Karate & Clean Up

Watch out on Saturday – Patrick Andrews is going to take a taster workshop in his style of Karate that builds fitness, concentration, focus  and power. It starts at 6.30pm, so get there a bit beforehand, wearing loose clothes that are easy to move in. Sign up on the noticeboard outside The Hut, and come prepared for an inspiring session.

 

Clean Up

The plants and pots around the estate are looking pretty sorry for themselves, and are in need of a good dose of TLC. Gardening Coordinator, Sarah and volunteers are going to run a Clean Up and Spruce Up session -  Wednesday 29th May, from around 5.30pm.  Come and help, smarten up the plants, say where you think other planters should go. Tea and biscuits, and all ages welcome.

Lisa, Sarah (middle), Glenda, at the veg beds

 

Who Agrees ?

We had a shock the other day.

On Tuesday, the area in front of Dunmore Point and The Hut looked like this…

On Wednesday, it looked like this…

Gone – without explanation – was one strong leafy tree.

People who happened upon the tree surgeons were told they had noticed that the tree had a split in its trunk. So they thought they ought to chop it down as well as another that had got diseased.  Maybe so, but why can’t we be told when work on trees, or work on other elements on the estate, is planned? There is something depressing about the sense that people can walk into your living space – however great the need – and do what whatever they want, with no warning or explanation or the formality alone of agreement.

No-one is against good maintenance. But doesn’t mean you can’t have good communication.

What’s the lesson from this?

Agreement

Over the next few weeks, we are going to take the Neighbourhood Agreement further forward. The Agreement seeks to establish a contract with the Council over what they agree to do, and what we on our side undertake to do. It establishes the right of local people to  dialogue with the Council, and it increases the influence that we can have on the way the estate is run. At present, it is a draft document, and everyone needs to read its clauses and say if they agree or not.

In the section, ‘Community Safety and Communication’ of our Neighbourhood Agreement, it pledges: “the Council and social landlords will provide up-to-date information on up and coming changes to the estate, and progress of exsting and/or new works”.

Growing democracy doesn’t mean taking down trees.

Not without agreement.

Or Agreement.

R.I.P.

Talk for a Change

There are big things coming our way -

First of all, this Saturday -

Councillor John Pierce is doing his regular surgery in The Hut – a chance for you to go and talk to him about local problems. He’ll be there from 11am till 1pm.

How to Master the Estate

On the same day – from 10am – you can get a look at the proposals from three organisations wanting the job of doing a Master Plan for our estate.

So what -and why – is a  Master Plan?

It’s an in-depth, imaginative and practical plan of how the estate as a whole can function better – how it can look better, feel safer, work better. A good Master Plan is an inspiration and makes you see possibilities  in a new way.

It sounds like fine words, but three of our committee had the chance of a guided tour last week around a number of Islington estates. We looked at pictures of what the places had looked like before – acres of concrete, scruffed-up muddy grass that dogs liked but nobody much else did, and blocks that could have featured in old-fashioned films of penal institutions. Then came Master Plans, and lo and behold… what do we have? Spaces with landscaped grass, busy playing areas, plants, a general of pleasantness and community use.

We have raised the money to commission our own Master Plan. Three firms have applied to do it, and we need to chose just one.

Look in The Hut on Saturday from 10am till lunchtime, and you can see their applications and leave your comments. We are interviewing people on Tuesday.

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Karate Kids

Thirteen kids have signed up for the Karate Taster Class almost as soon as the notice went up. It’s going to be run by Patrick Andrews, who takes classes at Hollybush and Teesdale Estate. This class is a free try-out class to see how you like it. If there’s a demand, we’ll see  about a regular ongoing one, though there’ll have to be some charge for that.

The sign-up sheet is outside The Hut, and the class is on Saturday 25th May, at 6.30 – 7.30pm.

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Drop-In on Thursday 23rd May, 2 – 3pm

All three social landlords have agreed to a trial drop-session once a month so that tenants and leaseholders can come and talk to them directly about their issues. For the first three months, they tried out a morning schedule. Now, for May, June and July, they will be there between 2 and 3pm so that people can go and talk to them before collecting from school. Is that a better time for you?

This is an opportunity to get in touch with our housing officers  – Danielle, Angela and Rupert – on the ground, and we need to show that the service is needed.  It could be a case of: Use It or Lose It….

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PARTY TIME

Keep the date – our Summer Party…

Sunday June 30th 2 – 5pm

…..More nearer the date….

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PS  And lastly — it looks as if we have managed to locate another ping-pong table to replace the one that walked in the night.

Think Summer! Start Now….

Ignore the chill. Forget about the sleet.  Think about warm days, and a future without coats or umbrellas…

 

 

 

 

 

Think playgrounds, and open air…

 

 

 

 

 

This Sunday is the time to look ahead and to start planning for a summer when we intend to have an expanded playground, and the beginning of the creation of a neighbourhood green.  Come and look at the ideas that Playlink will have on display and talk to Bernard and Sioned about them.

There’ll be tea, juice, a raffle and facepainting. Bring snacks to share, and bring your ideas too.

This Sunday  24th – 2 till 5pm, despite the weather!

Thinking ‘Summer’…!

It might look like winter outside, but turn your mind (hard though it might be, right now)  to  summer….

We are starting planning for an expanded playground and garden and to have it up and running by the summer holidays.

Come and find out how that’s going to happen on Sunday March 24th, between 2 and 5pm, in and around The Hut.

If you have ideas about it, you can post them through the new letterbox in the door of The Hut. But there’ll be copies of suggested plans for you to look at on the 24th. Working with PATH, we have asked Playlink to take charge of the work, and Bernard and Sioned from Playlink will be around on the 24th to hear what you think of their ideas.

There’ll be face-painting and games,

…and a raffle for  a £25Tesco voucher and a super 60-piece toy train set,

….and snacks and cups of tea.

Bring food to share. Bring your ideas of what would make the estate feel a better place to live.

THINK SUMMER !!

 

 

Out from the Hut

Regulars at the Wednesday play sessions organised by PATH, had a special treat at half term.

They all went off- with friends, PATH play leaders and some parents – on an adventure…

It was dark and echoey in the tunnel, and it made its way all the way from the Isle of Dogs to Greenwich, and they walked (or ran) all the way.

The group were on a special outing from The Hut, starting off on the Overground and then walking through the tunnel under the Thames. When they got to Greenwich, they boarded the  Cutty Sark (bult in 1869) and inspected the decks and the accommodation for the sailors of the time. It was clear they were much smaller then, because some of the children would have found their berths rather small.

Then it was back on another more modern boat – today’s regular Thames transport…

… cheerful on the top deck, even though it was rather cold. Back at the Tower of London, hot chocolate warmed everyone up before it was time to go back home to Shoreditch.

You can see more pictures via the PATH site – http://www.keepplaying.org/index.php

Thanks a lot, PATH, for a great day out!

 

Does 1 + 1 + 1 = 1 ?

There’s a totally new get-together this Thursday, and not just because it is Valentine’s Day…

For a long time, we’ve been feeling that having three social landlors operating this estate is a bit of a problem – three different days for inspections, three different ways of doing things, no joined-up connections, and so on.

This Thursday is the start of a new six-month experiment. ALL THREE community/neighbourhood officers will do their rounds here at the same time. After that, they will have a drop-in session for anyone who wants to come and talk to them in The Hut, plus a cup of tea.

Whatever your status – tenant, resident, freeholder – make use of this new set-up. Come and say hello to Rupert Stevens (THH), Angela Evans (L & Q) and Danielle Josephs (THCH) and bring any ideas of how we can work together better to improve the place we live.

We’ve Bin and Got It

It might not look like much – just a small object to the left of the Hut…..

….but it is worth more than a small cheer.

People have asking for bins for a long time. It’s no good asking people – especially children – not to drop litter if there’s nowhere to put it.

Make the bin feel at home – use it!

 

New Year …… New News

Amazing news for us all, at the start of the new year…

All our surveys to date have recorded that people really wanted to have more green space and better facilities in particular for children on the estate.

And the scheme we drew up – together with Play Association Tower Hamlets (PATH) – has won a grant of…..

£22,250 !

The money comes from the Marathon Trust, and will enable us to take the railings from one side of the Hut down so that the little grassy hill next to it becomes part of a bigger play and seating area, and then to put some more equipment in for children’s play. Tower Hamlets Homes will mesh in the area so that dogs (or rather, dog owners) don’t leave dog mess any longer.

We will start planning all this out in February, with a steering group that includes people from our association, PATH and Tower Hamlets Homes. There will be many chances for people to join in and shape what takes place. But we aim for it all to be ready for play by the summer.

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Chat @ the Hut

 

Check out the Hut, every Thursday in December. From 5 till 7pm there is an open invitation to anyone to just drop by, spend a bit of time, meet neighbours that you know (or even ones that you don’t know). Keep warm in cold days with cake, tea and chat.

It’s all open-ended, and depends on whatever people bring to it. Maybe board games and certainly something for kids to do. Come and maybe learn how to knit?  Find out the outcomes of the recent Energy Workshop? It’s for the community and what community-members want it to be….

Chat, at the Hut. this Thursday, and onwards, from 5pm till 7pm.