September with a preview the evening before.  This year, we are looking for paintings, small sculptures, figurines etc. that will bring in at least £20 each.  We also are most anxious to receive vouchers from local businesses for restaurant meals, or food or wine or services – anything from baking a special-occasion cake to cleaning a patio!

We are already taking donations – artworks can be dropped off at the Countryside Alliance, The Old Town Hall, 367 Kennington Road SE11 4PT.  Just phone Sarah Lee on 020 7840 9253 before you turn up.  Note:  It’s essential you fill out a donation form (below) and attach it to the work of art.  Vouchers for pledges can be sent to KA at the below address.

Also, we still need a volunteer to coordinate volunteers!  This mostly entails phoning around to get people to help out sorting, cleaning and moving items for the Auction.  We have a check-list of tasks – you’ll just be asked to match up names with the job!  You’ll also be asked to attend a few meetings of the Auction subcommittee to coordinate your activities with the other workers – we have nearly a dozen so far so you’ll meet new people and have fun as well.

The next meeting of the Auction sub-group is on Wednesday 3^rd August at 2.30pm at Madeira Star Café, 337-339 Kennington Rd SE11 4QE in the back room downstairs.  If you are willing to volunteer to work on the Auction, you would be most welcome to join us.

Here's a taste of what's to come....

 

Invitation for Community Meeting re Michaela Community School: Monday 18th July 7pm Ethelred Estate Community Youth Club 7 Lollard St SE11 6QH

Dear Neighbours

As many of our members are aware, a new secondary school, Michaela Community School, has been proposed to open in the Lilian Baylis Old School this autumn.  The school is being proposed by Katharine Birbalsingh, who has featured in the news lately.  The school would be one of the proposed ‘free schools’ that the government is encouraging parents and community groups to set up.

 

Many people are curious to know more about this school and how it will relate to our neighbourhood state schools, which are under Council jurisdiction.  To this end, the Kennington Association has set up a meeting with Katharine Birbalsingh so that she can present her plans and we will have an opportunity to question her about them. 

 

KA is not endorsing the plans but, given the interest KA has always had in this site, we should hear all proposals, including the Council's.

 

The meeting is scheduled for:

Monday 18th July 7pm
Ethelred Estate Community Youth Club
7 Lollard St SE11 6QH

Anna Tapsell
Chair

Kennington Village Fete: Saturday 10th July Noon - 4pm - Visit us on the Bookstall!!

Kennington Village Fête Sunday 10th July - visit us at the Bookstall!

The KA will have our usual bookstall at the Kennington Village Fête

inviting donations for new but not in perfect condition books

contributed by The Kennington Bookshop. 

All funds raised go to 'Secret Santa' and 'Grey Power'.

KA Newsletter Summer 2011

SUMMER 2011

Dear Neighbours

As usual during the summer months, the KA will appear to be quiet – but behind the scenes we will be busy working on our Annual Charity Auction in September, AGM in October and our November Bazaar! Big thanks especially to Winkworth for stepping forward to underwrite our Auction.

As we move into the autumn, the work and donations of volunteers and local businesses is going to become even more important. In September, we’ll begin to see the full effect of Council funding cuts as well as cuts in government support to families. As I’m sure you’re aware, some of our neighbours are in for difficult times.

And we on the KA Committee would like to hear from you on which direction you think our organisation should head – where you think we should try to step in and make a difference, and where you are prepared to help. Our AGM is planned this year for Monday evening, 10^th October at the Durning Library, another stalwart of our community that is itself under threat. We will have a meet-and-greet chance to talk to each other starting at 6:30 and the meeting proper will begin at 7 pm.

Next April, KA will be ten years old! So please come to the AGM and help us set a course of action for the next decade.

Anna Tapsell

NEWS

Kennington Village Fête

The date is set for this year's Fête in Cleaver Square: Sunday, 10^th July. We'll have our usual bookstall inviting donations for new but not in perfect condition books contributed by The Kennington Bookshop. All funds raised go to 'Secret Santa' and 'Grey Power'.

Charity Auction

We have a sponsor!!! Huge thanks to Winkworth Estate Agents at Kennington Cross for sponsoring our annual Charity Auction to the tune of £1000!! This year’s Auction is planned to be even more fun than last year!! Brasserie Toulouse–Lautrec on Newington Butts is going to cater for us and we are looking into getting some music as well.

As last year, it will be held at the City & Guilds of London Art School on Kennington Park Road. The Auction date is Thursday, 22^nd September at 7pm with a preview the evening before. This year, we are looking for paintings, small sculptures, figurines etc. that will bring in at least £20 each. We also are most anxious to receive vouchers from local businesses for restaurant meals, or food or wine or services – anything from baking a special-occasion cake to cleaning a patio!

We are already taking donations – artworks can be dropped off at the Countryside Alliance, The Old Town Hall, 367 Kennington Road SE11 4PT. Just phone Sarah Lee on 020 7840 9253 before you turn up. Note: It’s essential you fill out a donation form (enclosed) and attach it to the work of art. Vouchers for pledges can be sent to KA at the above address.

Also, we still need a volunteer to coordinate volunteers! This mostly entails phoning around to get people to help out sorting, cleaning and moving items for the Auction. We have a checklist of tasks – you’ll just be asked to match up names with the job! You’ll also be asked to attend a few meetings of the Auction subcommittee to coordinate your activities with the other workers – we have nearly a dozen so far so you’ll meet new people and have fun as well.

March Bazaar Hits New High

Many people must have done their spring cleaning before our March Bazaar because we seemed to have a record number of donations! Books, clothes and bric-a-brac was piled so high our courageous volunteers sometimes felt swamped! We all felt it was well worth the work, however, when we counted the proceeds. After our expenses were deducted and we collected an extra hundred pounds from Chris Carey’s Collections, we raised a clear £815. As reported in our Winter Newsletter, the money will go to fund Tai Chi classes, free to all our community!

Once again, thanks to all our volunteers who collected donations and managed the stalls and the kitchen. Special thanks to Gisella who so brilliantly organized the day and donations. The next Bazaar is scheduled for 26^th November, but we are hoping to clear our garage and make space to receive donations by the end of July. So save that winter coat a little longer and you can donate it to the next KA Bazaar!

Traffic Island at Brixton Road/Camberwell New Road

Have you been driven to distraction by the new lane changes between buses and cars at this intersection? KA committee members met at the site, along with Val Shawcross, our representative on the London Assembly. Although Val agreed with some of the problems caused, Transport for London, responsible for all the bus routes and roads they run on, does not seem amenable to making changes, in spite of our strongly worded protest letter. The next move will be for concerned individuals to write to Valerie Shawcross CBE, Member for Lambeth & Southwark, London Assembly, City Hall, The Queen's Walk SE1 2AA or valerie.shawcross@london.gov.uk as a stack of protest letters may be more effective than one letter representing a group.

KA will continue to monitor the situation along with the evergreen problems of police and ambulance noise!

Lilian Baylis Old School

The Sports Action Zone has been granted £2 million to upgrade its Old Lilian Baylis building and has formed the Black Prince Trust to lease the land from the Council for this purpose. Good news for our community as the sports facilities, training and skill building SAZ provides to local young people will become ever more important as other locations may be forced to close.

In addition, it’s become clear that a new educational establishment named Michaela Community School in the Lilian Baylis Old School is being proposed by Katharine Birbalsingh, who has featured in the news lately. The school would be one of the proposed ‘free schools’ that the government is encouraging parents to support in lieu of sending their children to a state school. The question for all of us is "what impact will a free school have on local funding of our existing secondary schools and on their makeup?" The KA Committee is going to monitor this proposal and try to learn more that we will pass on to our members.

Committee Matters

We’ve had a few changes to the KA Committee since our last newsletter.

First, we have a new treasurer. Matina Gialama resigned recently because work, home and school commitments made it impossible for her to continue. We are very, very grateful to Lucy Wells for stepping forward to take on this critical role. Lucy moved to Kennington last autumn and decided to get involved in her new community by joining KA. We are delighted to have her on board!

We are also very happy to announce we have a new publicity coordinator, Andrea Steinlechner. She’ll be looking for lots of help in the coming months, so please contact kapublicitycoordinator@gmail.com if you’re interested in working on the team. Andrea has set up a list of specific tasks for which folk might easily volunteer without feeling they are making an endless commitment! She also needs help understanding how people want to get information. To help her, we are asking all members to respond to a very short questionnaire at http://svy.mk/KASurvey.

On the minus side, Dan Love has moved to Cornwall and resigned as corporate liaison. This job involves communicating with our larger corporate neighbours on matters we think affect the quality of life in our community such as noise and traffic. This position remains open. If interested, send a note to KenningtonAssociation@gmail.com or come to our Annual General Meeting and put yourself forward.

Membership Renewals – New Date, 1 October

Up until now, the KA has run a membership year based on when people join. As we’ve grown, this system has made it difficult to monitor membership and send out renewal notices during the proper month. Now we’re changing to make all memberships run from 1^st October each year. So if your membership has expired, be sure to get your cheque for £5 in to the above address now! All renewal payments made this summer count as paid up until 1 October 2012. Please write membership on the back of the cheque. If your membership is paid up by 1 October, you will be able to vote on issues raised at our AGM.

UPDATES

Tai Chi

Our Tai Chi classes are thriving and making good use of our dry, sunny weather to meet in Kennington Park. And we had some good news on the funding front – a successful bid by Jide Ashimi of Leo Vocational Service resulted in a grant of £750 from South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. This funded our instructor for 15 sessions. But money is still a major problem and likely to continue as funds for community programmes get tighter. In spite of the tremendous work done by Christine Eames-Jones in filling out long, detailed applications for grants, we still have no new long-term sponsor. Because these classes bring together so many people of different ages and backgrounds in our community, the KA is stepping in to make sure these classes can meet while we continue to pursue new sources of funding. Please feel free to join us on Thursdays at 2pm and Saturdays at 11am in Kennington Park near the Cafe. Beginners are always welcome. There’s nothing strenuous about Tai Chi, but people of all ages who attend are amazed at the strength they build up over the weeks and months.

For children, the introduction to Tai Chi is through Karate and last summer KA sponsored six weeks of Karate classes for kids at Lollard Street Adventure Playground. We plan to do the same this summer and use volunteers from the Tai Chi classes to come along and help the instructor, Michael Jacques, so more children have individual attention.
Friends of Lollard Street Adventure Playground

At the February meeting of Lambeth Council, over 200 people demonstrated to protest cuts, including children who spoke at the meeting to say how important the borough’s Adventure Playgrounds are to them. Unfortunately, in spite of these protests, Lambeth Council is continuing to move ahead with plans to get rid of any responsibility for running or funding playgrounds. All playgrounds are to be turned over to a co–operative council – yet to be formed – which will take over the responsibility the Council is abdicating. A private organization called the Lambeth Play Association will try to raise money from somewhere to run all adventure playgrounds on a very limited basis. As it stands, all Adventure Playgrounds in the borough will be open during the summer, but will be cut back to one day a week beginning in September. Once again, thanks to Chris Eames-Jones who has been leading FOLSAP in its fight to keep the Playground open.

Planning

The views of the KA Planning Forum under the chairmanship of David Boardman (see http://kaplanning.blogspot.com/) are being clearly acknowledged.

A councillor told Kennington Oval Vauxhall Forum in April that the Council had found KAPF's representation on the infrastructure study for Vauxhall Nine Elms Battersea (VNEB) very useful.

Victory at Bondway: KAPF, with others, made strong representations at the Planning Enquiry into the proposed high-rise development on Bondway in Vauxhall. The developer lost, then appealed, but was refused.

Sainsbury’s requested two meetings with KAPF to present their proposals for developing the site of their existing Nine Elms store on Wandsworth Road.

KAPF is also continuing to monitor proposed local developments including the planned extension to the Northern Line and to voice local needs and concerns with councillors and council officers. Local community groups continue to approach KAPF for advice.

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Big thanks to all our volunteers, anonymous donors and the following organisations for all their help and support:

· Brasserie Toulouse–Lautrec

· Chris Carey’s Collections

· City & Guilds of London Art School

· Countryside Alliance

· Leo Vocational Service

· Kennington Chiropractic

· South London Pacific

· The Kennington Bookshop

· The Pelican Nursery

· Winkworth Estate Agents

· White Hall Clothiers Camberwell Ltd

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EVENTS FOR YOUR CALENDAR

10 July KA Bookstall at Kennington Village Fête, Cleaver Square

22 September KA Annual Charity Auction, City & Guilds of London Art School

10 October KA Annual General Meeting, Durning Library

26 November KA Bazaar, St Anselm’s Church Hall, Kennington Cross

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REMEMBER THE KA WEBSITE: http://sites.google.com/site/kenningtonassociation