An Urgent Appeal on behalf of Sydenham Arts Festival

From the team behind the Sydenham Arts Festival:

You may know that we currently planning our sixth annual arts festival in Sydenham - as always providing a fantastic, wide-ranging programme of arts events and activities for the whole community, more than half of which are free (see http://sydenhamartsfestival.co.uk/).

Having received some very generous grants from National Lottery and Lewisham Council, not to mention support from local businesses, this has become our most ambitious programme ever, meaning July will see several, very high-profile, large-scale events come to Sydenham and Forest Hill.

With events on this scale, there has been a much larger than unexpected increase in costs – in particular for technical infrastructure, security personnel and health & safety provision. Despite strenuous efforts to meet this shortfall in our budget, we need additional funds. We are therefore making an urgent appeal to local residents, festival goers, business owners, stakeholders and supporters, to help us meet this gap.

Become a Friend of Sydenham Arts FestivalIn our own 'crowd-funding' bid, we are looking to raise additional funds from private donations. You may donate any amount, but those contributing £50 or more will be listed as a Friend of Sydenham Arts Festival on our website, and can also claim two free tickets (subject to availability) to one of the following events:
HEGLEY & KAY or IAN SIEGAL: 21ST CENTURY FOLK & BLUES
OR 1 family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) to JEREMY STRONG
OR 2 adult & 2 child tickets to TOY SYMPHONY
PLUS an invite to our pre-festival ‘warm up’ in June.
NB: Tickets may be claimed up till Mon 23 June 2014.

Friends will be listed on our site in four categories:
Platinum - £500 +
Gold - £250 +
Silver - £100 +
Bronze - £50 +

How to donate to Sydenham Arts Festival Ltd (a not-for-profit organisation):
Cheques (made payable to Sydenham Arts Festival Ltd): drop in or post to Sydenham Arts Festival, Kirkdale Bookshop, 272 Kirkdale, Sydenham SE26 4RS
Cash: please leave envelopes at Kirkdale Bookshop, marked Sydenham Arts Festival Friends (receipts will be provided).
Bank transfer: Barclays account number 43366650, sort code 20-05-57. Please use reference Friend of SAF

Please also email financeofficer@sydenhamartsfestival.co.uk with subject line Sydenham Arts Festival Friends Appeal, to claim your free tickets and be named as a Friend on our site.

Thank You!
The SAF team

If you go down to Dacres Woods today you're sure of a big surprise

On Saturday, 31st May 2014 the Friends of Dacres Wood Nature Reserve are hosting a teddy bear's picnic as part of an open day.

From 1pm-4pm you could hunt for teddies, make a sculpture, share a picnic with your teddy or just go for a tour of the nature reserve.

All you need is a teddy and picnic (and even those are optional)

visit http://dacreswood.org.uk/ for more information

The 23rd Annual Friends of the Horniman Art Exhibition

14-15 June will see the 23^rd Friends of the Horniman Art Exhibition in the Conservatory of the Horniman Museum and Gardens.

More than 30 Artists will be showing work over the weekend, in a wide variety of styles both contemporary and traditional. We will have oils, acrylics and watercolours but also drawings, prints, textile art and sculpture. Many artists will be familiar to previous visitors but we will also have a number of new artists this year. This is a great opportunity to purchase a unique, original art work while also supporting the museum. Even if you feel that you don’t currently have the wall space many of the artists will also be selling greeting cards.

The Sunday is Father’s Day so we are hoping that many people will incorporate a trip to the Museum and the Art exhibition into the weekend, perhaps including a trip to the Extremes exhibition, the Aquarium or your old favourites. 

Where: The conservatory, Horniman Museum and Gardens

When: Saturday 14 June 10am-5pm and Sunday 15 June 10am-4.30pm

Forest Hill Traders’ Association

There’s been some exciting developments in Forest Hill over the last few years, and as traders we’re thrilled to witness the continued regeneration of our town centre and the increased visibility of our creative community.

Local regeneration was given a boost a couple of years ago when a group of residents and traders (including members of the Forest Hill Society) pitched for and won a Portas Pilot grant for high street regeneration in Forest Hill, Sydenham and Kirkdale. One of the scheme’s conditions was that each of the areas involved should have an active traders’ association, so we duly resurrected the then-dormant Forest Hill Traders’ Association in support of the new SEE3 initiative that was born as a result of securing the Portas funding.

In the words of the SEE3 website: “The Forest Hill, Sydenham and Kirkdale’s Portas Pilot vision is of a high-street where established independent traders are an integral part of the community, new traders bring innovation and further quality, boundaries between retail, culture and community blur, energy of active citizens is harnessed, new ideas are championed and space that is secured for start-up enterprises to develop is readily accessible.”

We’ve been proudly involved in the many SEE3 initiatives that have taken place since, from exciting pop-ups and new markets through to community events and the Forest Hill Fashion Week (visit http://www.see3.co.uk/ for more details). We believe the scheme’s benefits have been both tangible and highly visible, making our neighbourhood a more varied and interesting place to live.

Totally Locally is a nationwide social enterprise which provides “support for independent retailers with a free branding and marketing campaign for their town.”

One of our local traders (Serge Sumerling of B Cards on Darmouth Road) had the idea to establish a Totally Locally hub for Forest Hill (http://totally-locally.co.uk/foresthill/), and this has now become the online “home” for the Forest Hill Trader’s Association and its members: a place where people can learn about what Forest Hill businesses have to offer, and where they can keep abreast of forthcoming initiatives, special offers and events.

We’re excited about the forthcoming Forest Hill Film Festival, with some of our members hosting screenings and events, and we’re due to install a map outside the station that will encourage people to explore Forest Hill’s hidden retail and other gems - so keep an eye out!

We’re especially keen for new members to join us. Established businesses, newcomers, market traders and home businesses are all welcome. This is a relatively young organisation and you’ll get a chance to help shape the future of independent business in Forest Hill.

Please contact Julia Channon (allinnone@btconnect.com) if you’re interested in joining, or even if you’d just like to attend our next meeting.

Farmers' Market at the Horniman

Following on from the success of the Forest Hill Society monthly Food Fairs, the Horniman Farmers' Market (run by Griffin, Kendall and Cox) is now a thriving weekly Saturday market.

Regular stalls include vegetables, bread, meat, cheeses, eggs, cakes, muffins, handmade pasta, juices, and loads more food to eat there or take home for the week ahead. All the produce is excellent quality and produced or sourced locally. Recently Billings of Sydenham have added fish to the market. And once a month you will find the Forest Hill Society stall with information about events in the local area and shops on the high street.

Horniman is a superb venue, with possibly the best views at any market in London. The market brings a greater variety of foods to the area, competing primarily with Sainsbury's. It is there to give you the opportunity to buy local produce direct from farmers and local producers, in addition to supporting local shops on the high street.

If you haven't been before, pop along on a Saturday between 9:30am and 1:30pm, and enjoy doing some shopping in a great setting.

Edible High Road - 10th May 2014

Historic Walk around Forest Hill

Saturday 10th May 10.30am - Free, One hour 'Talk and Walk' around Forest Hill and Sydenham with local Historian Steve Grindlay. 

Learn about some of the fascinating history of this area and more about the possible future PLUS the on-going BurtonNitta Knowledge Bank project.  

Meet outside the exhibition window at Sainsbury’s in Forest Hill.

Members Profile: Michael Abrahams, Chairman of the Forest Hill Society

When did you arrive in Forest Hill?

I moved to Forest Hill at the age of 4 in 1978, and have lived in a number of houses and flats around Forest Hill, on both sides of the railway. I now live in the same road that I moved to more than 30 years ago.

What made you choose Forest Hill as a place to live with your family?

Initially that was down to my parents. However I met my wife, Anne-Marie, in the sixth form of Sydenham School (we weren't married at the time) and we eventually chose to rent a flat in Forest Hill. We both grew up the area and have many friends who live in the area or close by, and both our sets of parents continue to live in Forest Hill.

When did you join the society?

I was one of the founder members of the Forest Hill Society. We met in the Dartmouth Arms in May 2006 after discussions on SE23.com. I chaired the Society for a couple of years before stepping down but I stayed on the committee and, when Richard stepped down last year I took the opportunity to stand again for Chair of the Society. I'm very proud of what we have achieved in the last 7 years and want to make sure we continue to find new ways to improve Forest Hill.

Why did you join the society?

I had always felt that Forest Hill lacked a clear voice and the closure of the swimming pool in 2006 was the main driver for local people to set up the Society. Other than the swimming pool, my main reasons for being part of the Society are to improve the high streets and to create a greater sense of community and shared pride in where we live.

What are the main things that the Forest Hill Society have achieved since you joined?

The swimming pool campaign was our main focus for a number of years. Had it not been for the tenacious campaigning by the Forest Hill Society and other groups, I don't think this would have happened.

Last year the Food Fairs took up lots of the efforts of the Society and partially as a result of this we now have a weekly market at the Horniman (not run by the FH Society), and at least two new shops on the high street.

What has been your proudest moment in the society?

Seeing the swimming pool built was wonderful. Swimming in the pool on the 15th September 2012, and attending the official opening a few weeks later, were certainly very proud moments – and the culmination of years of hard campaigning by local residents.

How has Forest Hill changed since you moved to the area?

It has changed a lot. We used to have at least three greengrocers, a fishmonger, cheese shop, health food shop, toy shop. But things changed on all high streets and after some bad years (mid-90s to mid-00s), the high street has definitely picked up in the last few years.

The other big change is the Horniman. When I was a child it was a 'dusty old museum', today it offers so much more for visitors. I'm sure part of this is my perception now that I have a young daughter, but I think the team in charge of the Horniman have done a fabulous job to improve and extend the museum.

What are you main priorities as Chairman moving forward?

It would be really nice to do something to make Forest Hill more friendly to pedestrians, or at least more attractive in the public spaces. Unfortunately this is not something that is easy to achieve and we need to find appropriate sources of funding.

I also want the Society to continue to enable local people to make things happen. We have been involved in a number of groups that have started off small and have made a difference to the local area separate from, but supported by, the Forest Hill Society. If you have ideas about making the place better, get in touch and we can help you to find a way to make it happen.

What's your vision for Forest Hill as Chairman?

Long term I want to see a redeveloped town centre – the space around the station and underpass on both sides of the railway. And I want to see the Bakerloo line extended underground to South East London – it doesn't have to be Forest Hill or Honor Oak, but either one would be my preferred route.

But most importantly I want everybody in Forest Hill to feel part of the community and to feel proud to live here. I think that is what being a member of the Forest Hill Society is all about.