Your independent community newspaper …...genuine questions on Islam and its message, no matter how...

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February 2016No. 11, FreeWALTHAM

FOREST ECHO

Your independent community newspaper

www.walthamforestecho.co.ukfacebook.com/WalthamForestEchoT: @WFEchoE: [email protected]

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ommunity leaders have called for unity after figures showed a shock rise in Islamophobia

across Waltham Forest. Data from the Metropolitan Police revealed that the number of local hate crimes against Muslims had quadrupled in one year. In the period between Novem-ber 2014 and November 2015, there were 37 Islamophobic crimes committed in Waltham Forest, compared to nine in the same period of 2013 –14. Waltham Forest also experi-enced more hate crimes against Muslims during this time than

any of its neighbouring boroughs. The number of such incidents has grown more sharply in this borough than across London as a whole, where recorded crimes against Muslims rose from 499 to 818 in the same 12-month period.The Met Police defines Islam-ophobic crime as “any crime perceived to be Islamophobic by the victim or other person”. Irfan Akhtar, a spokesper-son for the Waltham Forest Council of Mosques and the assistant secretary at Waltham Forest Islamic Association in Lea Bridge Road, told the Echo greater dialogue was required

to help combat Islamophobia. He said: “The increase in Is-lamophobia is a worrying trend, and one we must all work to reverse, like any other discrim-ination. “In Waltham Forest we enjoy a diverse and generally positive harmony, despite the numbers from the Met Police. “We encourage anyone having genuine questions on Islam and its message, no matter how con-troversial, to approach us for an honest and open discussion. “We firmly believe dialogue is the way to achieve true under-standing and harmony.”

Irfan also suggested the figures may result in part from people who live outside the borough coming to the area to cause trouble. Reverend Steven Saxby, vicar of St Barnabas Church in Waltham-stow and a leader of many in-terfaith initiatives in Waltham Forest, is also concerned. He said: “It is very disturbing to see figures showing such a rise in Islamopho-bic attacks. “It reinforces the need for all sections of the community to engage in deeper understanding and appreciation of each other.” Waltham Forest has the third highest Muslim population in London. A 2013 survey of local residents, conducted as part of research into the most diverse communities in Europe, found that 74 percent of Muslim and 65 percent of non-Muslim re-spondents felt that people in the area got on well together. A Met Police spokesperson told the Echo: “We believe the in-crease in Islamophobic hate crime is due to a range of factors. This includes a growing willingness of victims to report hate crime, an improved awareness of staff in identifying these offences; and work with partners to support victims. World events can also contribute to a rise in hate crime. “We are acutely aware that all areas of hate crime are still under-reported and we are en-couraged that more people feel confident to report racial and re-ligious hate crimes, regardless if this is direct to police or via a third party or online.”

The Met Police stressed that it employs more than 900 special-ist officers across London dedi-cated to investigating hate crime.

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Appeal for unity after rise in hate crime by Russell Hargrave

Irfan Akhtar, assistant secretary at Waltham Forest Islamic Association, outside the mosque in Lea Bridge Road

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The creation of London’s largest wetland nature reserve is making progress

A climate change campaigner discusses the future beyond the Paris Agreement

A youth worker highlights some of the projects led by Village Youth Club

Looking ahead to this year’s Leytonstone Arts Trail

The biggest killer in Waltham Forest, and how can you help stop it

See a selectionof our properties

inside! p. 7–8 and 15–16

Concern as data shows fourfold increase in Islamophobic crime

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In Waltham Forest we enjoy positive harmony, despite these numbers from the police

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If you have any information on a hate crime in Waltham Forest:

In an emergency call 999In a non-emergency call 101Visit online.met.police.uk

You can also contact the charity Crimestoppers anonymously:

Call 0800 555 111Visit crimestoppers-uk.org

2 No. 11 FEBRUARY 2016 WALTHAM FOREST ECHO

FEBRUARY 2016 – No. 11

The Waltham Forest Echo is an independent community newspaper for everyone living and working in the borough. We publish monthly and distribute 20,000 free copies of each issue to libraries, community centres, cafes, pubs, and other places around Waltham Forest.

PublisherDavid Floyd

EditorJames Cracknell

Project and Research Manager Amy Croome

Art DirectionJonathan Duncan

Business ManagerDexter Coles

ContributorsRussell HargraveChloe Brunton-DunnMatt LovellRoz CollierSue WheatSonita TurnerKatie RobinsonJon StoneAbigail ParryMonwara AliMark ScottEleanor BedlowDebra OakabyPhillip Othen

SupportersCaroline HoltumTaylor Lilley

Advertising SalesT: 020 8521 7956E: [email protected]

The member organisations of WFWellComm CIC are:Age UK Waltham ForestCommunity Transport Waltham ForestLearning Disability ExperienceSocial Spider CICStreetlife Radio CIC

WFWellComm CIC Management Board:David Floyd (Social Spider CIC)Tom Ruxton (HEET)Helen Tredoux (Community Transport WF)

Waltham Forest Echo Social Spider CIC, The Mill, 7–11 Coppermill Lane, Walthamstow, London E17 7HA

Waltham Forest Echo began with funding by The National Lottery through Big Lottery Fund

Why I went on strikeA junior doctor, who wishes to remain anonymous, explains why they took industrial action

ne day last month around 15 of the junior doctors at my East London hospi-

tal gathered in the early morning dark to assemble on a picket line. The mood among us was one of excitement and apprehension, because it was the first time that most of us had been involved in a strike action – something we never thought would happen to us in our medical careers. I felt a bit sad that, six months after starting work, having studied

at university for seven years, I was already involved in an industri-al dispute. Like many doctors, I joined the profession in order to help people, and it was an ex-tremely difficult decision to strike. A junior doctor is any hospi-tal-based doctor who is not a con-sultant, in practice this is usually any doctor in their 20s or 30s, which means most who work on the wards of the hospital, and the ones who most often come into regular contact with patients. Many junior doctors came to

the picket, but some stayed away because they felt so uncomfort-able about picketing in front of their workplace. A large propor-tion still had to work because those on emergency services such as accident and emergency, inten-sive care, obstetrics and gynaecol-ogy, acute medicine and surgery, were not striking. The proposition for industri-al action was launched by the British Medical Association (BMA) in response to a proposal by the government to introduce a new junior doctor contract which will radically change normal working hours. The overall aim of the government is to change the NHS from a fully function-al five-day service, to a sev-en-day service, improving patient welfare. However, doctors are concerned because it proposes to do this without providing any increase in resources or staff to make up those extra two days per week – it is described as a “cost neutral” change. Therefore, the proposed new contract will require junior doctors to work much longer hours, without any increase in pay.

This is not simply a question of a doctor’s work/life balance; the BMA consider this will not improve patient care simply because doctors will be increas-ingly tired. Which could of course be dangerous for patients. Furthermore, the emergency services already do provide sev-en-day care, because most of the services that do not already take place at weekends are provided by consultants rather than junior doctors. The idea of introducing a seven-day service by changing the contracts of junior doctors is a flawed plan anyway. Unfortunately, many doctors believe these plans are a veiled attempt by the government to set in motion the privatisation of the NHS, which we believe is not what the public want. Therefore, we hope that all Londoners who support a publicly funded NHS will stand with junior doctors, and all NHS staff, to challenge the government on these proposals. It is too soon to say whether our strike action was successful, as negotiations are ongoing. It is regretful that we had to walk out but we felt it was necessary.

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COMMENT

FELLOWSHIP IS LIFE

Can you help us grow?An introduction from James Cracknell, editor of Waltham Forest Echo

ello and welcome to issue eleven of Waltham Forest Echo. Although this

newspaper has now been running for 18 months, I still speak to and receive correspondence from people who have just picked up a copy for the first time, and are im-pressed with what they’ve read! As a community publication we welcome feedback, includ-ing suggestions of how we can improve the paper. With this in mind, we have also this year launched a new membership scheme. Advertising covers most of our costs, but not all, and to secure our future we hope to build up a membership base of

readers who can support us with £5 per month. If enough people join, it is our aim to increase the number of pages we print, and therefore bring you lots more great articles all about life in Waltham Forest! For more details on our membership scheme, please see Page 10. Regarding the content for this month’s paper, there’s plenty to keep you entertained and in-formed. On Page 4 we’ve got an update on the exciting work taking place over at the Lea Valley, in what will in a year’s time become a nature reserve called Walthamstow Wetlands. On Page 6 there’s a fantas-tic interview with a violinist

who is trying to save the world (and has come surprisingly close to succeeding). On Page 9 there’s a lovely feature about the good work going on at Village Youth Club, while on Page 14 our football columnist Phillip Othen looks ahead to a new era at the Match-room Stadium following the sacking last month of former manager Ian Hendon. As you’ll have seen, our front page this month reports on the distressing news of a rise in Is-lamophobic crime. While it is an important issue to high-light, it is also worth keeping in context, as hate crime in the borough still only accounts

for less than three percent of all crimes reported to the Met Police. Waltham Forest is an incredibly diverse place, and the overwhelming majority of its residents are respectful and wel-coming of people from all differ-ent backgrounds.

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I joined the profession in order to help people, and it was an extremely difficult decision to strike

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3No. 11 FEBRUARY 2016 WALTHAM FOREST ECHO

Conway launched an online pe-tition in November demanding Waltham Forest Council fund the construction of a pedestrian crossing that would “reunite the forest”. It is has since been signed by 257 people. Speaking to the Echo on the day he handed the petition to two local councillors, Matt said: “I walk along the road with my two-year-old son and we don’t even bother trying to cross because it is too dangerous. “It is a shame, on the other

side of the road there is a beau-tiful glade, but you are put off from going there because of the road. It is 40mph and very diffi-cult to cross.” Woodford New Road, part of the A104, connects the North Cir-cular with Lea Bridge Road and is used heavily by lorry drivers. One of the main walking routes to Forest School, a private school in College Place with 1,300 pupils, crosses the road outside St Peter’s In The Forest Church. There is also a bus stop there.

Matt first suggested building a pedestrian crossing at this loca-tion two years ago but was told there was no money available. Now, with £30million being spent by the council on the Mini Holland cycling project, the free-lance cameraman believes there is an opportunity to finally get something installed. He said: “The council high-ways team has done tests already, they know it would be a good thing to have a crossing here. We are asking for a ‘toucan’ crossing, which is also designed for bicycles.” “Hopefully this will mean it can be funded using the cash from Mini Holland. “The footpath that runs along here and continues through the forest is an ancient path, but you take your life into your hands when you cross this road.” Peter Barnett and Angie Bean, councillors representing Wood Street ward, both accepted Matt’s petition on behalf of the council and said they would do their best to get the crossing funded. “I am confident we can per-suade the powers that be to fund it,” said Cllr Barnett.

Petition calls for crossing to ‘reunite the forest’

petition has been signed by more than 250 people calling for a pe-destrian crossing on a

busy road through Epping Forest. There is currently no crossing of any type for a half-mile stretch of Woodford New Road, despite many parents and children using it on their route to school. Because the road divides the lower part of Epping Forest it is also often crossed by dog walkers and ramblers. Walthamstow resident Matt

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News

NEWS

elmscott School in Walthamstow came second in a compe-tition to find the na-

tion’s best breakfast club for pupils The secondary school in Mark-house Road won the runner-up prize in the Kellogg’s Breakfast Club awards after judges said they were impressed by how the school builds strong relationships between students to improve their self-confidence. Kelmscott School won £500, as well as other prizes including boxes of cereal, board games, and school uniforms. Its breakfast club has been running for twelve years and is assisted by peer mentors who offer guidance and support to pupils. Many are bilingual, which helps those with limited English skills integrate with the school. The club offers a free nutri-tious breakfast which has helped increase the number of students arriving to school on time. Headteacher Lynnette Parvez said: “We are very pleased that our breakfast club has been given this award. “Many of our pupils do not have the opportunity for a healthy breakfast at home before they start school, so our club is vitally important in ensuring those pupils eat healthily and are ready for learning at the begin-ning of the day. “This club would not be the success that it is without the hard work and dedication of our staff, particularly Ms Pringle and Mr Rolfe who form part of our pupil support team.” One of the competition judges, Alison Last, said: “This break-fast club really cares for the stu-dents. It’s great to hear that it has helped not only with attendance, but with the self-confidence of the children, which helps to develop the social skills.” The £500 prize money will pay for a school teambuilding trip for pupils who attend the break-fast club. Lindsay Graham, Kelmscott’s food and health advisor, added: “The contribution of break-fast clubs to children’s education is tremendous. “They support working parents, feed hungry children and offer op-portunities to extend learning.”

School’s lucky breakfast

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May’s time to shine“landmark” confer-ence presenting new insights into arts and crafts designer May

Morris will be held in Waltham-stow later this year. The achievements of the young-est daughter of William and Jane Morris have long been overshad-owed by her father’s work, but curators at the William Morris Gallery in Forest Road hope to highlight her talents. May Morris was a professional designer, embroiderer, teacher and writer. She founded the Women’s Guild of Arts and designed some of Morris & Co’s most iconic tex-

tiles. May is said to have also been instrumental in preserving her fa-ther’s legacy. The conference in May will bring together new research on May’s life and work from cura-tors, academics and independent scholars, as well as shaping an up-coming exhibition in 2017. Included in the two-day study event is a visit to the William Morris Gallery’s collection store to view rare May Morris textiles. A keynote lecture will be delivered by Jan Marsh, who wrote the bi-ography Jane and May Morris – A Biographical Story. Jan, who is also president of

the William Morris Society, said: “Always overshadowed by her il-lustrious father, May Morris has never received the attention her own achievements deserve. “This conference will explore many facets of her career, bringing a wealth of recent research into view.” Anna Mason, manager of the William Morris Gallery, added: “May Morris was a talented design-er and maker and made a unique contribution to the international de-velopment of art embroidery. “We hope this conference will bring even more new material to light in advance of the exhibition planned in 2017.”

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Matt Conway (far left) and other concerned local residents hand the petition to councillors Peter Barnett and Angie Bean, at the location in Woodford New Road where they want a pedestrian crossing installed

Arts and crafts designer May Morris, daughter of William Credit William Morris Gallery

P . 4The creation of London’s largest wetland nature reserve is making progress

The petition is still available to sign online:

Visit https://goo.gl/Cu4NLh

Hundreds of residents demand safe route across 40mph road


NEWS

Hockey sticks out

he tenth annual Waltham Forest Mini Hockey tour-nament held last

month was the largest to date, with 330 children and 41 teams from primary schools across the borough competing. The tournament was held at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, where England’s ladies won the European Champion-ships last August. It is one of the largest mini-hockey competitions of its kind in London. Several players from Waltham Forest Hockey Club took a day’s holiday to help run the event and coach. After an initial group stage and two knockout rounds the semi-fi-nalists were Leytonstone’s Gwyn Jones, newcomers Riverley from Leyton, fellow debutants Thorpe Hall from Walthamstow, and Leyton’s Barclay Primary School. In the first semi-final, Gwyn Jones took the lead thanks to a lovely through ball from Denis Kibodi Ngoumawhich as Ruby Huish ran behind the defence to slot home. Further goals from

Ruby and Sammy Redley saw them triumph over Riverley 3-1. In the second semi-final, it was end-to-end stuff as Barclay and Thorpe Hall traded blows in a 3-3 draw. The match went to penalties, and finished 1- 0 to Thorpe Hall. In the final, Gwyn Jones dom-inated from start to finish. A brace from Ruby and a goal from Sammy Redley put them 3-0 up. Great defensive work by Armani Campbell Halima Shafique meant that Thorpe Hall struggled to create chances. Gwyn Jones even-tually triumphed 8-2 to win the trophy, while the bronze medal match finished 3-2 to Barclay. Gwyn Jones now go on to rep-resent Waltham Forest at Crystal Palace in March, and after scoring 45 goals and conceding just five during the tournament, will hope to go one better than Handsworth two years ago and lift gold at the London School Games. Waltham Forest Hockey Club is looking to run a primary schools training day, after huge amounts of interest from children.

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Wetland nature reserve makes progress

ork to turn Wal- hamstow res-ervoirs into the largest wetland

nature reserve in London is gath-ering pace. The £8.7million London Wild-life Trust project will see ten res-ervoirs over 211 hectares in the Lea Valley, sandwiched between Lea Bridge Road in Leyton and the North Circular in Ching-ford, opened to the public to provide opportunities for learn-ing, walking, cycling and fishing. Being built there is a visitor centre, four new entrances, one mile of new foot and cycle paths, and habitat enhancements. Work is due to finish next year. The site, now known as Wal- thamstow Wetlands, is interna-tionally recognised as significant for wildlife, particularly overwin-tering wildfowl, and includes the largest fishery in London. The reservoirs will also continue to be an operational water supply site for Thames Water. Work to create 1.8 hectares of new reed beds began in De-cember. Bioengineering special-ists Salix are constructing revet-ments and re-using dredged silt to create the reed beds, which will be filled with about 30,000 cubic

metres of material dredged from the reservoir. The reed beds are expected to be completed by the end of March. Richard Edwards, from Salix, said: “Reed beds provide an im-portant habitat for a wide range of wetland wildlife, including mammals, invertebrates and birds such as reed bunting, reed warbler and bittern. “They also help to clean the water by absorbing nutrients.” Meanwhile, restoration work on the 122-year-old Marine Engine House in Ferry Lane is due to start this month. David Mooney, London Wildlife Trust’s regional development manager, said: “We will be working with [construction company] Rooff to sensitively refurbish this beau-tiful example of Victorian in-dustrial architecture into a new visitor centre; with a cafe, exhi-bition space, viewing terrace and an educational space for visitors to Walthamstow Wetlands.” Although now being managed by London Wildlife Trust, the Walthamstow Wetlands project has been spearheaded by Waltham Forest Council, which won £4.47m from the Heritage Lottery Fund to create the nature reserve. This was further sup-plemented with another £1.84m from site owners Thames Water and £750,000 from the Greater

London Authority, as well as £1m from the council’s own budget. Councillor Clare Coghill, who has been heavily involved in the wetlands, recently visited the site. She said: “Preserving the delicate balance of biodiversity is central to this project. “It’s really important that at the same time as encouraging more local residents to take ad-vantage of this beautiful corner of the borough, we don’t lose sight of the fact this is home to a diverse range of wildlife.”

Wby James Cracknell

Rachel Smith from London Wildlife Trust and councillor Clare Coghill take to the water to survey the latest stage of work to transform Walthamstow Wetlands

For more information:Visit walthamstow-wetlands.org.uk

Walthamstow Wetlands Credit Penny Dixie

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by Matt Lovell


FEATURES

Submit an image for our photo of the month competition:

Email [email protected]

To sponsor Chloe:

Visit www.justgiving.com/Chloe-Brunton-DunnText CTBD66 with an amount such as £2 to 70070

To find out more about Whizz Kids:

Visit www.whizz-kidz.org.uk

unning the London Marathon has always been a goal of mine. Running any marathon

is a huge achievement, but having lived in London for over five years now, for me my first marathon had to be here in the city I call home. I live in Leyton and enjoy running along the Lee Valley and around the Olympic Park, they’re such fantastic places to have so close to our borough. The park provides different terrain and great, safe running routes. I got into running to get into shape. Little did I know it would do so much more than that. I’ve set targets, got fitter, donated to charities, met friends and become healthier. I decided to run this marathon for a charity. Running 26.2 miles is no mean feat so I wanted to make sure my efforts made a difference. Fundraising is a lot of hard work but incredibly worth it, especially

because I’m raising money for a charity I really believe in and with a cause I want to support. I’m running for Whizz Kidz, a charity that works to trans-form the lives of disabled chil-dren across the UK, supporting them to become confident and independent young adults by pro-viding wheelchairs, skills train-ing, community groups and more. My mum has been a special-ist teacher for her entire career and has seen first hand the differ-ence this charity makes to disabled children’s lives, and their fami-lies. Please be sure to check out their website for stories, images and information on the work that they do. It’s a wonderful cause, one very close to my heart, so please consid-er supporting me in this challenge. So far I’ve raised £634 through a coffee morning, bake sale and raffle. But I still have a long way to go to my goal of raising £1,700.

If anyone would like to sponsor me and donate to this brilliant charity my Just Giving page is a secure and easy way to do so. On behalf of Whizz Kidz and myself, thank you so much for the support!

’m not usually awake at stupid o’clock. But on this particular morning, I woke up early and noticed a pecu-

liar reddish glow behind the frosted glass of the bathroom window. Suspecting a fire in one of the neighbouring houses (this has hap-pened before), I opened the window and was met with the sight of this beautiful sunrise, firing up a nor-mally featureless vista. I quickly snapped the view on my phone, then ran downstairs to get my ‘proper’ camera - but by the time I returned the sun had already risen.I swore I’d get up early the following morning and try another photo – however the warmth and weight of my duvet proves itself to be a highly effective captor. Ever since, I’ve been unwilling to try and spot another winter sunset over Walthamstow.

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Fundraising is a marathon effort

Photo of the month: ‘Dawn sky’

A jogger is using her first marathon to help raise money for disabled children

Dawn Sky Credit Roz Collier

Leyton runner Chloe Brunton-Dunn prepares for the longest race of her life

by Roz Collier

by Chloe Brunton-Dunn

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Interview

P . 6A climate change campaigner discusses the future beyond the Paris Agreement

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Fundraising is a lot of hard work but incredibly worth it

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The man with a missionSue Wheat talks to world-renowned climate change campaigner – and violinist – Aubrey Meyer

paigning against the destruction of the Amazon. An eco-minded teacher had obviously taken the news to heart. “My beautiful four-year-old asked me: ‘Daddy, is the world really going to die?’ It’s the only time I’ve chosen to lie to her. “That was the start of my new life as a climate campaigner for the next 25 years.” Aubrey teamed up with a few other environmental thinkers, in-cluding political writer Titus Al-exander, who lived in Waltham-stow at the time, to devise a proposition of how the world could reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to a level that would stop the planet warming. They named their proposal ‘Contraction and Convergence’ (C&C). “It’s not the catchiest of titles, I know,” Aubrey laughs, “but it stuck”. The pair formed an organisa-tion called the Global Commons Institute, to promote C&C, and it quickly took the world’s climate community by storm. In contrast to expensive scientific climate modelling, it was beau-tifully simple – a computer tool made on Aubrey’s PC using the facts about how much CO2 the

world can absorb, and dividing that by the global population, to work out per capita budgets based on all people being equal. It became known as ‘equity and survival’. The amount a rich country would have to ‘contract’ CO2 could be statistically deter-mined against a timeline. It also allowed developing countries to increase consumption, until the points converged. “It wasn’t telling anyone what to do, it was trying to help every-one know what had to be done,” Aubrey explains. The model was flexible, allowing rich ener-gy-hungry countries to negotiate higher amounts by trading with developing countries. Over the next decade, C&C became a runaway success. A colourful computer graphic Aubrey had devised showing every country in the world’s emis-sions became iconic – heralded as a ‘beautiful’ solution by politi-cians, scientists and environmen-talists. After C&C was widely ac-cepted by India, China, African nations, and many more coun-tries, it was written into the UK Climate Act in 2008. There were detractors, but largely on the detail. There was

and still is massive in-fighting between countries and scientists about the technicalities of the precise degrees of what is hap-pening to the atmosphere. So here was the solution to climate change on a plate, yet the world failed – and is still failing – to act. Why? “Our civilisation is based on the use of energy, and governments think accepting this would take it away from them.“But it’s like driving a car at 80mph only to realise too late that you’re driving towards the edge of a cliff.” The recent UN climate summit in Paris made progress, he agrees, but not enough commitment. “I call it the salami-style bureau-cratic non-solution,” he says. “Governments slice however much they want off the salami and every five years they look again to decide how much to slice off next, regardless of how much of the carbon salami is left. It’s as good as praying.” Despite the seriousness of the topic, Aubrey is a charismat-ic man, laughing as he talks. He clearly enjoys life, science, nature, family and music. But for many years Walthamstow was merely a base from which to travel and campaign. Now Aubrey has decided, aged 69, to connect more to where he lives. “I’ve always thought; how does this massive issue of climate change affect where you live your life? Now I’m finally beginning to make the connections.” His wife Lynda, a textile artist, is part of the E17 Arts Trail, which has revealed the artistic side of Walthamstow. Gradu-ally Aubrey is making environ-mental and community links. He has realised local struggles often closely mimic global struggles, one of which can be seen with Mini Holland, the local sustain-able transport scheme that has divided the community. “Some people argue against road closures not just for their own convenience, but citing open access is ‘public interest’. There’s already a health crisis because of air pollution in this borough and arguing this way

is worse than denial because it’s not saying there’s not a problem, it’s saying there isn’t a solution. “If we can demonstrate Mini Holland as a beneficial example of consent, what a great success for the world to match!” Squabbling over Mini Holland, he says, is identical to the squab-bling he has experienced over 25 years watching the UN get almost nowhere on climate change. It misses the big picture. “Overall, we simply have to stabilise the atmosphere and quickly by reducing emissions. The climate system isn’t inter-ested in our arguments.” Aubrey’s hope is that his work will help people doing active environmental projects in the borough. “As we build stron-ger, more resilient communi-ties through things such as the Transition movement, amazing projects such as OrganicLea, the Hornbeam Centre, and Waltham Forest Divest, will all be strength-ened by these local answers to global questions.” Although climate campaign-ing will clearly forever be in his blood, increasingly Aubrey is turning back to music, both as a way to enjoy his life, but also as a way to communicate and reach out to people. We should be proud of this Walthamstow father, musician and campaigner – whatever the uptake of C&C by global powers. Play on, Aubrey Meyer, you deserve it.

hifting career in your 40s is hard enough, but changing from pro-fessional violinist to

climate campaigner is impres-sive. So impressive in fact, that Walthamstow resident Aubrey Meyer was put forward for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2008, after 20 years at the hard edge of climate campaigning and being described by New Statesman as “one of the ten people in the world most likely to change it”. A glance at his life story on Wikipedia reveals that if ever there was a man with a mission, Aubrey Meyer is him. His story would make a cap-tivating film. “I was living an ex-citing life as a professional vi-olinist,” he tells me. “Often travelling the world playing with the London Philharmon-ic Orchestra and composing for Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet. One day in 1989 I fetched my four-year-old daughter from nursery to find they’d decorated the walls not with cute animals but dying forests – the children were trau-matised!” One of the first famous eco-ac-tivists, Chico Mendes in Brazil, had been assassinated after cam-

S

INTERVIEW

For more information on Aubrey Meyer’s Contraction and Convergence theory:

Visit gci.org.uk

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It’s like driving a car at 80mph only to realise too late that you’re driving towards the edge of a cliff

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Aubrey Meyer with his violin at Hollow Ponds, Leytonstone

FeatureA youth worker highlights some of the projects led by the Village Youth Club P . 9

7

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Tel: 0203 397 9797 / Web: stowbrothers.comEmail: [email protected] / Twitter: @stowbrothers

236 Hoe Street, Walthamstow E17 3AY

No. 11 FEBRUARY 2016 WALTHAM FOREST ECHO

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Orford Road, Walthamstow £1,250 PCM One bed conversion

Pembroke Road, Walthamstow £1,600 PCM Two bed mid-terraced house

Sylvan Road, Walthamstow £1,450 PCM Two bed mid- terraced house

Stainforth Road, Walthamstow £1,395 PCM One bed apartment- purpose built



Looking ahead to this year’s Leytonstone Arts Trail

The youth club at the heart of the community

ucked away in the heart of Walthamstow is Village Youth Club, running twice-weekly

at Waltham Forest Community Hub (WFCH) in Orford Road. It was a once little-known youth provision, but over the last two years the Village Youth Club has built up a wonderful and much appreciated reputation of provid-ing a free ‘safe space’ for teenagers aged between 13 and 19 years old. The sessions run for two hours on Mondays and Fridays. Activi-ties include badminton, pool, table tennis, indoor football, and arts and crafts. Alongside this there is also a structured programme of activities to help build independent living skills such as cooking and gardening. An upcoming series of confidence and self-esteem work-shops are also aimed at developing young people’s life skills. Trained staff and volunteers provide a dedicated mentoring service that members can access freely to support them with emo-tional, behavioural, social, edu-cational and employment issues. Every year Village Youth Club hosts barbecues, trips to the cinema, bowling, and Goals, a football centre in Chingford, all for a small fee. Last year the club organised a seaside trip to Clacton-on-Sea with local sheltered housing schemes, resulting in young people and elderly residents travelling and enjoying a day of seaside fun to-

gether. The teenagers even inter-viewed the older people about their lives and history, discovering in the process how life has changed in Waltham Forest over the years. The success of the Clacton trip led to WFCH organising and deliv-ering a scrumptious and entertain-ing Christmas lunch to almost 80 elderly local residents. Those who attended the event were waited upon by youth club members who served lunch to the enthusiastic elderly diners before sitting with them to eat, enjoy conversations – and pull Christmas crackers! Sadly, big cuts in funding for youth services have had a huge impact on resources and as a result WFCH has had to find alternative ways to generate income to keep the Village Youth Club running. This is a problem that many other youth providers are facing since Waltham Forest Council reduced funding last Septem-ber. Village Youth Club used to get £10,000 each year from the council, but now gets nothing and relies solely on donations. Creative and sometimes adventurous ideas are pooled together between staff, volunteers and the young people themselves, to create fundrais-ing opportunities to support the youth club. Some of these fundraising ideas have led to huge commu-nity events such as the Waltham-stow Village Festival, which has now taken place two years con-secutively and with great success.

Money raised from the festival enabled staff and volunteers to take eleven youth club members away on a weekend outdoor ex-cursion, where they could enjoy camp fires, forest trekking, and learn important life skills such as team-building and personal de-velopment. A couple of youth talent shows have also enabled some young people to increase their confi-dence in the spotlight and go on to perform in other communi-ty events. In November, six youth club members and five staff took part in a sponsored dry fast – no food or drink – for ten hours. This in-volved a communal sleepover at WFCH, as well as volunteering in two local charities; Branches and Walthamstow Toy Library. The fast was then ended with a delicious homemade feast for all involved, cooked by the centre manager herself. The young people who took part in the sponsored fast were able to learn about discipline and appre-ciation for the smaller and import-ant things in life, and were also en-couraged to openly express their thoughts and feelings about this during the highly rewarding experi-ence. The participants far exceeded their target by raising a whopping £1,147. They were totally amazed by their achievement. For some local young people Village Youth Club has become like a second home where they feel

safe, listened to, respected and are able to make lasting friendships and connections over the years. Young people at risk of crime, homelessness, substance misuse or gang affiliation have all found some element of support when they have needed it most, from specially trained staff, volunteers, and even their own peers. The service plays an integral role in community engagement and development, as local people are always encouraged to come and train to become volunteers. This has in the past led to paid em-ployment thanks to employabili-ty skills developed as volunteers acquire references and valuable work experience for their CVs. Now, as 2016 kicks in, all focus will be once again directed at raising much needed funds so that Village Youth Club can con-tinue to make a difference in peo-

ple’s lives. This year will hopefully see the introduction of a structured programme of personal develop-ment courses for young people aged 16 and over. The courses will enable young people to take away tangible rewards in certification/qualification that can then help them to progress on to further ed-ucation or employment. The local community of Waltham Forest can expect many wonderful surprises along the way as the Village Youth Club continues to grow and develop. As always, this will involve fun, optimism, hard work and laugh-ter from all involved; young and old alike!

TMembers of Village Youth Club enjoying a day out

FEATURE

Youth worker Sonita Turner highlights some of the projects led by Village Youth Club in Walthamstow

To help support Village Youth Club:

Visit wfchub.org/#!support-us/w681m

Citizens Advice Waltham Forest offering Pension Wiseappointments across Waltham Forest, Barking & Dagenham,Havering and Redbridge to help people plan for their future

Citizens Advice Waltham Forest is delivering Pension Wise appointments across Waltham Forest, Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge giving people access to free and impartial pension guidance in their local area.

Following pension reforms on April 6, people approaching retirement have greater freedom over how they can use their pension pots. People will be able to take a lump sum, take out an annuity or a mixture of both. Pension Wise is a new Government service designed to help people make sense of their pension options, and empower them to make the right choices for them.

Citizens Advice Waltham Forest will be delivering free face to face Pension Wise sessions which are available to book now. The 45 minute appoint-ments will be tailored to the individual, taking into account the value of their pension and their plans for retirement. A Pension Wise appointment may help you if you are approaching retirement or are 50 or over and have a defined contribution pension. Guidance appointments are also available on the telephone, delivered by the Pensions Advisory Service. People can also get information and general guidance online at www.pensionwise.gov.uk.

Suna Panayiotou Chief Executive of Citizens Advice Waltham Forest said: “Citizens Advice Waltham Forest will be delivering Pension Wise appoint-ments from Walthamstow and a number of sites across the region, giving easy access to Pension Wise.

“Pensions can be a confusing topic and Pension Wise appointments will help people to make sense of their pension’s choices. Citizens Advice Waltham Forest already helps people with retirement issues and we’ll con-tinue to offer this service outside of Pension Wise.”

To book a telephone or face to face appointment, call 0300 330 1001 (National)

Or 020 3233 0250 (Local)

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Preview

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A fishmonger’s favourite

n my quest to come up with a delicious fish recipe I visited Daniel at the popular family fishmongers Davies

and Sons in Hoe Street, near Bakers Arms. I asked him for his top tips and a simple fish recipe

and he duly obliged! Daniel particularly recom-mends three fish dishes. Firstly, mackerel, because it is sustainable, healthy and very cheap. It is great baked in the oven for 20 minutes or fried with a little butter for 3-4

minutes. You can eat it with pota-toes in winter or salad in summer. For a local alternative to sea bass try whole grey mullet. Your fishmonger can gut, clean and descale it for you, so its all ready for cooking (see full recipe below). You could also make a tasty fish pie using a fish pie mix, consist-ing of coley (a cheaper alterna-tive to cod), salmon (sustainable) and smoked haddock (smoked on the premises). Fish keeps in the fridge for three or four days, except shell-fish which must be eaten on the day. It can be frozen, then defrost-ed overnight in the fridge. Fish-monger stock can vary due to the weather conditions the fishermen are working in, but this is a reas-suring sign that the produce is fresh and locally sourced. Daniel says to “trust your fish-monger, ask us questions and we are happy to help”. Davies and Sons can be found at 494 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, E17 9AH.

Local food blogger Katie Robinson visits a local fishmonger for recipe ideas

Whole grey mullet with roast veg

IAdvertisement

RECIPE

Whole grey mullet with roast vegThis is surprisingly simple to make and tastes succulent and delicious along with the roast veg

Ingredients· 1 grey mullet, gutted, cleaned and descaled· 4 spring onions, white part chopped· Thumb of ginger, peeled and cut in to long thin strips· Small handful coriander, roughly chopped· 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into chunks· 1 red pepper, cut into strips· Olive oil· Salt and pepper

Methodi) Put some foil on top of a large baking tray and lay the grey mullet on it. Stuff the inside with the spring onions, ginger and most of the coriander. Rub the skin with some olive oil, salt

and pepper and scatter over the remaining coriander.

ii) Put the sweet potato and red pepper in a separate non-stick baking tray and add a good glug of olive oil and salt and pepper. Mix well.

iii) Put both trays in the oven on gas mark five or 190C for around 30 minutes, until the flesh under the skin is cooked and flaky. Turn the veg once to avoid burning. To eat the fish, gently prize off the thin layer of skin with a fork to get to the white flesh, discard-ing bones as you go. Turn over and do the same to the other side. Make sure you spoon some of the filling on to the fish before eating.

Email [email protected] katielovescooking.comTwitter @ktlovescooking

If you have any comments, ideas or tips about food in Waltham Forest, please get in touch with Katie:

Do you think our media could be different?Could we create our own media together?

Support our local media projectWaltham Forest Echo is a community newspaper written by and for the community. It is owned by six not-for-profit organisations and gives local people a platform to make themselves heard.

What does being a member mean?· You get to help shape your local media as we take your opinion seriously: What kind of journalism should the Echo pursue? What should the balance of positive and critical news be? How well are we representing the community? · You will be invited to a quarterly members meeting to discuss and debate the paper· A copy of each issue will be delivered to your door every month· Your name will be printed in the paper and website to acknowledge your support

How do I become a member?· Sign up on our website: www.walthamforestecho.co.uk/members· Pay a monthly membership fee of £5

Be part of changing our media. Starting local.

Membership

WALTHAM FOREST ECHO

T: 020 8521 7956E: [email protected]


FEATURES

Poetry: One more coffee for the ode by Jon Stone and Abigail Parry

He poured the coffeeInto the cupHe poured the milkInto the cup of coffeeHe put the sugarInto the coffee with milkWith the small spoonHe stirred itHe drank the coffee with milkWithout speaking to me.

[…] And he harangued the smart café,In which a bowlered codger satA-twirling of a fine moustacheA-drinking of a fine Tokay.”

This is how we met,Sheltering from work in this crowded coffee bar.This is where we sit,Propped up on some narrow shelf […]

You can’t think I’m up to constructinganother heaven?I can’t think either.This process of revisionfinal and first touches!

offee and poetry have a long and cosy history. In T.S Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock the protago-

nist “measured out [his] life with coffee spoons”. Long before that, Shelley, Byron and Coleridge would gather together in Mrs Miggins’ coffee shop to drink “the brownèd juicings of that naughty bean” – assuming the third series of Blackad-der is historically accurate. Thinking further about poems set in, or inspired by, cafés and coffee, the first poem that sprung to mind was Jacques Prévert’s Déjeuner du matin (see i.). It’s a taut, deceptively simple poem, in which silence is everything – the drama lies in the tension between the speaker’s myopic, methodical account and the subject’s failure or refusal to acknowledge the speaker. It’s a poem about what is withheld, both from speaker and reader. Though it begins in a square and eventually takes in the whole town, a café and its clientele have starring

roles in James Fenton’s classic The Ballad of the Shrieking Man (see ii.). The waiter also gets the last chorus all to himself in this long but tremen-dously rhythmic poem. Hugo Williams’ 1979 poem Bar Italia is set in the famous Soho all-night café, which is used as the focal point for a portrait of an ambiguous (possibly ro-mantic) relationship (see iii.). More recently, Vahni Capildeo’s latest book, Measures of Expatriation, has her narrator pen a poem on the back of a receipt in Pull Out All the Stops (see iv.). Waltham Forest has its own multi-tude of cafés, including Café 56 in St James Street. Our writing challenge this month to all of you is to take inspira-tion from your local caff – be it artisan coffee boutique or snug greasy spoon. Set yourself down and write about the atmosphere, the people, the food and drink, the scents and sounds, or what-ever gets your mind humming the next time you get the chance to come in out of the cold for a cup or two.

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Send your poems for consideration in the next issue of Waltham Forest Echo:Email [email protected]

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Empowering local people

attended the first ‘Big Local’ meeting in my area just out of curiosity. I cannot pin-point how I managed to get

drawn in, but I remember feeling like a member of the audience watching and observing from the inside. One attendance at one public meeting led to many more as my curiosity grew and I wanted to know more. I discovered my ward, the William Morris ward in Walthamstow, was being given £1million in National Lottery money to improve the area over a ten-year period. Although it all sounded very promising and exciting, it also sounded quite confusing as ev-erything appeared chaotic. At each meeting, people were con-stantly trying to reinvent the

wheel. The challenging part of the process was to not only engage local residents, but also empower them to get involved as partner-ship members who would rep-resent the ward and make all the decisions relating to the money. After I had been watching and observing for three meetings, I decided to put myself forward as a partnership member, at a William Morris Big Local forum. After gaining a much deeper under-standing of the problems on my ward, I felt guilty that I was not doing anything to help improve things. Most importantly I did not want our ward to lose the oppor-tunity to benefit from £1million. I believe that we need to empower others too in order to make any positive change col-lectively. So, when I expressed

my reasons so did many other people from the area who wanted to see the area improve. The next 18 months following were a challenging and eye-opening ex-perience for me, as a member and chairman of the William Morris Partnership. Big Local is a way of bring-ing people together to explore problems and take responsibil-ity in finding solutions to those problems. Nobody, however, an-ticipates the barriers that human dynamics can cause. The need for transparency is so important in this process as the people coming together are often complete strangers and every-one is eyeing everyone else with suspicion, wondering what their agenda is. Often this becomes so great a barrier that it hinders

progress from happening. The biggest drawback of the government’s ‘Big Society’ concept is perhaps the disregard for the group’s need to learn skills such as teambuilding. Although I am no longer a part of the William Morris Part-nership, I can understand how much human dynamics affects those who still continue to give unconditionally. I remain an optimist and hope more active residents will come forward to support the Big Local process and I look forward to seeing many improvements in my ward, in the years to come.

IMonwara Ali recalls her experience leading a local project tasked with improving her neighbourhood

CorrectionIn our story The borough’s best new buildings... and worst on of January’s Waltham Forest Echo we stated that the Banbury Park development in Billet Road was designed by Levitt Bernstein. This was in-correct. It was in fact designed by a collaboration between Divine Ideas Architects and HTA Design LLP. We hereby apologise to Levitt Bernstein for any reputational damage that may have arisen from being associated with Banbury Park and the criticism our writer ap-portioned to its design.

Get involved with the Waltham Forest Echo

Would you like to get involved with the Waltham Forest Echo? We are looking for writers, photographers, artists, poets, advertisers and volunteers. Please email: [email protected]

What’s the biggest killer in Waltham Forest, and how can you help stop it?

Column

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For more information about William Morris Big Local:Visit wmbiglocal.org


EVENTS

St Mary’s Church in Walthamstow Village, location of the monthly storytelling event, Stow Tellers Credit Martin Belam

Get involved in the Arts Traileytonstone Arts Trail is an annual arts festi-val that invites artists to display their artwork

locally in businesses, communi-ty centres, homes, galleries and even outdoors. Artist studios and workshops also often open their doors for exclusive viewings. This year’s Arts Trail takes place 2-10 July. We are now putting calls out for artists, so this is the time to get involved if you’d like to exhibit some work.You can register on our website to have your exhibition or event advertised in our printed guide, on our social media platforms and on our website. The dead-line for registrations is 10 April. This year you can also regis-ter your venue on our website. This might be your business, front garden or living room. In the past we have had

murals painted on indoor and outdoor walls as well as sculp-tures and installations in front gardens — even art in gardens among flower pots ready to be spotted as people walk past. If you would like to host an exhibition we can help you to get in touch with artists looking for exhibition space. This year we are especially encouraging people to register their front garden walls and gate posts as a place where artists could exhibit outdoor work. In the lead up to the Ley-tonstone Arts Trail we have or-ganised an exhibition at The Stone Space in Church Lane to provide a taster of the work that will be on show around E11 in July. The theme of ‘process and preparation’ is intended to provide an insight into the working methods of

these local artists. The exhibition, which will include photography, anima-tion, film, painting, printmak-ing and drawing, will present preparatory work alongside fin-ished pieces to offer visitors the chance to view the varied tech-niques of experimentation and refinement employed by artists.

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A goth night story

t’s a dark, Baltic, January night in deepest, darkest E17 and yet, for some reason, I’m inclined to visit

a church.

Don’t leave me this way, non-believers. For I have a tale to tell. On this night, St. Mary’s in Walthamstow Village is home to a night of ghastly, spookish

tales hosted by Stow Tellers, a collective of very talented indi-viduals in our lovely borough. I alighted there with my partner around 7.25pm for a 7.30pm kick-off. The beauty of the church dumbfounded us and I was fixated on the grandeur of this rather special place. Luckily, a very friendly lady enquired as to whether my fellow conspira-tor and I were there for the choir. My mind was briefly entranced by the idea that this was all part of the event; a gothic collective of songstresses to lead us into the darkness, mystery and misery beyond. It was not. When I explained that we were there for a night of ghoul-ish tales and satanic verses, we were kindly ushered to the exit and informed to try the welcome centre instead. After a short foray over some cobbled stones and underground bones we arrived at the welcome centre. A plethora of Jaffa Cakes and tea awaited as the woman on the door guided us in. We took our place on a fold-down chair

at the back and patiently waited. “What is this?” whispered my friend (as I had not informed him beforehand). “I’m not actually sure,” came my retort. Well, I’m certainly glad that I took a leap into the unknown! An enthralling evening of ghoulish tails, English folklore and gothic beauty was our treat for a bargain three quid. To warm up, stories were taken from the floor. Themes of comedy and terror were covered by three fine storytellers who came forth to perform. After some brief introductions by the Stow teller hosts, the main event began. Starting off was an eccentric looking gentleman by the name of George Hoyle, who treated us to a ditty in the finest English folk tradition. Then it was time for London Dreamtime, a name used by Vanessa Woolf, a London-based storyteller. An explanation was given that we would be traipsing outside to the cemetery at the end of

the evening. Spines shivered, but there was a chance to back out for the less adventurous — staying within the confides of the church hall. Woolf’s story was based on the power and evil of fairies. Those beings who make things in your house disappear. Vile creatures who are after your offspring. Ac-cording to Dreamtime, there’s a girl in Hackney who can testify to their evil. She apparently has first-hand experience of the hurt they cause. It might be someone you know. Have you ever thought of asking? Stow Tellers is a monthly event. Get yourself along to one to experience the joys of adult storytelling.

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Mark Scott reviews a recent Stow Tellers event, The Hidden People – Tales of Cunning and Beauty

Leytonstone Arts Trail organiser Eleanor Bedlow encourages local creatives to take partThe Echo has a circulation of 20,000 copies per issue and an estimated readership of 60,000 people. The newspaper is distributed across the borough in community venues, pubs, cafes, libraries, doctors' surgeries, shops and hairdressers; as well as outside the borough's train and tube stations and door-to-door. Please call us on 020 8521 7956 or email us on [email protected] if you would like to advertise in our next issue.

Advertising rates:

Advertise with the Waltham Forest Echo

Discounts are available for regular advertisers.

Our next deadline is Thursday 18th February at 12pm. For more information visit www.walthamforestecho.co.uk/advertise-with-us

For more information on Leytonstone Arts Trail:

Visit leytonstoneartstrail.org

Process and Preparation will be on at The Stone Space, 6 Church Lane, Leytonstone, from 4–28 February. For further details:

Visit thestonespace.wordpress.com

Full page £650Half page £350Quarter page £2001/8 page £1251/16 page £75

For more information on Stow Tellers:

Visit sfs.org.uk/clubs/stow-tellers-walthamstow-storytelling-club


Upcoming

Next issue listings:

To list an event or activity in the March issue of Waltham Forest Echo please email [email protected] before the deadline on 18th February. Provide the date, time, location, cost and contact information, as well as a description of the event. There is no charge for listing your community event on this page.

Fitness classes with ChloeTuesdays from 8.15pmWalthamstow School for Girls, Church Hill, Walthamstow E17 9RZ

Waltham Forest Bridge ClubMondays and Thursdays, 7.15 –10 pmQuaker Meeting Hall, 1 Jewel Road, Walthamstow E17 4QU

Circle dancingFirst Thursday of each month 1.30 – 3.30pmWelcome Centre, St Mary’s Church, 8 Church End, Walthamstow E17 9RJ

Gymnastics for children Saturdays from 10amForest YMCA, 642 Forest Road, Walthamstow E17 3EF

OrganicLea open daysLast Sunday of every month, 12 – 4pmHawkwood Community Plant Nursery, 115 Hawkwood Crescent, Chingford E4 7UH

Circuit training combining bodyweight exercises, plyometrics, HITT and core stability training. Weight loss, muscle tone and flexibility, in a fun and friend-ly atmosphere.

We welcome experienced club players and those who have played social bridge and would like to experience club bridge. We have a host on Mondays so you can come then without a partner.

A world music dance class and social event. No need for a partner, just turn up. Beginners welcome.

Gymnastics for school-age children by the Ladybird School of Gymnastics. Age eight and under 10 –11am, age nine to twelve, 11am – 12pm. Spaces are limited so please book ASAP.

OrganicLea is a workers’ cooperative growing and distributing food locally. Come and visit our beautiful 12-acre site and learn all about organic gardening.

£6 entryCall 07903 629 636Email [email protected] dancechloe.com

£5 for non-membersCall Colin on 07946 902 022Email [email protected]

£4 per session, refreshments includedCall 0208 556 3508Email [email protected]

First trial session £4Email [email protected] 07506 797 788

FreeVisit organiclea.org.uk

Free entry for first timersEmail [email protected] northcircularchess.co.uk/ching-ford.html

£4 entryVisit www.facebook.com/eastlondon-fashionexchange

Chingford Chess ClubMondays at 7.15pmThe British Legion Club, 67 Hall Lane, Chingford E4 8HW

East London Fashion ExchangeSaturday 27th February, 1– 4pmRed Lion, 640 High Rd Leytonstone, London E11 3AA

Long-running chess club competing in the North Circular Chess League. Three teams, offering plenty of chance to play.

A ladies fashion swap. We’re in the back yard of the pub. The rules are simple - bring along up to nine items of clothing in fine condition and receive either a red or gold star for each piece. The rails are full of clothes bought along by other swappers, so you take a look around and exchange stars for new items.

LISTINGS

Age UK fundraising saleSaturday 20th February, 11am – 3pmWaltham Forest Resource Hub, 58 Hall Lane, Chingford E4 8EU

Leytonstone Pop-Up CinemaWednesday 3rd February, 7.45pmLeytonstone Library, Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HG

#TrainToProtect campaignSaturday 6th February, 10am– 4pmWalthamstow Town Square

Grab a bargain and help us to raise funds for our work in Waltham Forest. Hundreds of books, DVDs and CDs; bake sale with homemade cream teas and cakes; handcrafted blankets and cuddly toys. Waltham Forest Age UK provides services such as befriending, computer classes, and advice to help older people maximise their income.

Screening the best independent films clas-sics, cult movies and world cinema. In February we are showing Nine Queens, an Argentine crime drama written and di-rected by Fabián Bielinsky. Next month, on 2nd March, we’re showing Holy Motors, a Franco-German fantasy drama written and directed by Leos Carax.

Youth For Change, a youth-led cam-paigning organisation, will be running an event on Zero Tolerance for FGM day in Walthamstow Town Square, around their #TrainToProtect campaign. The campaign aims to improve training in schools on the issues of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage. There will be performers, games, a school fashion show, live music and speeches.

Free entryCall 0208 558 5512Email [email protected]

Free entryCall 0208 558 5512

Free entryVisit youthforchange.org/traintoprotect

Rosalind Fowler: Making Nowhere SomewhereSunday 28th February, 12.30 – 5pmOrganicLea,115 Hawkwood Crescent, Chingford E4 7UH

Rosalind Fowler, William Morris Gal-lery’s 2015 artist in residence, has created an ‘eco-film lab’ at Organic Lea’s community gardening project. Come and visit the lab and learn about 16mm filmmaking techniques inspired by nature.

Free entryVisit wmgallery.org.uk

Ongoing

Licensing Act 2003:Application for the Grant of a Premises Licence

Notice of application for the grant of a Premises License under section 17 of the Licensing Act 2003.

Notice is hereby give that Antigone Taliadoros has applied to the London Borough of Waltham Forest for the grant of a Premises License at Wynwood Art District 2A Chingford Road, E17 4PJ. The nature of the application is as follows:

To permit the sale of alcohol/ regulated entertainment/ late night refreshments Monday – Friday 12pm – 11pm

The Licensing register listing full details of the application is kept by the Licensing Service, Sycamore House, Walthamstow Town Hall, Forest Road, Walthamstow E17 4SU. The application may be viewed Monday – Friday between the hours of 9am- 5pm (except Bank Holidays.)

Any person wishing to make a representation in respect of the above activities may do so in writing to the Licensing Service, Sycamore House, Waltham Forest town Hall, Forest Road, London, E17 4SU. Representations must be received no later than Tuesday 1st March 2016.

It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false state-ment in connection with this application. The maximum fine on summary conviction being £5,000.

Representations must be received no later than Sun 3rd January 2016.

It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with this application. The maximum fine on summary conviction being £5,000.

First term free to new membersVisit blackhorseandstandard.org.ukCall 020 8527 2926 or 020 8514 8771

£5 per class Call 07737 062 504Visit zumbazoe.co.uk

Blackhorse and Standard Women’s Morris DancersWednesdays 8 – 10pmSt Gabriel’s Family Centre, Havant Road, Walthamstow E17 3JF

Zumba with ZoeWednesdays 7.30pmThe Cornerstone Centre, 149 Canterbury Road, Leyton E10 6 EH

Blackhorse and Standard welcome new female members to our weekly prac-tices. It is a fun and friendly way of keeping fit while learning traditional English morris dancing. No experience necessary. Musicians also welcome.

These classes are a fun way to keep fit. Zumba is your opportunity to express yourself and unleash your ‘Latin within’ – every class feel like a party!

Love, Actually14th February, 4pmSt Barnabas Church, St Barnabas Road, Walthamstow E17 8JZ

Forest Fun16th, 17th and 18th February, 10am –3pm. The View, next to Queen Elizabeth Hunting Lodge, Rangers Road, Chingford E4 7QH

St Barnabas Sunday Concerts presents Love, Actually, a musical celebration of romance through the ages, performed by Walthamstow opera singers, soprano Gillian Keith and tenor Tom Randle. This recital of timeless love songs and duets from stage and screen, is part of E17’s newest concert series, bringing world-class per-formances to the heart of our community.

Join us in the woods for a host of fun activities to brighten up February half-term. Play laser tag deep in Epping Forest using the trees as your shield! Plus, special activities taking place in The View, including traditional skip-ping, storytelling and Tudor toddler time. We’re also running drop-in arts and crafts at High Beach Visitor Centre in Loughton and The Temple in Wanstead Park.

Admission by donation (£5-£10)Visit www.facebook.com/StBarn-abasSundayConcerts/?fref=ts

Some activities may chargeVisit cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-doCall 020 7332 1911

Sir George Monoux College open daySaturday 6th February, 9.30am –12.30pm, Chingford Road, Walthamstow E17 5AA

The college will open its doors to hun-dreds of potential new students and their families, giving them the opportunity to discover for themselves what makes us one of the best sixth form colleges in London. Young people looking to study at college will have the opportunity to tour the fantastic facilities on offer, talk to both teachers and current students and apply to join Sir George Monoux College.

Free entryVisit sgmc.ac.uk/news/openDay.aspEmail [email protected]


ardiovascular disease is the biggest killer in the borough, account-ing for 24 per cent of

premature deaths at age 75 or below, according to the Waltham Forest Joint Strategic Needs As-sessment (JSNA). This includes all diseases of the heart and circulation, which has a higher prevalence at all ages in Waltham Forest com-pared with other London bor-oughs that have similarly high relative deprivation. This is a huge problem and your help is required. As you may know the British Heart Foun-dation (BHF) has a shop at 257 High Street, Walthamstow, and donations of books, cloth-ing, shoes, toys, bric-a-brac and more, are always welcome. Vol-unteers are also needed. Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing shop manager Saimum Chowdhury. As I ap-proached the shop I noticed a number of hearts hanging in the window, with messages to loved ones on display. In the centre of the window was a heart from

Dame Esther Rantzen, who is also one of the ambassadors at BHF. Her message read: “Love your heart. Love the BHF.” My sentiments too. Meeting Saimum was like a breath of fresh air. She has worked at the shop since it opened in No-vember 2007 and is passionate and enthusiastic about what she does. When asked what she liked about it, she said: “I love every-thing. I love dealing with the customers and the challenge every year to make more money for BHF.” Saimum told me about her vol-unteers, who come from differ-ent backgrounds. She provides retail training, and certificates are awarded to volunteers who work regularly at the shop and are reliable. On Friday 5th February, Saimum and her colleagues will be wearing red as part of BHF’s national fund-raising campaign called ‘Wear It. Beat It.’ There are lots of ways you can host or organise a fund-raising event at school, work or where you live. And, if you want to, dress up in red or, if you are

really adventurous, get sponsored for dyeing your hair bright red! If you would simply like to help by making a donation, these can be dropped off at the counter of the shop, or you can arrange a free collection by calling 0208 521 9500. BHF also has a second-hand furniture shop in The Mall in Walthamstow, and if you have furniture or electrical items to donate call 0208 521 2098. Volunteers are also needed to help in the afternoons and at weekends. If you are interested call the shop or email Saimum on [email protected]. And for more in-formation on the Wear It Beat It campaign visit www.bhf.org.uk.

Heart of the matter

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COLUMNS

In her regular column highlighting charitable projects and services, Link4Growth volunteer Debra Oakaby visits a charity shop raising money for a vital cause

British Heart Foundation shop manager Saimum Chowdhury

eferences to a gim-micky 1969 pop song by American singer Rufus Thomas may

not immediately chime with this month’s Orient round-up, but trust me, it will by the end. So picture the scene: It’s Boxing Day, 2015. The weather is unusually clement. Brisbane Road is packed with nigh-on 6,000 post-Christmas revel-lers. Ian Hendon’s Orient side have not won in over a month. And high-flying Portsmouth, winners of the FA Cup in 2008, are the visitors. Two red cards, and five goals later, the Orient fans are elated after a thrilling 3-2 victory. We are playing Rockin’ All Over The World from the PA box to cele-brate (a song we always play fol-lowing a victory). But wait, what is this? Are our collective eyes deceiving us? Nope, it is club owner Francesco Becchet-ti, having sat behind the dugout for the entire second half, running on to the pitch and booting assis-tant manager Andy Hessenthaler up the arse. The slightly eccentric Italian businessman then proceeds to celebrate in front of all four stands long after the final chords of Rockin’ fade out. So far, so surreal. A predict-able loss at Bristol Rovers soon follows, before forward Jay Simpson becomes the first Orient

player to hit 20 league goals in about 234 years with his brace to earn a draw at Stevenage on 2nd January. And then, finally, the Lon-doners do the funky chicken. Exeter come to East London in mid-January, cancel out Ollie Palmer’s 24-second opener with three of their own before the break and the boos ring out at half-time. Aforementioned super striker Simpson somehow misses two penalties in the second half and boss Hendon gets his marching orders a few hours after the match. In the week that ensues, Bec-chetti keeps the surprises going by hiring a man who was playing in the Premier League last season (and known for adopting an odd chicken dance every time he scores), Kevin Nolan, to become one of those rare breeds – play-er-manager. At 33, Nolan automatically becomes the best midfielder in League 2, but was not needed in his inaugural management fixture – Orient eased to a two-goal win at Wycombe, jumping up to eighth place, just outside the play-offs. Should Nolan play himself and score in the future, he will have reached 100 career goals, the majority in the top flight. And we have downloaded Do The Funky Chicken. Goal music anyone?

Do the funky chickenLeyton Orient's stadium announcer Phillip Othen discusses the O's recent form

New Leyton Orient manager Kevin Nolan, right, with the club’s owner Francesco Becchetti

If you have any stories to share about the local community in action drop in at a Link4Growth meeting held regularly in Walthamstow and Chingford or contact Debra on the details below:

Call Debra on 07906 007 613Visit facebook.com/L4G.NELondonEmail [email protected]

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‘Stacey’ by Sharon Foster aka Alicia Dean Artworks is a scraperboard etching with digitally added colour.

Her painting ‘Luminous Leytonstone’ is currently touring Waltham Forest’s Libraries in ‘50 Year’s Waltham Forest in Art Exhibition 2015’

Each month we will be giving this page over to a local community group, artist or event organiser, for free. If you have something you’d

like to showcase or promote, please email us on [email protected] or call us on 020 3397 9797 for details of how to submit

your information to us.

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