Lambeth Country Show 2009 - bigger and better than ever before

The ever popular and biggest outdoor festival the Lambeth Country Show will once again be held in Brockwell Park on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July. This free event is not one to be missed!

Throughout the weekend Brockwell Park will be filled with a wide variety of music and entertainment - see this year's programme. There will be arts and craft available to buy and try, trade stalls and horticulture competitions. With hands-on activities for children and adults to enjoy with live animals from farmyard breeds to more exotic species, as well as brass bands, storytelling and a funfair, there’s something for everyone.

The festivities begin at 11am on Saturday 18 July when the array of vibrant stalls and marquees will be open for business. With an emphasis on home grown talent a variety of cherry-picked local artists will play on the main stage filling the air with music throughout the weekend.

You can see the full programme of events here.

Larkhall Labour Councillor Pete Robbins will again be taking on all comers in the Lambeth Horticultural Society's vegetable animal competition - or there is also the alternative vegetable competition run by Urban75 for those who like to think outside the (vegetable) box.

Help reward our unsung heroes - Lambeth Carers Award

Do you, your family or friends, depend on someone for essential help and support? Do you want to thank them for all their unpaid efforts? Can you help us to identify those remarkable carers who freely give their time and energy to make a huge difference to some-one else's life?

Thousands of people are like this across Lambeth, doing a fantastic job every day, caring for family or friends who are vulnerable or need help. These daily services are performed because of dedication and commitment, and are unpaid and often unrecognised.

Lambeth Council is trying to redress the balance a little by inviting nominations for the second annual Carer of the Year Award. The winner will be given gift vouchers worth £250. Carers who are shortlisted will be invited to an awards ceremony as an opportunity to celebrate the valuable contribution they all make.

Cllr Dr Raj Patil, Labour councillor for Larkhall ward said: "Many people in the borough don't think of themselves as carers as they struggle to look after a family member or loved one but the strain this can put on them personally is enormous. Lambeth Labour has increased investment into services for carers to provide the vital support they need, which is why this award scheme is so important. If you know someone who deserves some recognition it will only take a couple of minutes to nominate but it will mean the world to them, please nominate today."

If you want to nominate a carer, send us the names and contact details for both you and the person you are nominating. We will also need to know why you think they deserve the award. Nominations close at 5pm on Friday 31 July.

To nominate a carer write to: Lambeth Carers Award, Phoenix House, 10 Wandsworth Road, SW8 2LL or visit the website: Lambeth Carers' Award page and download an application form. You can also email: carersawards@lambeth.gov.uk or phone 020 7926 0773

Larkhall school gains Arstmark Gold award

Sixteen creative schools in Lambeth have scooped a prestigious national award for excellence in art, drama, music and dance lessons. The latest round of Artsmark Awards, awarded by national arts organisation the Arts Council, puts Lambeth among the best in the country. While approximately 15 per cent of all schools in England have an Artsmark, just under half of all Lambeth’s schools now have them. This year, Artsmark Gold awards have gone to 11 Lambeth Primary Schools, Artsmark Silver to four, and an Artsmark to one - the best results the borough has ever achieved.

One of the best performing schools was St Andrews CoE primary, which is in Larkhall ward. They were awarded an Artsmark Gold.

Artsmark provides a benchmark for arts provision that encourages schools to consider the opportunities they offer in art, dance, drama and music. The application form for Artsmark acts as an auditing tool, through which schools may gain an overall picture of their arts education provision.

Cllr Tina Valcarcel, one of the Labour councillors for Larkhall ward, said: "Congratulations to staff and pupils at St Andrews. Our Artsmark record puts us among the best, not only in London, but across the whole country. So many Lambeth schools have proven their commitment to developing free-thinking, creative young people."

Lambeth streets are cleaner: official

Litter and graffiti are on the decline in Lambeth according to new research that shows that the borough's streets are cleaner than at any time since current records began six years ago.

Graffiti, fly-posting and litter levels are all down this year, according to independent survey results from Encams, the body which monitors how clean streets are on behalf of local councils.

Lambeth Council says the improvements are down to a combination of better targeting of resources to get to grips with problem areas, better training for staff, as well as investment in the latest street cleaning technology, such as award-winning 'urban vacuum' cleaners called Cantonets that are particularly effective at tackling cigarette butts. The improvements are also as a result of recent education and enforcement operations for littering, fly-posting and graffiti.

Most importantly, Lambeth's cleaner streets are being noticed by residents, according to the latest residents' survey which showed a nine per cent increase in public satisfaction with street cleaning services.

Councillor Sally Prentice, Cabinet Member for Environment on Lambeth Council, said:
"Clean streets that are free from the blight of graffiti have a hugely positive impact on peoples' quality of life so I'm delighted by these latest results. I'd like to thank all those residents, businesses and visitors to Lambeth who help us to keep the streets clean - if we all work together we can make Lambeth a brighter and cleaner borough. Labour has made some major improvements to our services over the past year, investing in the latest technology, improving the training we give to staff, and ensuring resources are targeted most effectively in the streets and neighbourhoods that need them most, and these improvements are now paying off."

"These are the best results Lambeth has achieved but we know how important clean streets are to our residents so there's no room for complacency and we'll be working hard to ensure these improvements are sustained and improved on next year."

2XL programme launched in Larkhall ward

An award winning project which offers young people an alternative to gang life is to be rolled out across Lambeth over the next two years.

The 2 XL programme, the follow on programme to the X-it project, was launched at the Pyramid Youth and Community Centre, Willington Road in Larkhall ward in June. It forms part of Labour's receord £2 million investment in youth services. Youth centres will soon be open seven days a week, and additional support has been given to parents through the Parentline phone line for parents concerned that their children are in trouble.

2 XL is part of Lambeth Council's Young and Safe action plan, introduced by Lambeth Labour, which ensures vulnerable young people and those involved in the criminal justice system are able to access effective support. Since the introduction of Young & Safe, violent crime has been significantly reduced in Lambeth over the past two years. Lambeth council is one of the first local authorities in the country to have a dedicated action plan tackling the issue.

Lambeth Council's original X-it programme, which was one of the first dedicated gang exit programmes to be piloted by a London council, scooped the prestigious Children's Services Award in the Guardian newspaper's Public Services Award contest in 2007. The award followed an evaluation of the programme that showed 72 percent of participants (18 out of 25 young people) had desisted from offending during their involvement in the programme.

Cllr Pete Robbins said: "Only a minority of young people in Larkhall ward get involved in crime but when they do we need to take action. In many cases it's a lack of alternatives that leads some young people into a lifestyle that can put them on the wrong path - which is why it has been vital for our gang exit project to work."

He added: "We've cut the number of young people getting into trouble with the police by almost a third over the past two years in Lambeth, and tackling youth crime remains a top issue for the council - we owe it to the young people themselves and to society as a whole."

The innovative 2 XL programme will use intensive support through group work sessions, residential courses and leadership programmes to develop self awareness and empowerment amongst young people to help them make positive choices. It is based on the original X-it pilot project, which has helped to develop close working links with a number of agencies including the police, community safety teams, tenant associations, youth workers and young people themselves.

2 XL will be introduced at youth centres and other locations across north, southeast and southwest Lambeth over the next two years. A minimum of 120 young people will be recruited every year to each of the three areas to work as either youth or peer mentors. Mentors will receive full training and could go on to study a degree in youth work at University.

Successful opening of new Rhodesia Road play area and sports court - Saturday 27th June 2009

The brand new playground and ball court on Rhodesia Road in Stockwell - which residents and Larkhall councillors have been campaigning for over a period of several years - was officially opened by the Mayor of Lambeth, Councillor Christopher Wellbelove, on Saturday 27 June 2009.

As he cut a special cake and declared the new recreation area open, Mayor Wellbelove said: "Today we have evidence that with perseverance and hard work you can achieve something you can all be proud of.”

The recreation area had originally been earmarked for housing by local housing association Hyde Southbank Homes, but local residents, led by Joyce Hopper, Chair of the Grantham Residents’ Association, and helped by local Labour councillor Pete Robbins, campaigned to retain it as an open space families could use for recreation. HSH finally bowed to local pressure and stumped up more than £180,000 investment for the new ball park and playground.

Joyce Hopper said: "It’s been hard work, but we stuck together and now the whole community will benefit. I’d like to thank past and present members of the Residents’ Association and the Rhodesia Road Action Group for their commitment to this project.”

Local business, Freemans (mail order), has donated £3,500 to the Residents’ Association which will be used for a climbing frame and picnic table, and Larkhall Labour councillors spent £2000 of their ward purse on providing a new community noticeboard.

Councillor Peter Robbins said: “It’s a fantastic resource for the whole community. I am delighted to have helped win the ufnind necessary to provide this brilliant play area and games area - it's great to see so many young kids using it already.”

The rest of the afternoon was enjoyed by residents and staff alike with a football match, children’s entertainers, face painting, stalls, children’s games with prizes and free ice-cream and goodie bags.

Special discount for local residents at Lock and Leave, Wandsworth Road

If you need more space at home or work, local storage company Lock and Leave is the place to go - becasue they are offering a special discount to readers of We Love Larkhall.

Located just off the Wandsworth Road, they have 700 storage rooms in 40 different sizes. You don’t have to pay VAT, there is no minimum stay and you can move in today.


Just print out this coupon and take it to Lock and Leave:

(Please note this is not an advertisement - just an offer for local residents)

Stockwell Neighbourhood Forum - Thursday 2nd July

Stockwell Neighbourhood Forum - an event hosted by the Stockwell Partnership and funded by Lambeth Council.

Date: Thursday 2nd July, from 7pm

Venue: Springfield Methodist Church, 200 Wandsworth Road, London, SW8 2JU

Main topic: Regeneration of Vauxhall/Nine Elms and how it affects Stockwell

Contribute Your Ideas and Views!

The Current London Plan identifies Vauxhall/Nine Elms as an Opportunity Area for creating new homes and employment. Along with Stockwell being identified as an area for regeneration in the same plan this will lead to many changes to our physical and social environment over the next 15-20 years. All of which will impact positively and negatively on existing communities and businesses.

Key developments include: -

Redevelopment of Nine Elms Market site
Development of tall buildings
New American Embassy
Potential for regeneration of public realm in Vauxhall/Nine Elms and Stockwell

The London Plan is current being reviewed by Mayor Boris Johnson. The Stockwell Neighbourhood Forum has an opportunity to contribute our views to this review and also feed into Lambeth’s new planning framework for our area.

8.30 pm: Exchange news and views and about Stockwell issues and events

9.00pm: Councillors’ question time when local Councillors from Larkhall and Stockwell answer any questions from the floor.

This is an open meeting and everyone is welcome, the venue is fully accessible.

Nearest station is Vauxhall, buses 77, 87, 196 and free refreshments will be provided.

www.stockwell.org.uk

'Understanding Hinduism' course offered by Clapham and Stockwell Faith Forum

The Clapham and Stockwell Faith Forum are offering a Six Week Summer Course in Understanding Hinduism with Priest Shymal Mukherjee

Following the success of CSFF's Understanding Islam and Understanding Christianity Courses, and due to popular request, this is an opportunity to learn about one of the world’s most ancient religions, the birthing-place of Buddhism, the tradition of the guru-and-disciple and the ‘eastern spirituality’ that influences so much of the modern mind.

Tuesdays, 7th July – 11th August, 7pm – 8.30pm

(Venue to be confirmed)

CSFF Board Member Dr Smarajit Roy recommends Mr Mukherjee’s ability to inspire a deeper understanding of Hinduism to people of different faiths. He is a renowned Hindu Priest who presents at Hindu religious festivals throughout the UK. During the last fifteen years he has performed many interfaith marriage ceremonies and so has a broad understanding of other religions and the place of Hinduism in a multi-faith society.

The cost per person for the whole six weeks is £12 – or £2 a session

Please email info@csff.co.uk or call 07958 353 652 to book a place.

'Young People Matter' summer activities: 27th July to 28th August

A message from Young People Matter about their Summer Camp 2009:

Dear all,

As the school term comes to an end for the summer holidays we would like to introduce you to our summer project for children (5-13 year olds) called Fun and Physical and our project for the youth called Summer Mayhem 2009. This project promises to even more enjoyable than last year and will run from Monday 27th July to Friday 28th August concluding with our annual community event.

We have various activities and trips planned for the children and young people to take part in during the summer including sports, arts and crafts, cooking, singing, acting and dance workshops, paint balling a trip to Thorpe Park and much more.

The project for the children will be based at Stockwell primary school which will also be the meeting point for the young people and all the on-site activities for the children will be held there. Spaces for both projects are very limited and places will be allocated on a first come first serve basis.

Registration for the project will be held on the 20th of July between 1pm-4pm at Stockwell Primary School.

During this time parents will be able to come and sign up their children on the programme and either pay for the duration of the entire project or pay in installments. There are also opportunities for some young people to work as volunteers with some of the younger children to gain experience. The young people will need to be 18 years and over if they wish to volunteer and will receive expenses for travel and food. This is a great opportunity for them to lrearn new skills and have something productive to put on their CV.

If you are interested in your child attending all or some of our summer projects or you know someone who may be interested let us know as soon as possible so we can assign a place for them. Application forms can be obtained from our office or sent out on request. If you have any enquiries please don’t hesitate to contact us.

We look forward to working with your child this summer.

Young People Matter

The Business! free training for BME women

Always wanted to be your own boss? Got a creative great idea you want to get off the ground that you think will earn you money? Need the inspiration, motivation and practical skills to take the first step? Then this programme is for you - it’s the Business!

The Business! is free for women aged 20+ who are economically inactive and are interested in setting up their own creative businesses or social enterprises. Training will be tailored to suit your own individual needs and you could get support with travel and childcare.

During the programme you’ll receive:

Ÿ One to one information advice and guidance sessions
Ÿ Individual Action Plan
Ÿ 6 weeks personal development and wealth creation training
Ÿ Employment support including work experience opportunities
Ÿ Business start up support
Ÿ Business networking
Ÿ Mentoring

Women from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds living in Wandsworth, Lambeth, Merton and Sutton are eligible.

The Business! has start dates in April, July, October and January. To find out more and book an interview contact: Lorraine on 020 7720 7879 or email mailto:lucy@ukurbanvoice.com

Mayor of Lambeth Officially Opens Larkhall Childrens Centre

Mayor of Lambeth Cllr Christopher Wellbelove attended the official opening of Larkhall Childrens Centre recently, accompanied by Larkhall ward councillor Tina Valcarcel.

Sure Start Children’s Centres have transformed the services on offer for children and families in our area. Before the Labour government was elected there were no Children’s Centres but there are now 27 across Lambeth offering free childcare for three and four year olds.

Labour councillor Tina Valcarcel said: "Parents in Stockwell and North Clapham regularly tell me how much they value their local Sure Start centre and the real help they offer with childcare, healthcare and other services for their children. This new building will be a fantastic resource for them. I want to thank all the Sure Start staff and volunteers who have helped to make the centre such a success.

She continued: “Unfortunately the Tories are planning to cut the Sure Start budget by £200 million per year. This is the equivalent of one in five Children’s Centres – 6 of the 27 centres in our area – having to close their doors, just at the time when local families need them most.”

Changes to the one-way system in Pensbury Place and Pensbury Street

CHANGES TO THE ONE-WAY SYSTEM IN PENSBURY PLACE AND PENSBURY STREET

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth on 11th June 2009, made the Lambeth (Prescribed Route) (No. 4) Traffic Order 2009 under sections 6 and 124 of and Part IV of Schedule 9 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The Order will come into force on 25th June 2009.

2. The general effect of the Order will be to reverse the direction of the existing one-way system in Pensbury Place, Pensbury Street and the unnamed road linking Pensbury Place with Pensbury Street.

3. The changes to the one-way system are intended to improve road safety at the junction of Pensbury Street and Wandsworth Road by reducing vehicular conflict between buses standing in Wandsworth Road and vehicles emerging from Pensbury Street.

4. If you have any enquiries about this matter, please contact Lambeth Borough Council's Transport and Highways Group on 020 7926 2233.

15th June 2009

Tim Jackson
Assistant Director – Street Management

New street dance classes for young people in Stockwell

The Sports Action Zone have just set up two new STREET DANCE classes at Stockwell YMCA, 40 Stockwell Road on Friday evenings.

Boys and girls 8 -12 years: Fridays 5 -6pm

Girls only 13+ : Fridays 6 -7pm

They are free and there is no need to book - you can just turn up!

Stockwell Park High School - first phase of new building complete

Members of the community, local Labour councillors and the parents and families of pupils recently celebrated the completion of the first phase of the rebuilding of Stockwell Park High School. The new building was made possible thanks to the Labour run council and with funding from the Labour government's Building Schools for the Future programme.

The building, which cost £28 million, was the first BSF building to receive an excellent rating by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment.

Stockwell Park High School was recently rated as an ‘outstanding’ school by Ofsted and is also a specialist Business and Enterprise College and Training School.

More details here:
http://www.24dash.com/news/Local_Government/2009-05-06-Lambeth-Council-celebrates-major-milestone-in-the-rebuilding-of-Stockwell-Park-High-School

Larkhall Ward Safer Neighbourhoods Panel meeting - Wednesday 17th June 2009

The next meeting of the Larkhall Ward Safer Neighbourhoods Panel will take place on Wednesday 17th June at 7pm in St Johns Church, Clapham Road SW4.

The Safer Neighbourhoods Panel, which consists of local Larkhall resident representatives, meets every three months to discuss local policing issues and to decide what priorities the local Safer Neighbourhoods Police Team are to follow for the next quarter of the year.

The Chair of the Panel, Toby Riley-Smith, is very keen to involve as many local people as possible, and is encouraging new residents to attend.

The Larkhall Safer Neighbourhoods Police Team are all based at the Clapham Police Station in Union Grove and spend all of their time tackling issues in Larkhall ward. The officer in charge of the Team is Sergeant Graham Williamson.

The Team is a permanent fixture in Larkhall, not a 'quick fix' brought in to respond to local changes in crime and disorder. They have been working in Larkhall ward since 2006. The Team’s priorities are decided by the ward’s Safer Neighbourhoods Panel, who put forward their three top local priorities for local officers to tackle.

The picture above shows the Larkhall councillors on an estate walkabout with PCSO's from the Larkhall Safer Neighbourhoods Team.

Labour Wins Rent Cut For Lambeth tenants

Good news for Larkhall council housing tenants - it has been confirmed that council rents in Lambeth will be reduced by 3.1%,backdated from the beginning of April 2009. The Government has agreed to change the rules so the council will benefit from a national subsidy scheme that the council was originally excluded from. This good news follows months of intensive lobbying by Lambeth Labour councillors and the three Labour MPs for Lambeth - Kate Hoey, Keith Hill and Tessa Jowell.

Council leader Cllr Steve Reed went to see Housing Minister Margaret Beckett a few weeks ago. He explained that Lambeth’s rents had just gone up 17% to balance the books after the Lib Dems left a monstrous financial legacy with management costs 50% above the London average, £3m lost in fraud, an £8m overspend and £11m Government subsidy that they failed to claim. This would have been more than enough to cancel out the entire rent increase.

Labour has reined in the Lib Dem overspends and cut costs down to the London average, but the Lib Dems’ financial black hole was so enormous it has still resulted in this huge rent rise just to balance the books, costing the average tenant an extra £12 a week.

Cllr Reed asked the Minister why Lambeth’s tenants should be left to pay the price for Lib Dem failure. She agreed to step in and help. As a result, £2.12 a week will be shaved off the rents, but this is only the start. The rent rise is still higher than we want to see, so we will continue to push hard alongside tenants for more action to reduce rents further.

Council rents in Lambeth will go down by 3.1% thanks to successful Labour lobbying - but there's still more to go!

Fatal stabbing in Larkhall Park - local councillor statement

A murder inquiry has begun after a fifteen year old boy was killed and another teenager was injured in a stabbing in Larkhall park, Lambeth.

One of the boys was already dead by the time emergency crews arrived at Larkhall Park, in Lambeth, at about 8.30pm on Monday evening. The second victim is currently being treated in hospital, where his condition is described as stable.

Four men were arrested in connection with the attack, which appears to have been between rival gangs and involved dogs.

Local residents have told officers they had heard what sounded like a fight in the park at about the time of the stabbings.

Most of Larkhall Park has been sealed off following the incident, and a 100-metre stretch of Wandsworth Road was closed to traffic.

Larkhall ward Councillor Pete Robbins said: "We are appalled and saddened to learn of this terrible incident, in which a 15 year old boy has been killed, and another young boy seriously injured. As Labour councillors we work very closely with the local police team to make Stockwell and North Clapham a safe place to live, which makes this all the more shocking for local people. The vast majority of young people in my ward are hard working and stay clear of trouble, and it is important that they are kept safe and not associated with this mindless violence. We would ask anyone who knows anything about this incident to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

If you would like to get in touch with Cllr Robbins you can contact him at probbins@lambeth.gov.uk

Budding Lambeth sports stars wanted for the London Youth Games

Budding sports stars of the future are being called on to represent Lambeth in this year's London Youth Games and follow in the footsteps of basketball superstar Luol Deng.

Lambeth Council is calling on sporting young people aged 7-17 to help bolster Lambeth's team for the annual competition – the largest sporting youth event in Europe.

The Youth Games sees London boroughs competing against each other to be crowned overall champions of London in 30 sports from angling and archery to football and weightlifting. As the excitement grows in the build up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, competitions such as the London Youth Games give local young people the chance to showcase their talent.

Lambeth wants to be able to field the strongest team possible so is looking for young people who play sport competitively and think they may be good enough to represent their borough to come forward.

Luol Deng, who now plays for the NBA team Chicago Bulls, is a former London Youth Games competitor for Lambeth, and hopes to be a part of the London 2012 Games himself.

He said: "The London Youth Games were a highlight of my summers growing up in London. The Games were an important part of my development as a basketball player and I truly loved competing against friends from other boroughs."

Cllr Pete Robbins said: "The Youth Games have provided tremendous competition experience for a whole host of sporting stars who have gone on to achieve great things in their chosen field, and it's also great fun to be part of the team. We have some extremely talented young people in Lambeth so I hope as many as possible come forward to make this year’s Team Lambeth the strongest yet. Here in Lambeth we are determined to give young people the chance to participate and excel in sport, and to engage in the unique experiences the 2012 Games being hosted in London will offer."

To be considered, download and fill out an expression of interest form, and send to:

London Youth Games 2009

Sports and Recreation Unit

4th Floor Blue Star House

234-244 Stockwell Road

London SW9 9SP

Or telephone Natalie Kavanagh-Clarke 0207-926-0338 or email londonyouthgames@lambeth.gov.uk.

Events are divided into two categories:

The Main Games are made up of 28 sports. The finals will take place on 4-5 July 2009

The Mini Games consist of eight sports designed especially for 9 - 11 year olds. The Mini Games will take place on 2 July 2009.

Easter activities for Lambeth young people

An amazing range of holiday activities guaranteed to stomp out boredom during the Easter break are on offer in Lambeth Council's holiday programme for young people. Everything from Easter egg hunts, family fayres, community fun days and sporting activities can be found in the easy to use programme which will be constantly updated online leading up to the holiday.

Highlights include:

the return of the annual Clapham Common Easter Family Fayre which dates back 200 years and runs from 1pm to 9.45pm on Friday, April 3th to Monday, April 13th

the Ruskin Park Easter Egg Hunt, a fun, free community event for children, on Sunday, April 5th

The Rookery Easter Egg Hunt in Streatham Common from 2pm to 4pm, on Monday, April 13th

and a Community Sports Fun Day at Knights Hill MUGA, Norwood, on Saturday, April 18th

Councillor Tina Valcarcel said: "There's an amazing range of activities on offer to young people throughout the Easter holiday period. Whatever your interests there's something in there for everyone from traditional Easter pursuits to free sports activities and tuition."

For full details of all Easter holiday listings visit http://www.younglambeth.org/, alternatively contact the Families' Information Service on 0845 601 5317