REGENERATING THE CLAPHAM PARK AREA

 The event ran from 12noon – 5pm, with local people taking part in face painting, head massage, fun arts and crafts, football, tag rugby and tennis.  Many also took advantage of the free bike repairs on offer.

Clapham Park Project gave out information about the projects and services available to residents and Clapham Park Homes answered questions about the housing redevelopment and housing issues.

In addition visitors had a ccess to a huge geodome filled with arts activities provided by Some Other Way Forward (SOWF) who represent partners of the Cultural Quarter, including the Southbank Centre, London Eye, British Film Institute Southbank, Thames Festival, Unicorn Theatre, Globe Theatre and Tate Modern.  Some of the workshops taking place in the geodome included film making, animation, photography, spray art and greeting cards, as well as stage performances by Gold Star Vision and Lambeth Community Performing Arts.

Geodome workshops were run by artists from the Cultural Quarter alongside a number of local artists provided by ACE (Arts Community Exchange).  These arts activities are also being offered in the geodome to residents aged 3 to 19 years old from Monday 30th July to Wednesday 1st August, and will culminate in a networking event for local artists and those working with young people on the 1 st August.

Local resident and Clapham Park Project Chair Donna C Henry said:  “The Clapham Park Fun Day was an excellent opportunity for residents to come together and get involved in projects and activities aimed at regenerating the Clapham Park area.  I was delighted to see at least 500 local people at the event, including a number of young people who were excited about the range of activities they could get involved in.  Their enthusiasm, the excellent weather and fantastic community spirit all contributed to making the Clapham Park Fun Day a real success.”

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This will be followed by a celebration of culture from 6.00pm with an art and artifacts exhibition, a quiz, Somali cultural songs, stories, poetry and an awards ceremony at the Thresholds Centre, Helby Road SW4. The event is organised by the Aayatiin Foundation in partnership with Clapham Park Project, London Somali Development Partnership, Lambeth Council and Amani Training. For further information please contact Hassan or Abdullah at the Aayatiin Foundation on 07903298876.

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Volunteer Rregjina Curaj receives certificate from Keith Hill MP

Volunteers from the area got the chance to celebrate their work and were rewarded for the valuable contribution they make to the community.

The ceremony was held as part of nationwide celebrations for National Volunteers’ Week which aimed to recognise, reward and recruit volunteers. The awards were presented by Keith Hill MP, Donna C Henry, Chair of the Clapham Park Project, and Angus Johnson, Chief Executive of the Clapham Park Project.

The award ceremony formed part of a whole night of celebrations which included dinner, live music and dancing. The volunteers organised the event and decorated the venue themselves, making sure it was a glamorous affair by using Oscars-style décor.

All volunteers in placements organised through the Clapham Park Project New Deal for Communities were eligible to win the awards. Clapham Park Project volunteers work in many different fields, from administration support to health care for the elderly, and from radio presenting for Clapham Park’s Generation Radio, to retailing for Oxfam.

Volunteering helps people gain new skills and experience and can be an effective stepping-stone to employment.

One award winner, Rregjina Curaj, who volunteers with Clapham Park Project as receptionist said: “I really like volunteering, I am more confident and everyone I work with always helps me out. This placement is giving me the skills I hope to use in a job someday.”

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The social entrepreneurs received funding from the Clapham Park Project New Deal for Communities to complete a year-long course at the SSE, which focused on learning through action rather than simply teaching. The course is designed to help people to use their creative and entrepreneurial abilities more fully for social benefit.

The Clapham Park students have successfully set up and run seven businesses in the area. The enterprises include: Progress, a gardening project; As I See It, a photography project; Urban Youths Projects, a youth organisation for young people aged 8-25yrs and Browncoco Natural Products, a homemade beauty product project.

Koko Bassey runs Browncoco Natural Products and makes skin care products using natural ingredients. She buys her supplies from Ghana, and is committed to supporting Ghanaian communities through fair trade.

As well as selling the products, Koko runs workshops for disadvantaged and excluded groups in the Clapham Park area. People learn how to make the products themselves, developing creative and therapeutic skills. They are also encouraged to put these skills to work through developing their own enterprises.

Koko said: “The School for Social Entrepreneurs has helped me all the way, developing my idea into a business, and I’ve gained self-confidence and motivation. I’m really proud and honoured to be one of the first people to graduate from Clapham Park.”

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The Bikes Project, run by Clapham Park Project, works with young people to develop their bike repair skills and encourages them to undertake cycling proficiency tests. Aimed at 8-15 year olds and 16-19 year olds, over 100 young people have graduated from the Bikes Project since it began in August 2004.

Three generous Clapham Park residents and the Metropolitan Police Service have helped the bikes project to open again so quickly. Residents Adriano Jesus and Norman Bickers donated 7 bikes between them and the Project received a £50 donation from another resident. The Metropolitan Police Service is also continuing to support the Project and will be donating a number of bikes in April.

If you are interested in joining the Bikes Project (you must live in the Clapham Park New Deal for Communities area), or if you would like to make a donation to the Project, contact Mick Pettifer on 020 8678 5924.

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The free family event provided an opportunity to celebrate the Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese cultures in Clapham Park. Attendees danced the night away in a salsa class, learned useful Spanish and Portuguese phrases, got creative with arts and crafts, and treated their taste buds to some traditional foods.

Children and adults joined in the colourful activities, and the salsa gave everyone the chance to meet new people and have fun as they whirled around the dance floor! The friendly atmosphere made the night a huge success.

The event was hosted by Clapham Park Project. Local resident and arts and crafts expert Sonnia Montes Granada said: ‘Fun events are a great way of bringing the community together, and they help to build stronger community spirit. Events like this also help everyone to learn about different cultures, which is an essential part of community integration.’

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The event’s theme is ‘Food for Thought’ and the lucky ladies will cook up homemade beauty products, get tips on healthy eating and share their favourite recipes. There will also be a taster session of food poetry and information about Fair Trade and international foods. All the activities have a distinctive ‘culinary’ flavour, whilst also inspiring and empowering women.

International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on 8th March, and is a world-wide celebration of women, inspiring them to achieve their full potential. ‘Food for Thought’ is being hosted by Clapham Park Project in partnership with Lambeth Libraries, and gives women of all ages the chance to feed their bodies and their minds!

Cynthia Unoarumhi, Chair of the Education and Youth Theme Group said, “International Women’s Day is a great chance for women to relax and pamper themselves, and also to celebrate women’s achievements in the past and today.”