John D Wood & Co      Presents

SUMMER IN THE SQUARE

Will be back on Saturday 12th May and promises to be the biggest and the best yet! And the Friends of Battersea Square are delighted to announce that John D Wood & Co. has just agreed to become the sponsor for Summer in the Square, and for our annual Carols in the Square event.

The fun will begin at 11am with a surprise celebrity getting things going from the live sound stage in the Square. This year we’re hoping for up to two thousand visitors – but if the weather is good, then who knows? There will be a hundred stalls run by Battersea traders, offering everything from home-baked bread to organic beauty products – and a farmers’ market. Local organisations and charities will have their own stalls introducing themselves to local people. North of the square St Mary’s Church will be putting on guided tours and an organ recital. The rest of attractions and stalls will extend from the Square along Battersea High Street, involving the Castle and Woodman Pubs and Le QuecumBar.

Family fun…
One of this year’s big attractions will be an enormous PlayZone for children and families, with giant games such as jenga and chess, a rooftop playground, a pets’ corner, a go-kart circuit, face-painting, crafts and badge-making, a magician, an enclosed play area for the under 4s, a bouncy castle and loads of other fun and games.

Much of the entertainment is absolutely free as is entry to the event! There will be a guided walk along the Battersea Heritage Trail and budding fire-fighters can meet our local watch of the London Fire Brigade.

And by popular demand the Donkeys are back. A great treat for city children: £3 for one ride, £5 for two.

Dog Show…
There’ll be lots of competitions too, with the proceeds going to help our local charities, the Katherine Low Settlement and the Battersea Summer Scheme.

There’ll be an even bigger and better Dog Show in the school car park. You can download an entryan entry form, which can be printed out and brought along on the day (and don’t forget your dog!). Your entrance fee will be collected at that time. Please don’t send forms and money to us.

Wine and dine…
It’ll be hard to make your mind up with so much choice on offer. Ice cream, candyfloss, cocktails – you name it, we have it! Sam brooks Brewery will provide locally brewed beers, and the bars and restaurants in the Square will be offering special summery menus. Or you can take a break in The Big Café, run by Thomas’s School pupils.

Capoeira: the Brazilian martial art that combines dance and

Applying for housing and transfers

Room to Move scheme – financial and other reasons to move to a smaller property

The purpose of the Room to Move scheme is to offer Wandsworth Council tenants who are under-occupying (i.e. who have at least one spare bedroom) the opportunity to transfer to smaller accommodation more suited to their needs. The bedroom size will be agreed when an application is accepted.

The Room to Move Scheme may also offer tenants who transfer to a smaller home a range of flexible assistance, such as financial incentives and other assistance.

For further information, please contact the rehousing section.

• Telephone (020) 8871 6809

• Email: roomtomove@wandsworth.gov.uk.

• Visit the website: www.wandsworth.gov.uk/roomtomove The flexible options Room to Move Scheme is designed to help under-occupying tenants downsize to a smaller home.

Are you an under-occupier living in a home that has more bedroomsthan you need? Or do you want help moving to a smaller home thatis easier to maintain? If so, then the Room to Move Scheme can help. It has all sorts of incentives to help you downsize; for example wemay offer: up to £1,500.

• A spare bedroom for relatives who visit regularly• Removal costs and practical help to move

• Cash incentives of at least £1,500 for each bedroom you give up

• We give under-occupiers first choice of new homes on

developments that we sometimes get

• Split lettings, we may re-house you and an adult child separately

• Or any other reasonable request will be considered.

Who is eligible?

• Wandsworth Council tenants

• You must be living in a property with one or more bedrooms and

want to move into either general needs or sheltered

accommodation

• Tenants with rent arrears will be considered but the arrears

cannot exceed your incentive payment

What are the benefits to you

• You will be prioritised for a move to an area of your choice

• You will get £1,500 for each bedroom you give up

• You will get help with removal costs if you use the councils approved removal company

• Your heating and gas charges may be greatly reduced if you move into a smaller home

• Your rent will be lower

How to apply

Please contact your under-occupation officer for an application form or you can arrange for a home visit to discuss the scheme further.

Terms and conditions will apply.

To do this:

• Fill in the form on the from the website  it’s freepost.

• Telephone (020) 8871 6809

• Email: roomtomove@wandsworth.gov.uk.

• Visit the website: www.wandsworth.gov.uk/roomtomove

I just come across this and want to share it with the Kambala mums.

Come and visit  Workingmums.co.uk LIVE, a unique career fair for working parents on March 27th 20121 9am-4pm.

Held at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, Workingmums.co.uk LIVE is a FREE event which will allow you to:

• Meet with family friendly employers
• Find flexible job opportunities
• Get advice on starting a business or franchise
• Brush up your CV and interview technique
• Speak to experts about retraining
• Find out about employment rights and childcare options

There are also a range of seminars running throughout the day, offering insights from experts on returning to work, how to work flexibly, your employment rights, and how to set up your own business or franchise.

To register for your free place visit WorkingmumsLive.co.uk/london.

Hope that will be of interest to some of you !

Sandra

As you may know, one of the proposed site for the new super sewer is the area just between York Gardens Library and One o’clock Club.  I still don’t understand why they are considering to do it in an area vastly used by children and so close to a hugely populated area.

However last week, at a council meeting, Wandsworth Town Hall decided to drop his support for the super sewer shaft in York Gardens and it is good news for our residents that the council finally recognise that this site was not suitable.

The plan, if voted, would mean that for the next three years , a huge level of disruption will geopardise the success of York Gardens library  and will also mean that lot of trucks will be going back and forth around our estate. A massive crane will be put on a nine-metre-wide sewer shaft.

The consultation on the Super Sewer is still open – please have your say today to protect York Gardens.

There has been few residents that have littered our beautiful Estate with their unwanted household items. I want to put to your attention a new Wandsworth service to collect, repair and reuse your household items by helping others and saving the environment

Here is the link to find out more: http://wandsworth.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=beb2d2c7f730d750fd4ef0a70&id=0ba4fe9b15&e=0c836bb15c

Alternatively, if you have some unwanted space saving furniture like shelves or sofa bed, you can also contact Hadas or Clara from Spacemax that help families living in overcrowded condition. Info in www.spacemax.org.uk

Sandra

Please find below an incredible opportunity for young people in Wandsworth.

The Integrated Youth Support Service has set up a Think Tank to look at the issues that young people have with the Police in Wandsworth. This group is a great chance for young people to do something positive in the community, have their say, get an ASDAN accreditation and meet new people! If they attend three meetings, they will have the opportunity to go power boating, visit and train with a Police dogs unit and experience riot Police training!
There will be free food and refreshments

The details:

• ·          Day: Tuesday 24 January
• ·          Time: 5.30pm – 7.30pm
  ·          Location: Training and Resource Centre, Alma Road. SW18 1AQ

If you are interested, please contact Caryl Davies at: CDavies2@wandsworth.gov.uk

Women of wandsworth are moving their successful coffee morning to Kambala Clubroom from 11 AM to 1 PM every Friday starting from the 13th of January.
Every parents in Wandsworth and Battersea are welcome to attend and benefit from friendly chat, advice and support.
Women of Wandsworth will also provide there a monthly work club with partners like the Jo White from the Job Centre and Ben from Groundwork (Wandsworth voluntary Sector Agency) to help families back into work.

If you are a parent living in the area, feel isolated, would like to socialise with other parents, get information and advice about what’s going on in our borough or participate to some of WOW activities, please do come… It is free and informal and you could end up with new friends, as well as ideas to improve the life of your family and your children in the borough.

Sandra

Join the debate about Wandsworth’s housing crisis and have you say in Wandsworth new housing reform. It is important to make your voice heard especially as the changes will affect some of our families. Don’t let them chose for you by beeing silent. Fill the form now.

http://wordpress.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cfa6aee6c5109661499f76a0b&id=187670b0ef&e=3614d9bc0d

Update:  It looks like the survey has now closed.  For details of other issues you can have your say on, register at http://www.wandsworthmatters.co.uk

…and if you haven’t already found it,  Streetlife is a great website for finding out about what’s going on in your area, not just politically, but socially too.