This evening (Friday 23 March) Transition Walthamstow will meet at the Hornbeam Centre, 548 Hoe Street, E17 9AH. Doors open at 6.15pm, and the main meeting starts at 7pm. This Friday's meeting agenda, and the outputs from their last meeting on 12 March, can be found online. All welcome.
On Saturday 24 March Waltham Forest NCT are holding another nearly new sale. 10am- 11:30am at the Asian Centre, 18a Orford Road, E17 9LN. £2 entrance per family. Refreshments available. All welcome.
Walthamstow Village Residents' Association 10th annual spring clean takes place on Saturday 24 March. They will be meeting on the Village Square (on the corner of Eden & Orford Roads) at 10:30 am to spruce up the Village ready for summer and their entry to London in Bloom competition. For more details please email Helen.
At 1pm on Saturday 24 March the spring cleaning continues, this time at Higham Hill. Meet on Higham Hill Road, opposite the Post Office by Trencherfield allotments to help clean all the Higham Hill Road side of the Trencherfield Allotments.
Also on Saturday 24 March the Soul Project at Tumble in the Jungle at 245 Wood Street is holding a free 'all around the world' event to showcase local youth groups and promote activities for young people in Walthamstow. Featuring VIP guests Chris & Wes, the winners of Got to Dance, Actors from M.I High & Tracey Beaker and free style footballers, this event will run from 12-4pm.
This year's William Morris Birthday Lecture takes place on Saturday 24 March at 2.30pm, in the chapel at Forest School, Oakhurst Gardens, E17 3PY. Acclaimed Morris biographer Fiona MacCarthy will deliver this year's lecture and the talk will be followed by refreshments in the great hall. The lecture is free but you will require a ticket – available from the Vestry House Museum or the reception desk at the school.
Finally on Saturday 24 March, the Chapel End Savoy Players are holding their Quiz Night, at 7.30pm. At the Church of Christ the King, 455 Chingford Road, Chingford, E4 8SP (just off the Crooked Billet Roundabout on the North Circular Road). Tickets: £7.50 (must be booked in advance) include Ploughman's supper, tea & coffee. Please bring your own drinks. To Reserve your table (max 8), please call Cathy on 020 8529 0689.
On Sunday 25 March Walthamstow Toy Library are holding a new and nearly new table top sale, from 10am-12pm. At Comely Bank Community Clinic, 46 Ravenswood Road, E17 9LY. Adults: £1, Children: free.
LETS is a not-for-profit, community-based organisation, with members offering services and goods to each other using a local online currency system. Waltham Forest LETS members are meeting on Sunday 25 March, from 2pm- 4pm, at the Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane, E17 7HA.
Grow Your Own Theatre – Walthamstow's brand new youth theatre for 11-15 years – will be performing 'Locked In' at the Rose and Crown Theatre Pub on Monday 26 March. Tickets are £3/£2 online.
On Thursday 29 March Greenpeace Waltham Forest are holding an open film night at the Orford Social Club, 73 Orford Road, E17 9QR – doors open at 7.30pm. This is an opportunity to find out more about Greenpeace's history and its current campaigns.
On Saturday 31 March the Hornbeam Cafe host their first pop up Seasonal Supper Club Evening. Doors open 7.30pm, food served in one sitting at 8pm. £18 for three courses. Tickets fully payable in advance from Hornbeam Cafe, 548 Hoe Street, E17 9AH (10.30 - 17.00 Wed - Sat) or online.
Forest Recycling Project and the Hornbeam Cafewill be holding their Spring Fayre on Sunday 1 April from 11am to 3pm. At the cafe at 548 Hoe Street, E17 9AH there will be stalls and crafts, and at the recycling project next door there will be the opportunity to take part in an 'upcycling' competition – transform an old piece of furniture into a practical and attractive household item, and you could win a prize.
Image17 Olympic touring exhibition begins
A touring photography exhibition celebrating sport is launching in Waltham Forest –Taking Part by Image17. The 144 celebratory images show the breadth of sports available, the commitment of staff and volunteers and highlight the important role sport plays in our community. The first exhibition opens at Leyton Library, High Road Leyton, E10 5QH on 24 March until 22 April. Subsequent exhibitions continue until 16 September – with the tour ending in Walthamstow Library later in the summer!
Key planning strategy adopted by the Council
Fans of planning policy will be interested to know that Waltham Forest Council has adopted its Core Strategy – the policies which will guide the development of our area for the next 15 years. You can read the Strategy on the Council's website.
Where to find me this week..
• Saturday 24 March Holding drop in surgeries at the NCT nearly new sale (10- 11:30am at the Asian Centre on Orford Road) and at the Selbourne Walk Shopping Centre (12- 2pm), before dropping into the Tumble in the Jungle event at the Family Activity Centre.
• Sunday 25 March doing a street surgery in the high street area of Walthamstow before appearing on 'Pienaar's Politics' on Radio 5 Live in the evening.
• Monday 26 March Speaking at the all party parliamentary group on street lighting.
• Tuesday 27 March taking part in Health Question Time in the House of Commons, before meeting with young leaders as part of the Youth Crime Pledge project.
• Thursday 29 March Attending the Queen's visit to Waltham Forest Town Hall.
• Friday 30 March Hosting the Walthamstow Jobs Fair at Waltham Forest College.
Walthamstow Jobs Fair: 30 March Waltham Forest College 10am-4pm
This coming Friday 30 March I have organised another jobs fair for Walthamstow residents. This event is free to attend for all local residents and will be held at Waltham Forest College between 10am and 4pm. A range of over 40 employers and training companies will be in attendance offering real vacancies ranging from international companies like Virgin Media, construction giants CH2M Hill, Barclays Bank and local firms and training providers.
In addition to information on vacancies there will be a series of seminars and targeted sessions for both young and older jobseekers. These seminars will be run by The Prince's Trust and The Age and Employment Network. There are also free coffees for the first 300 attendees.
If you are a local employer who would like to advertise a vacancy at this event next friday please get in touch.
Stadium Car Park Planning Application Meeting
The Stow Area Residents have asked me to let readers know they will be attending the Council's Planning Committee on Tuesday to voice their objections to a plan to turn part of the former Walthamstow stadium's car park into a bus depot and would like to encourage other local residents concerned about the future of this site to attend as well. The meeting takes place from 7:30pm on Tuesday 27 March in the Council Chamber, Waltham Forest Town Hall, Forest Road, E17 4JF.
Book now for Little Shop of Horrors in Chingford
Booking has opened for Little Shop of Horrors at Mornington Hall, The Green Walk, North Chingford, E4 7EN. This production of Ashman & Menken's famous musical is about a man-eating plant in a downtown New York florist shop. From 18-21 April, 7.45 pm (plus 2.30 pm on 21st) Tickets £9.50, discounts available. Book tickets online or phone 020 8524 4380.
Local Jobs & Internships: Walthamstow Toy Library & Significant Seams
Walthamstow Toy Library have two positions to fill – a paid Toy Librarian/ Play Worker (3 hours a week) and an unpaid Family Support Volunteer (6 hours a week). Email the manager for details of what the roles involve and how to apply.
Social enterprise Significant Seams have several opportunities for people to volunteer as unpaid interns. These will vary from half a day to 1.5 days a week. Local expenses will be paid, meals provided, and free participation in workshops offered. Roles include Carers & Toddler Programme Coordinator, Stitch & Craft Membership Library Coordinator and Marketing intern. For more info, or to apply with a letter, CV and reference, please email.
Parliamentary Update: Tackling Stalking
This week I spoke for the opposition in a debate on new laws to tackle stalking. It is estimated 120,000 people in England experience this form of harassment every year, but at present very few people are prosecuted for this behaviour.
As a Shadow Minister I have been working to lobby for a new offence of stalking and scrutinising the proposals the Government have now brought forward on this issue. If you would like to know more about the work I have been doing you can read the speech I gave here.
Stella Creasy, Labour and Co-Operative MP for Walthamstow
23 Orford Road Walthamstow E17 9NL 020 8521 1223
www.workingforwalthamstow.org.uk
