Forest Hill Community Library Approaches Its Second Anniversary

By John Firmin
Time flies but it’s been two years since our library was saved by a community consortium comprising V22 — the arts organisation based in next-door Louise House, the Forest Hill Trader’s Association, the Forest Hill Society and several local individuals concerned by plans to close the library.

Since then, the library has flourished. At the end of 2017, the number of visits each month was 15 per cent greater than a year earlier and in 2018 consistently exceeds 11,000 every month. Book borrowing is also healthy, particularly by the under-11s. This is very evident in the Summer Reading Challenge, which aims to get kids using libraries and reading during the summer holidays. In 2017 Forest Hill had more children take on the challenge than any other library in Lewisham except the main central library itself, and we had more children complete the challenge than any other community library. More than 250 children gained a medal for reading six books. Over 430 children signed up to the challenge and we are well on the way to achieving the target set by Lewisham libraries. It’s great when children become library members for the first time in order to tackle the challenge.

Forest Hill Library is open and staffed for longer than any other community library in the borough and, with the exception of Blackheath library, issues more books per square foot than any other library. It is an incredible success story on so many fronts.

Securing the future of the library was a major motivator behind the community bid in 2016. But the library is far more than just a source of books. For many people it is vital as a means of engaging with the digital world and, regardless of the day of the week, the 17 computers in the library are busy. Activities for under-5s run every Tuesday morning and Thursday afternoon (never have I seen so many buggies in one place!); Origami classes take place on Saturdays; a reading group meets once a month; and the library arranges speakers for the Lively Minds Group on the first Monday of each month.

The library’s success owes a great deal to everyone who so generously supported the community bid, to the management team of Simon Higgs and Stephen Bruce and to all the volunteers who keep the library open 66.5 hours each week. Being a library volunteer is a rewarding experience. Seeing the joy on young faces when they tell you about the book they have just read for the summer challenge gives you a warm feeling. When you help the lady who had just lost her husband use a computer to deal with the things that he had always handled, you know you have made a positive difference in someone’s life.

We pay the bills by renting rooms and hiring out the back room for meetings, and with support from Leaf and Groove in Dartmouth Road, which turns donations of books and vinyl records into cash for the library.

If you would like to be involved as a volunteer, or support the library by donating to Leaf and Groove or becoming a “Friend” (£30 per annum) please contact Stephen Bruce at the library by emailing contact@FHLibrary.co.uk or calling 020 8244 0634.

Lively Minds at Forest Hill Library

On the first Monday of every month, Forest Hill Library hosts Lively Minds discussions for the over-50s. This is a small group that features a variety of guest speakers talking about a wide variety of topics and encouraging discussion amongst the group.

Since the library became a Community Library we have hosted a variety of discussions about such topics as local history, archaeology, Victorian sewage, improving local roads, philosophy, working for the intelligence services and lots more.

Find out more about the next series of topics at the library.

A Treasure in Kilmorie Road

By Belinda Evans

Tucked behind houses on Kilmorie Road is the Young Lewisham Project, which many people in this area may not even know exists! It’s a community project that supports young people in Lewisham to become responsible and valued citizens.

Started as long ago as 1974, the project began when a group of local Lewisham residents were frustrated by the fact that some of the young people in their neighbourhood were getting into too much trouble, especially through stealing motorbikes. They knew it was largely because they were bored and had nothing to do, but just didn’t know how to tackle the problem. It was then that one of the residents came across a project in Birmingham that had set up a workshop for young people to fix motorbikes rather than steal them!

Together, the local residents turned one of their garages into a small workshop and encouraged local youths to come along and learn the basics of motorbike mechanics; and the Young Lewisham Project was born.
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The aim of the project is to support young people to become active citizens, take responsibility, learn about the local community and understand how to improve their own surroundings; and to provide important links with other resources within the borough that support young people.

Programmes that take place each week at the workshop site include motorcycle and bicycle maintenance, woodworking, furniture restoration, art, gardening and allotment work. Residential trips and off-site activities also take place throughout the year and the programme works with up to 150 young people each year who are referred by partner agencies.

As with all charities in times of austerity, the Young Lewisham Project is always looking for volunteers to help maintain its success. Sometimes they need the help of volunteers in specific areas and are currently looking for someone who can commit for two or three days/afternoons a week to help with general administration —such as recording student information, collating information for funding reports and helping with general administrative tasks of the organisation.

There are also plans to run some evening classes to utilise the workshop space and generate income. If you are interested in finding out more or getting involved, or are inspired by what goes on, please have a look at their website at https://www.younglewisham.org.uk.

Welcome to the Season of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness, and All Change in the Plant World...

By Quetta Kaye, Chair, Environment Committee

Thanks to the valiant efforts of a dedicated team of watering volunteers our plants in the town centre survived the heat wave, and the results of the RHS’s judgement will be known on September 20th, but autumn is fast upon us and so is the need to tidy-up and replant.

Saturday 6th October is the date for your diary, meeting at 2:30pm at the front entrance to Forest Hill station. The summer plants will be edited and spruced up and hundreds of daffodil bulbs need to be planted to create a brilliant display for next Spring, when you will have the opportunity to admire the results of your individual handiwork.

All are welcome, no experience is needed, but proximity to heavy traffic and parking cars means this event is not suitable for children. Please bring your own trowel/dibber and protective gloves, although we do have a few spares.

Treading a New Path in the Horniman Triangle

Last autumn, the Forest Hill Society proposed a scheme to the Forest Hill Ward Assembly to provide a new path across the Horniman Triangle Park (across the South Circular from Horniman Gardens). This path would link the Sydenham Rise entrance and café to the park’s play area.

For many years the absence of a path has made the field difficult to cross, particularly with buggies. After severe rainfall the field would become very muddy and difficult to cross, but it was not always obvious until too late!

With the support of the Forest Hill Ward Assembly, Lewisham Council and Glendale, a path has now been installed, making it easier to cross the field in all weathers.

Suddenly, the park seems that little bit smaller (but in a good way) with the café and toilets much easier to access. Hopefully the path will endure the ravages of Forest Hill winters and provide easier access for many years to come.

If you have other ideas about ways to improve Forest Hill please get in touch — we can work together to make them happen!

First World War Memorial — Service of Commemoration

Forest Hill Team Ministry
Christ Church Chapel, South Road, Forest Hill
First World War Memorial — Service of Commemoration

You are warmly invited to join us at a Service of Commemoration to mark the re-installation of the First World War Memorial at 3 pm on Sunday 11th November 2018.

Many hundreds of local young men served in this most tragic and costly of wars and the War Memorial at Christ Church commemorates 68 of them from the Parish who lost their lives.

There will be a booklet available which gives the details of all but one who have been traced: addresses, next of kin, ages, and date and place of death. Some names may be recognisable as grandfather or great uncle to those who still live in the area. The streets where they lived show that they and their bereaved families would have lived amongst us, as our neighbours.

Significant Developments Planned for Forest Hill

All Inn One Site

This summer, owners Julia and Richard announced that they would be selling the All Inn One on Perry Vale. All regulars to the pub will be sad to see them leave in April 2019 and will be concerned about the future of the pub once they leave.

The new owner is considering the best use for the site, but has told the Forest Hill Society that a pub will remain on the ground floor and return to the old name of The Forresters. Since pubs are now protected by law, any demolition proposal would require full planning permission from Lewisham Council — we will be watching this closely, and working with the developer to ensure continued community use of this site.


Artist’s impression of one possible rebuild of the All Inn One pub with residential units or a hotel above.

Co-op Site

Not far from the All Inn One, at the junction of Waldram Park Road (South Circular) and Stanstead Road, is the Co-op grocery store with a large forecourt which used to be a petrol station.

A planning application was submitted earlier this year to convert this site to a 5-storey, 90-room hotel. On the ground floor would be a convenience store, roughly the same size as the Co-op; however, without any car parking, the Co-op is apparently not interested in continuing to operate on the site.

The Forest Hill Society is supportive of this application in principle, but does have some concerns about service access for the hotel and store, and the on- and off-site parking ramifications for hotel guests, shoppers and neighbouring residents.

However, a large hotel in Forest Hill could be of benefit to the community — by bringing more people to the area who would use local restaurants and shops.

Portakabin Site

Between the Co-op site and the railway bridge to the west, on Waldram Crescent (South Circular), lies the Portakabin site. Proposals for its redevelopment currently feature around 21 flats with some form of commercial activity at ground floor level. The development would rise from 3 storeys close to existing buildings on the eastern edge, to 6 storeys overlooking the railway line.

Since this site has been under-utilised for too long, it is good to see this site, close to the town centre, being considered for redevelopment. The Forest Hill Society has spoken to the developers to encourage them to think creatively about the use of the ground floor space, as its location on the South Circular is not a good spot for pedestrian access. Given the site's proximity to the railway line and the South Circular, we have also asked them to consider every possible noise mitigation solution for the benefit of the flats' future residents.

Forest Hill Society AGM

Monday 1st October, 7:30pm at Louise House on Dartmouth Road

Your chance to shape the year ahead for the Forest Hill Society. Tell us what you think is important for us to do in 2019.

There will be elections for the new executive committee. We are always looking for new people to join the executive committee or our teams working on Transport, Planning & Development, Environment, and Communications.

We are also please to welcome a guest speaker; Daniel Raven-Ellison from London National Park City, who will be talking to us about the campaign to recognise the value of green space in London.