NEWSLETTER
WINTER 2012
Chair: Anna Tapsell C/-235B Kennington Lane, London SE11 5QU
Deputy Chair: Diane Kavanagh 020 7793 0268
Secretary: Chris Eames-Jones KenningtonAssociation@gmail.com
Treasurer: Lucy Wells http://sites.google.com/site/kenningtonassociation
FROM THE CHAIR
Dear Neighbours
As we start 2012, the KA is facing new challenges as Lambeth’s Cooperative Council begins turning over to volunteer groups some of the facilities and services it has run in the past. As you know, KA was launched to improve the welfare of our community, and it’s now critical that we lead the way in saving essential services.
Of greatest interest to KA right now is the future of Lollard Street Adventure Playground. And we need the support of all our members as we work to keep this play facility open.
Two years ago we became aware that this play project was under threat, which led KA to help set up the Friends of Lollard Street Adventure Playground. The Council closed the playground last summer and reopened it in September 2011, but for one session only during term-time. Currently, it opens for three and a half hours on Fridays but every day during the school holidays. The playworkers are now provided by Lambeth Play Association. They are excellent, but as frustrated as we are that children cannot access the project when their needs are greatest: i.e. after school.
Lambeth has now invited expressions of interest to manage its play services, including Lollard Street. And with KA in the lead, we are now preparing an application for the first stage in this tender process. Our intention would be to form a contract with the Lambeth Play Association which is experienced in training and providing play workers who would be directly employed by LPA. The same arrangement would apply to other groups we might work with.
Please let us know that KA’s Committee has your support. Any ideas or offers of expertise would be most welcome.
Anna Tapsell
NEWS
TABLE-TOP SALES – A BRIGHT IDEA LIGHTS UP!
When Mike Strong found his cupboards runneth over with unused items, his friend who manages the Dog House PH at Kennington Cross suggested he take over a couple of tables outside the pub and hold a Table-Top Sale some Saturday afternoon.
What a great idea for KA fund raising, Mike thought -- and our latest fund-raising venture was born! With the help of Marie Bradley and Cathy Preece, three Table-Top Sales were held last year raising a total of £489 for KA. Keep an eye out for the next sale on 19 May.
CHARITY AUCTION
The seventh Charity Auction was held at the City & Guilds of London Art School in September providing fun for all who attended and raising funds for both the school and the KA. Once again, Angus Aagaard brought humour and a few gentle nudges as he auctioned off vouchers for dinners and services as well works of art.
Money raised for KA helped fund Secret Santa and Grey Power. Art works provided by the school’s graduating students were also auctioned with the funds being contributed to its emergency bursary. Last year, one student was able to complete his studies due to the emergency loan he was able to acquire from the fund.
NOVEMBER BAZAAR BRINGS IN RECORD AMOUNTS
A very successful Bazaar was held on 26 November, bringing in over £900 that was used to fund the free Tai Chi classes that have been so popular in Kennington. Several strong lads from the Tai Chi class helped us on Saturday, and their young muscles were very welcome. Special thanks to Pimlico Plumbers who provided a van to transport goods.
SECRET SANTA
For several years, KA has raised money to distribute £40 Tesco vouchers to local families at Christmas based on need. These families are chosen by local teachers, but remain ‘secret’ to KA. This year, 100 vouchers were given out through Charmaine Clarke at the Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre. Feedback indicates they were very welcome — and more would have helped.
GREY POWER CHRISTMAS LUNCH
This year marked the second Christmas Day Lunch for older people in Kennington who would otherwise have been home alone. KA picked up the tab for transport and lunch at the Black Prince PH, and a good time was had by all. Our thanks to Age UK Lambeth who identified the local recipients and arranged taxis.
AGM FEATURES GUEST SPEAKER FROM LONDON ASSEMBLY
A change of venue and a guest speaker brought us the largest turnout yet for the AGM on Monday, 10 October. Over 30 people attended the evening do at the Durning Library. The usual business meeting, chaired by Anna Tapsell, took only 30 minutes and then our guest speaker, Val Shawcross AM, took the floor.
Val is the London Assembly member for Lambeth and Southwark. As Deputy Chair of the London Transport Committee, she spoke on a wide range of transport issues including the strategic challenge of reducing traffic as a whole in Kennington. She says she is at odds with the Mayor of London who is more concerned with keeping traffic going instead of getting people out of their cars.
Val invited the KA to put forward its own agenda at the upcoming election to sell our goals for our neighbourhood to all political parties. We should see ourselves as a guiding influence on change. And we must have written aspirations, according to Val, or they will be ignored. This is the way for KA to be heard and make a difference!
PLANNING FORUM
- Mayor’s Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedule
- Lambeth’s Core Strategy
- The Development Infrastructure Funding Study for the Vauxhall/Nine Elms/Battersea Opportunity Area
Have your eyes glazed over yet?
Do you wonder who on earth understands planning documents?
Our KA Planning Forum chaired by David Boardman does, and they keep a close eye on the Council’s proposals for development schemes that affect Kennington.
Right now they are busy monitoring and commenting on plans by Lambeth Council and the Mayor of London’s office for a number of huge residential high-rises along the river. These blocks will increase our population density astronomically. But, unfortunately, the plans are being developed with inadequate infrastructure for transport, schools, green space, and other amenities that are so essential!
What’s also important is that local developers are actively seeking KA’s input on new building schemes. These include Sainsbury’s for the redevelopment of their Nine Elms store site at Wandsworth Road, CLS Holdings for its Bondway and Spring Mews developments, Native Land for its Old Fire Station development on Albert Embankment, and Beefeater Gin for its visitor centre development.
And the KAPF has had some success in overriding the blighting effects of the Kennington gasholders, with our support for the redevelopment on the derelict Elephant and Hippo pub site which was upheld at a public enquiry.
If you would like to help the Planning Forum by doing bits of reading or research, please contact them directly at KAPlanningForum@gmail.com.
UPCOMING EVENTS
volunteers needed for aPril BAZAAR!
The KA Bazaar is one of our main sources of funding. We have a grand team and the work is great fun, but rather physical and done to a tight schedule. But it’s a great way to get to know your neighbours. And we urgently need volunteers starting at 6pm on Friday night to sort through the donations and generally bring organisation to chaos!!
We also need strong bodies to carry bulky items on Friday and to dismantle tables and shift stalls on Saturday.
The next Bazaar is on Saturday, 21 April at St Anselm’s Church Hall from 11am to 1:30pm. This is a great chance to have a good Spring Cleaning of your wardrobe and re-cycle some unexpected gifts left from Christmas. Please bring saleable items to the hall from 6pm to 8pm on the evening before or from 9am to 10am on Bazaar day. If you need help with bulky items, please email KenningtonAssociation@gmail.com.
HELP US MAKE SOME NOISE!!
KA works hard on putting together fund-raising events, but they don’t always get the attention they need. We need a publicity secretary. We’re not looking for a professional PR – but we do need someone to put up posters, etc. to advertise Bazaars, Table Top Sales and our Annual Auction.
We also need a membership secretary to come up with some bright ideas to bring in new members. If you’ve experience in managing simple data bases, it would be a big boon.
To volunteer for either of these posts, or to help in any other KA activities, please phone us at 020 7793 0268 or email your details to KenningtonAssociation@gmail.com.
THANK YOU!
The KA wishes to thank our many volunteers and activity coordinators, especially Pauline Amphlett (Charity Auction), Gisella Azzopardi and Arfa Shah (Bazaar), Marie Bradley and Mike Strong (Table-Top Sales), and Margaret Barilone (Fete Bookstalls).
The following establishments also gave generously of their time and/or resources:
Alford House Club
Alton & Co
AnJia Chinese Medicine
Belgrave Hotel
Beefeater Gin Distillery
Black Prince Public House
Brand Guardians
City & Guilds of London Art School
Countryside Alliance
Daniel Scuffell Hair Salon
Dog House Public House
Doost Persian Grill & Vodka Bar
Kennington Chiropody Surgery
Kennington Chiropractic
Kennington Community Fellowship
Kennington Tandoori
Kennington Village Fête
KMK Architects Ltd
London Eye
Mossy Makes Cakes
North Lambeth Methodist Circuit
PJ Frankland & Sons Butchers
Pasha Hotel Hamman
Pelican Nursery
Pimlico Plumbers
Pop-In Hair & Beauty
Rolfe Judd Ltd
Roots & Shoots
Royal Wedding Street Party
St Anselm’s Church
Surrey County Cricket Club
The Ship Public House
South London Pacific
The Kennington Bookshop
Winkworth Estate Agents
SPORTS AND FITNESS
Tai chi has moved back indoors for the winter.
You are welcome to come and join us both on Thursdays from 2pm to 3pm at the Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre, Vauxhall Walk SE11 and Saturdays in the Lambeth Hall at the Kia Oval (entrance through Alec Stewart Gate) from 11am to12 noon. Classes are open to all. No previous experience necessary.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW
21 April 11am – 1:30pm KA Bazaar
St. Anselm’s Church Hall
19 May 10am - 1pm Table Top Sale
Outside the Dog House PH
Kennington Cross
21 August 11am Kennington History Walk
Oval Tube Station led by Cathy Preece and Muriel Whelan
October AGM, venue TBD
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