Author: Lizzie O'Grady

I’m on the move from late October 2020, so the Friends are after an individual to keep them in the local spotlight! Someone with a creative flair is very welcome to blow some fresh air into the presentation of FoSC events. Armed with only your mobile phone camera, this is your chance to show off your photo journalism skills and generate images of the Common on its journey through the year.

You will be responsible for the Twitter, Facebook & Website feeds. As a member, [you can join here if you aren’t a member already!] you will be invited on to the executive board to plan and work with exec members on requirements. Meetings are once a month.

Useful skills: Graphics skills in Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign to produce physical posters for the walks and talks that happen throughout the year.
The website is based on a simple WordPress template and needs to be updated with events, members news, related news items that affect the common locally or national items of interest.

Essential: A love of nature, and a commitment to the future-proofing of Streatham Common as a safe, sustainable green-space for all the community to enjoy.

Please contact chair@streathamcommon.org

The common has given much relief to our local community during these difficult times of the lockdown. But we must remain vigilant.

Public spaces / outdoor activities / exercise: What can I do that I couldn’t do before? The current government guidelines as of 13th May 2020 are:

• Spend time outdoors – for example sitting and enjoying the fresh air, picnicking, or sunbathing.
• Meet one other person from a different household outdoors – following social distancing guidelines.
• Exercise outdoors as often as you wish – following social distancing guidelines
• Use outdoor sports courts or facilities, such as a tennis or basketball court, or golf course – with members of your household, or one other person while staying 2 metres apart
• Go to a garden centre

At all times, you should continue to observe social distancing guidelines when you are outside your home, including ensuring you are 2 metres away from anyone outside your household. As with before, you CANNOT:

• Exercise in an indoor sports court, gym or leisure centre, or go swimming in a public pool
• Use an outdoor gym or playground
• Gather in a group of more than two (excluding members of your own household), except for a few specific exceptions set out in law (for work, funerals, house moves, supporting the vulnerable, in emergencies and to fulfil legal obligations)

If you are showing coronavirus symptoms, or if you or any of your household are self-isolating, you should stay at home – this is critical to staying safe and saving lives.

All Lambeth parks remain open for now – all playgrounds and parks sports facilities including changing rooms are closed. Toilets in parks remain closed. We know it is very tempting to use the playgrounds but it is imperative that you do not use them just yet, for your health and the health of your children. Lambeth Council have asked that if you see people regularly using the playground on Streatham Common to contact COVID19POS@lambeth.gov.uk

When you return to your home from being outside – WASH YOUR HANDS.

The following message is from Richard Payne – Chair of the Streatham Common Co-operative [Sccoop]

“As you know, SCCoop and Mered particularly, SCCoop’s head ranger, have been working up in the woodlands carrying out important works (with groups like LWT and the Great North Woods Project) to try to preserve and improve the woodlands. In my non-eco speak – this includes schemes to reducing soil erosion which is a very real threat to the woodlands, trying to get the woodland to live again (hence some fenced off bits), and also building things like the new steps to open up the woodlands, but also help reduce erosion.

Mered’s work is mostly carried out by volunteers and we’ve seen 100s of people get involved – some through organised charities like Mencap providing really valuable activities for them, some corporate volunteers, some just sign up through the website. So good for the woods – good for society too!  And more people in the woods means as safer woods.

We’d love to be able to carry on funding Mered’s work, but with the cut from the council this means we have a 50k funding gap to fill. Most of the money FoSC has put aside to date is already going towards keeping the core horticulture in the Rookery going.  So we need to fund this from elsewhere.

We have a huge opportunity right now to fund this for 2 years with the GLA’s help. https://www.spacehive.com/streatham-community-woodland-project

This scheme basically means that if get 8/9k pledged by Monday 24th Feb (a fraction of the total) – the GLA put in the rest – so could be worth 18k.  We have some big donors lined up hopefully ready to pledge to get us closer to the total, but also we need to get the number of individuals large as well – over 100 for sure.

So however small, if you can pledge something to the project, we’ll be able to keep the woodland work going this year and next.

And if that’s not enough reason for you, Mered’s got seasonal ponds planned as well – (ponds on the common being a long term FoSC ambition)

So please help with a donation, and please forward this email, or help spread the word through your favourite social media means!

https://www.spacehive.com/streatham-community-woodland-project

Any support is hugely appreciated”

Richard

SCCoop  (Chair of board)