Happy New Year all! Although it is almost February – how did that happen? 2023 has already been pretty productive. We’ve recently secured new funding from Sustainable Food Places to develop Lewisham Food Growing Network. Lewisham Local and Grow Lewisham will be working together on this year-long project starting in March.
Our next quarterly network meeting is Tuesday 31st January focusing on local food growing and picking (see below) and the next one at the end of March will focus on local good food businesses (again see below).
The Steering Group are looking at updating our Terms of Reference – how we want to work together etc. Please get in touch if you’d like to be more involved with GFL.
Lewisham Local are launching our new Community Directory. My Colleague Maria will talk about this in the GFL meeting, but let me know if you have any questions about it. The aim is for groups to be able to update their own information.
Lewisham Warm Welcomes project is continuing. We’ve just produced a new flyer with a lot of updated info. These are hot off the press in the LL office. Let us know if you’d like to collect some for your project or if you’d be up for helping to distribute them to doctor’s surgeries etc. We’ll be focusing on distribution over the next two weeks. Contact warmwelcomes@lewishamlocal.com
FOOD JUSTICE UPDATES FROM GFL NETWORK
There was an impressive range of free Christmas meals and additional free food services in December, with some groups organising a community meal for the first time, such as Greater Faith Ministries, who reported that their meal at the Leemore Centre was a success. Lewisham Salvation Army and Community Connections Lewisham worked together to deliver food parcels:
"Community Connections Transport and Lewisham Salvation Army teamed up over Christmas to deliver 83 meals and care packages to those who would be alone on Christmas Day. Their Captain, Karl, cooked the meals himself and the care packages were put together by their volunteers on the day. 15 of CCT's Volunteers - who normally spend their time taking disabled and older people to social groups, healthcare visits and even college - picked up the parcels and delivered them to isolated people all around Lewisham. It was a good opportunity to spread the word about the Warm Welcome Spaces by adding a Warm Welcome map to the food parcels.”
Food Groups' Round Table
Lewisham Local and Lewisham Homes held a Round Table for food giving groups, where we invited more experienced and resourced groups to offer support to other groups. We chose to focus on funding and food supply. It was really useful with everyone learning something. We have some minutes/notes, let me know if you’d like to see these. We’re planning another one for early March.
This is the invite text we sent out for the one a few weeks ago to give you an idea. Please email Emilio on emilio.scozzafava@lewishamhomes.org.uk if you have ideas of what to focus on in the next session:
Food Giving Projects Roundtable/Peer Support Session
This meeting is for food giving projects, like food banks and social supermarkets, in Lewisham in need of support. It will be practical, focused on mutual support and advice, best practice, tips and tricks. It is an opportunity for projects that are facing particular challenges to collaborate with more established/better resourced organisations. The five food projects on the panel will be: Evelyn Community Store, Rehoboth Community Outreach Club, Sydenham Community Supermarket, FoodCycle Lewisham and Lewisham Food Bank.
Likely topics will be securing funding, retaining volunteers, keeping costs down, maintaining food donations and the pros and cons of different organising models (e.g. food bank, social supermarket). Some of the outcomes will hopefully be to increase peer to peer support and arrange trainings for groups based on needs.
New Hospital Food Bank
We put people at Lewisham Hospital in touch with Lewisham Food Bank and they’ve now arranged getting food to give to certain discharged patients in need. This is what they said:
The Hospital Team are currently receiving 10 food parcels on a monthly basis from the Lewisham Food Bank. The main goal is to ensure that vulnerable clients who are discharged from hospital with no food at home or no support network available to complete food shopping for them upon discharge can return home when they are medically fit for discharge rather that having to remain in hospital until an arrangement is made. Once they are home, our Discharge to Assess Team will explore long-term options with clients during the initial visit that is usually completed within 24 hours of discharge.
999 Club Deptford
New 999 Breakfast Club
999 Club Early Bird Breakfasts Monday and Wednesday 06.30-9.00.
999 Club now have a free breakfast service at their Day Centre at 21 Deptford Broadway for those facing homelessness or rough sleeping in Lewisham. You can also use showers, the internet, laundry services and access additional support services such as community outreach, and housing, employment and benefits advice. For further information, call 0208 694 5797, email breakfast@999club.org or visit www.999club.org.
New Breakfast Club for Lewisham Youth
There’s a great new local project: CC Breakfast. Started by the CC Foundation, which was set up to support youth and address the barriers present in low-income socio-economic areas. The breakfast aims to help ease the pressure of the morning routine for young people in Lewisham by providing them with a space to prep before school/college and have a free breakfast.Grab a nutritious breakfast 6am - 9am, using eggs organically sourced F manor farms. 18 Eltham Road, SE12 by Leegate House bus 122, 261, 202. For more information and to sign up to join the waiting list here.
Food Justice Action Plan Update
The launch of the Food Justic Action Plan has been postponed but will hopefully be happening soon. There are discussions taking place soon too about forming a new Food Justice Alliance to implement actions from the plan. There will be funding for food projects coming soon too.
Lewisham Right to Food Rally, photo by Caro Swan
Lewisham Universal Free School Meal campaign
The Lewisham Universal Free School Meal campaign being championed by Right to Food is powering ahead. If you want to, please sign the petition and find out more info here. Contact the group on RTFLewisham@gmail.com to get more involved.
Household Support Fund Update
We wanted to update people about the third phase of the Household Support Fund (which covers the period 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023) in case you haven’t already heard. I can email and send via WhatsApp a copy of the letter – please let me know if you want me to do this helen@lewishamlocal.com. I’ll send to the email lists and WhatsApp group anyway.
The date the letter will expire is 19 February. As part of the latest stage of the Household Support scheme the council have sent out 7436 letter’s to households where the claimant or partner are disabled. Those who receive the letter will need to go to the Post Office within a month of 19 January 2023 to redeem the payment. I have attached a copy of the letter.
We will be updating our website in due course regarding further use of the funding and this is what we have put regarding these payment’s.
Those in receipt of Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction where the claimant or partner is disabled.
We are writing to those households where on 12 January 2023 the claimant or partner were in receipt of the following;
Attendance Allowance
Constant Attendance Allowance
Disability Living Allowance for adults
Disability Living Allowance for children
Personal Independence Payment
Adult Disability Payment (in Scotland)
Child Disability Payment (in Scotland)
Armed Forces Independence Payment
War Pension Mobility Supplement
The limited capacity for work and the limited capacity for work-related activity element within the Universal Credit award
A disabled indicator
We already have the details of these households and have written to them to confirm their award and how to receive the support through the Post Office. There is no need to contact us as we will write directly to all those who qualify.
FOOD GROWING UPDATES FROM GFL NETWORK
New Youth- led Garden
There’s an exciting new CocoCollective Ital Community Garden in Catford. See a video of the site here. It’s a youth led garden open on Sundays 10- 3pm. Check their Instagram page here. The location is: the white gate next to 104 Engleheart Road, SE6 2HW
New CocoCollective Garden in Catford
GOOD FOOD EVENTS HAPPENING SOON
GFL Network Meeting 31st January
Our next GFL Network Meeting is on Tuesday 31st January (this was advertised in the December Newsletter). This is on growing and picking good locally, with guests from Capital Growth, Grow Lewisham, Stanstead Lodge gardening group, Lewisham council, growing projects, expert foragers and more. We’ll be discussing taking Lewisham Growing Network forward, developing shared resources, diversity, taking our next practical steps. We’ll get a tour of the garden too.
Bring and share (or buy something from their in house café) lunch from 1.15, meeting 2-4 at Stanstead Lodge, 260 Stanstead Road, SE23 1DD
Bridgehouse Gardens: Kick-off event and walk
Saturday, 4th February, Meet at 12pm at Scotney Hall (19 Sharratt St, SE15 1EY) or join us any time, between 12-4pm
Come and share your ideas for how we can bring community food growing, greening and local improvements to underused spaces across Rollins Street and Winslade Estate!
The event will involve:
*A short walk around the sites, for those who want to join;
* A short presentation by the Grow Lewisham team;
*A seed bomb making and drawing workshop, for all ages!
*Hot drinks, snacks and soup are provided!
For any questions, please contact Carolina at carolina@jupiterwoods.com or carolongaro@gmail.com or send a message to 07857740116
Grow Lewisham Monthly Open Day
Grow Lewisham’s next monthly open day will be on Sunday 5th February. 12 - 4pm (til dark), enter at 1 Southview Road, BR1 5RD. ALL WELCOME. More info and to sign up on Eventbrite.
Drop-in Volunteering, 12-2pm
Seed planting in our greenhouse and general garden clean-up
Workshop: Intro to Food Growing, 2-4pm, FREE, Spaces limited, RSVP essential.
This workshop is free and open to all, whether you are a beginner or looking to build on your knowledge & skills.
At the Open Day there will also be:
Family friendly activity
Take-home seeds
Hot Soup and drinks
Share ideas for upcoming workshops
ℹ️Find out more about ways to get involved with Grow Lewisham including our volunteer programme.
Contact growlewishamnetwork@gmail.com for more info, or DM us.
Access:
Let us know if you have any specific access requirements, or if there’s anything we can do to better support you to come along.
Transport:
136, 181, 208, 320, 336 bus routes. 14 minute walk from Beckenham Hill station and 18 min walk from Bellingham station.
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CALL-OUT FOR EVENT VOLUNTEERS: roles include greeting attendees ~ serving soup and drinks ~giving out seeds ~ info / sign-up desk ~ and more. Volunteer expenses available.
Contact Sarah at growlewishamnetwork@gmail.com or phone/ WhatsApp 07463918718 and tell us how long you’d like to spend volunteering with us (could be 1hr, or the whole session!) We can find you a role that suits you!
St John’s Society programme of green workshops, next one on 6th February about trees:
Building Cash First Approach Online Event
There’s an interesting online event the week after next on Wed 8th at 2 – 3.30pm on Building Cash First that a few of us are going to.In the last monthly food network zoom meeting a few people were talking about wanting to learn more about how best to sign post people to services. The next stage with our new Worrying About Money? Leaflet is to train front line workers in how to use the resource. This session may be useful to those thinking about these issues.
Next Warm Welcome Spaces Zoom Networking Event
Warm Welcome’s next Zoom network event will be on Thursday 9th February 12.30 - 1.30. If you’re involved in a warm welcome project and want to attend please contact warmwelcomes@lewishamlocal.com
Greater Faith Ministries Monthly Community Meal
Following the success of their festive meal, Greater Faith Ministries are holding their next meal on Friday 10th February 5-7pm at the Leemore Centre, 29-31 Clarendon Rise, SE13 5EY (Bonfield Road entrance. They will be doing a monthly meal every second Friday of the month.
Citizens Advice Lewisham 'Advice First Aid' Training Event
CAL are organising an ‘Advice First Aid’ event on Thursday 23rd February starting at 10am.
“To facilitate wider participation, we will alternate the delivery medium of our Forums (online and in person). February's Forum will take place online.
Advice Lewisham Partnership Forums are a quarterly platform for partners and local support, community and faith organisations to collaborate on providing the best possible support for Lewisham residents. This Forum will focus on our Advice First Aid training initiative and it will include a initial session with the trainer.
What is Advice First Aid (AFA) training
· AFA is a two day, introductory course
· AFA is free and delivered in person or on-line by Citizens Advice
· AFA is aimed at frontline volunteers and staff in non-advice role
· AFA is participatory: people are encouraged to ask questions and based on specific needs in their community)
· AFA can be tailored based on community groups specific needs
To reserve a place, please RSVP to <communications@citizensadvicelewisham.org.uk> or by completing this short online form.”
Next Sessions from GFL
The next monthly food network meeting will take place on Thursday 16th February 1-2pm.This will be a week earlier due to the CAL advice training (see above). Let me know if you have ideas for what to focus on. I’ll be attending a session on developing a Charter for Dignified Food Support with other food networks and academics on 15th February and can report back on this on 16th February, but happy for others to talk more about your project or a specific issue in this session.
Our next food groups' roundtable will be in early March, date TBC.
LOCAL GREEN BUSINESSES
Our next quarterly network meeting at the end of March (date and location TBC) will focus on local green businesses. Please get in touch if you’d like to be more involved – we’re setting up a working group of local businesses. We’ll discuss how the re-vamped Good Food Lewisham Business Charter’s going and if we want to adapt it as an engagement tool. Thanks to those who have recently signed up to get involved.
REQUESTS
I’m finalising our food provision list ready for the Network meeting on 31st, so please let me know if your opening hours or anything else has changed, thanks.
I’m also regularly updating our growing spaces list, again please send me any info that I haven’t included or that’s not right. We’ll be looking at this in the 31st meeting too – people will be able to edit. We’re hoping to be able to print and circulate gardens info, opening times etc. We’re up to 53 spaces now, but there are more and we haven’t got all the correct info yet. This will be a useful resource once we have. All input very welcome.
Grow Lewisham Volunteer Call Out
Grow Lewisham volunteer request and info pack:
“Hello all,
Sarah here, Grow Lewisham Volunteer and Workshop Coordinator. Hope you are all doing well.
I’m getting in touch to share info about our upcoming Volunteer Roles at Grow Lewisham, to support our activity at ‘The Plot’ (1 Southview Road, BR1 5RD) and our associated projects and events across Lewisham.
There are lots of different roles, including Lead Growers / Gardeners, our new GL Growing Collective, Events & Workshop Hosts and our Grow Mobile Riders! Each with different focus, and varying levels of time commitment. All the details are in the attached Information pack, it would be great if you are interested, and to let me know by completing our Grow Lewisham Volunteer Sign-up Form (linked in the info pack)
I encourage you to forward on, and share with your networks that might be interested.
If you have any questions- or would like to chat about any of the roles, get in touch with me at growlewishamnetwork@gmail.com and we can set-up a time to chat.
For those of you that have already completed our volunteer sign-up form in the past - thank you! (no need to fill it out again)- I will be in touch with you very soon.
Many thanks!
Sarah, Volunteer & Workshop Coordinator at Grow Lewisham.”
TRAINING AND RESOURCES
Video resource on setting up a community meal
This is a really useful video for interested groups looking to set up community meals by Food for Life.
Capital Growth Trainings
Capital Growth have an extensive food growing training calendar across London and online where you can sign up to sessions, community conversations and an open call for trainers that’s open at the moment so if you’re up for offering your skills so have a look.
Therapeutic Gardening Course
Trust Links, an independent mental health charity based in South Essex, has just opened applications for Let's Grow Together, an online training course to help people develop their own therapeutic community gardens.
The course is £245 and includes 12 hours of online learning sessions, two 1-1 sessions with our staff, and the option to take part in work experience in our gardens.
The course information, and application form, can be found here/ Contact Christina for more info: christinar@trustlinks.org
Sow, Grow, Eat - Course for Teenagers
Sow, Grow, Eat gardening course for teenagers 13 - 17 years old. Apply by Monday 13th Feb. At the Garden Museum (not in Lewisham but a ten minute walk from Vauxhall, Westminster and Lambeth North stations)
Winter Pruning
Basics of winter pruning workshop at John Evelyn Community Garden Friday 24th February
Guide for Running a Food Market
New practical guide for trader and community groups on how to set up and run your own market. It includes a section aimed at local authorities, explaining how and why they can support the sector. The handbook is a product of the Markets4People project, a collaboration between university researchers and practitioners.
New homelessness support project
Driving for Change - offering support and guidance for people experiencing homelessness. Driving for Change is an initiative run by the Change Please Foundation. They offer practical support and guidance to people experiencing homelessness.
Tuesdays: 10:00am - 4:00pm Molesworth Car Park (Opposite Lewisham shopping centre) SE13 7EY
Services available on board the bus on Tuesdays are:
- Access to general healthcare support - Oral Health Care - Podiatry services - Hairdresser - HSBC No Fixed Address Bank Accounts - Financial inclusion to aid with cost of living crisis - Medical Vaccinations (please check with staff on board) - Drugs and Alcohol Support Services For other available services – please ask the staff on the bus.
FUNDING
Grantfinder and More Event
Lewisham Local’s Community Fundraiser Karen is running an event on 1st Feb 12.15 - 3pm at Catford Library - Grantfinder and More - looking at how Lewisham's voluntary groups can find trusts that can support your cause and focus on those likely to give to your group.
Green and resilient spaces fund
Green and Resilient Spaces Fund Round Two is NOW OPEN UNTIL 10 February 2023
The second round of the Mayor’s Green and Resilient Spaces Fund is now open for applications from councils and other organisations, with £3m available for projects to create or improve green spaces and an additional £800,000 for large scale tree planting to boost London’s climate resilience.
Grants on offer include:
Project Grants of between £250,000 and £750,000 for green space projects that can be completed by March 2025
Development Grants of up to £40,000 for work to be completed by March 2024 in order to create a pipeline of exemplar projects ready to deliver when additional funding becomes available
NEW - Tree Planting Grants of between £75,000 and £500,000 for exemplar tree lined streets and public spaces or woodland creation sites over two planting seasons, by March 2025 as part of the Mayor’s Trees for London programme.
Applications need to be submitted by 10 February 2023 and a decision about which projects receive grant funding is expected to be made in March 2023.
Please send any questions to greenandresilientspaces@london.gov.uk
Funding for breakfast clubs in schools
The Department for Education has announced that Schools can apply for a 75% subsidy for breakfast club provision until July 2024. To participate in the National School Breakfast Programme, schools will have 40% or more pupils in bands A-F of the income deprivation affecting children index (IDACI). The contract for the programme will be delivered through Family Action, who will source and deliver breakfast food products to participating schools. National School Breakfast Programme (England)
Funding for Community Projects in North Lewisham
Funding for projects in the North of the Lewisham borough, deadline 17th March. You can apply for up to £4000.
Funding from the Co-op Supermarket for Warm Welcomes
We know that fundraising can be challenging in the winter months, so the Co Op is now offering local community groups £500 to kickstart their fundraising, as well as increasing our match funding amount from £3,000 to £5,000 – including both new projects and those that have already started fundraising.
Getting started couldn't be easier – local groups simply need to set up a Crowdfunder project and apply for the funding here by 28 February. If accepted, they will get a £500 pledge from the Co-op. From there, every pound they raise from the crowd will be matched by Co-op up to a maximum of £5,000.
OTHER NEWS
New Lewisham Climate Group
New local climate action group – Power in our Hands
