Minutes:
Action for Hearing Loss
AHL has 6 drop in venues around the borough including Sydenham Library, providing support for people in the community with hearing loss. This includes help with hearing aids, information, good communications practice, understanding tinnitus. Using two volunteers they have provided 45 drop in sessions from November 2015 – August 2016. The grant from Sydenham Assembly supported 2 drop in sessions at Sydenham Library. It is the busiest drop in of the borough. They work with care homes an have trained 3 volunteers, volunteer recruitment is on-going. It is much valued by the users, saving them long bus journeys to see a specialist. It is hoped to extend the service beyond March 2017.
TNG Film club – Deniz Amoah
This is an intergenerational film project where films likely to be of interest to older people are shown at the TNG youth centre.
The TNG centre is a youth centre frequented by young people from the local area. The film group on Friday day time is the main activity which invites older people to use the centre. Due to the young people’s schedules, they do not have the opportunity to spend time with the members of the older people’s film group as they are normally at school or college. The film club aims to get older and young people involved together in putting on a programme of films based in TNG.
Q: do you have a mailing list?
A: we use community connections
Q: what is the room capacity
A: 30 but we can hold up to 50 if seating arranged differently
Q: are you showing any Black History films?
A: we may do so next year
Q: What aged group is the club aimed at
A: older people
Sydenham Arts – Isabel White
Cllr Onikosi mentioned the meal that Isabel White had shared with the winner of the childrens poetry prize and the positive impact it had on the young person who met Isabel.
Isabel invited other groups present e.g. TNG and the Black History Month festival, to make contact with Sydenham Arts for help in promoting their activities.
Sydenham arts runs an all-year-round programme. Last year, Sydenham Assembly supported them in making Sydenham a “poetry town”. Activitries included poetry in shops, at Sydenham school for Girls, Story time at the library using illustrated poems, a community poem and competition for children. The aim was to make poetry a daily part of our lives in Sydenham. The project has had an impact – Kirkdale bookshop now say poetry is their biggest selling genre. The November High St. Happenings will include poetry and Chinese classical music (NB this was subsequently rearranged). Sydenham Arts are happy to link up with other arts events.
Q: as part of Sydenham Wells Park Improvement – would it be possible to have poetry in the park?
A: yes – please get in touch!
Ilse Towler – Friends of Sydenham Library
Ilse reported on the Crafts programme which had been run using Assembly grant on Thursdays from March 2016 onwards. They were fortunate to have a great tutor and are expecting to be able to continue the classes until the end of November 2016. All materials are provided and the class is free which makes it accessible to low income groups.
Alison also spoke about Under 5’s Rhyme Time for 0 – 4 years. She has learnt BSL to vary the programme. Also parents and carers who attend teach the children songs from their own culture or background e.g. Nigerian. Future plans including possibly starting a choir. They have applied to Bellingham Assembly for further funding, and hope to continue the session in 2016/17.
Annabel spoke about the library café refurbishment. There has been electrical work, a dishwasher and water heater provided in the café. The lack of proper washing facilities and inadequate electrical wiring restricted the use of PC’s. Locally based craftsmen were used, keeping the project and wealth creation in the community. The café is now able to serve a better range of food.
Cllr Best – SEE 3
SEE 3 received funding from Mayor of London in addition to Sydenham Assembly. In 2016 they continued running the High St Happenings programme including Easter Bunnies, Sydenham Smiles in summer, Samba performance, Halloween and Christmas with the tree and light-up, and the Xmas calendar delivered door to door in Sydenham Ward. Cllr Best outlined the Halloween events that had been planned including the Halloween Trail with judging best Halloween constume in Sydenham Centre.