Broadband problems

Unfortunately my Broadband supplier appears to have become the latest victim of the recession. I'm in the process of changing to a new ISP but this may take two weeks or more, and in the meantime I'll have limited temporary access to the Internet. I'll try and keep disruption to the minimum but some delays in responding to email and casework may be unavoidable.

Quaggy Waterways Action Group AGM

Quaggy Waterways Action Group are holding their Annual General Meeting
on the 21st January in the Methodist Church Hall, Albion Way, Lewisham starting at 7pm. Please let the Chair, Ray Manchester, know if you are planning to attend as this will help QWAG judge their printing and catering needs, avoiding wastage.

7:00pm: Arrival and Refreshments
Tea, coffee, soft drinks and a light buffet will be provided

7:30pm: Welcome and Introduction

7:35pm: Annual General Meeting
1. Apologies for absence.
2. Minutes and matters arising form the previous AGM
3. Presentation of the annual report
4. Presentation of the treasurer’s report and accounts
5. Election of committee members
6. Any other business

8:00pm: Break and Refreshments

8:15pm: Guest Speaker
This year’s talk will be given by Martin Hodge and Paul Chapman of Lewisham Council. QUERCUS and Beyond. The success of Cornmill Gardens and the QUERCUS project. What next for the rivers of Lewisham; projects, funding opportunities and partnership working.

8:55pm: Closing Remarks

Lee Green Safer Neighbourhood Team Briefings

My thanks to Ralph White of Lee Manor Society for emailing the URL of the SNT webpage which has a list of forthcoming briefings by our Safer Neighbourhood Team:

17/01/2009 - 12:00 - 12:30 - Street Briefing - Manor Park
17/01/2009 - 12:45 - 13:15 - Street Briefing - Handen Road
07/02/2009 - 12:30 - 14:30 - Drop-in Surgery - Sainsbury Leegate Centre
17/02/2009 - 19:30 - 21:00 - Public Meeting - Church Of Good Shepherd Handen Road
27/03/2009 - 12:30 - 14:30 - Drop-in Surgery - Sainsbury Leegate Centre
11/04/2009 - 12:30 - 14:30 - Drop-in Surgery - Sainsbury Leegate Centre
23/05/2009 - 12:30 - 14:30 - Drop-in Surgery - Sainsbury Leegate Centre

Lee Manor Society meeting

The next meeting of Lee Manor Society will be held on Wednesday 14 January at 105 Burnt Ash Road SE12 8RA: formal business from 8.00 pm and refreshments from 9.30 pm.

Manor Park User Group meeting

Just a quick reminder that the next meeting of Manor Park User Group is on Tuesday 13th January at 7:30pm in the Parish Room of the Good Shepherd in Handen Road. The agenda for the evening will include an update on the progress of the Longhurst Road entrance to the park, discussion on the redevelopment of the park building, and setting the date and venue for the year's meetings.

Friends of Hither Green Triangle Nature Reserve meeting

Just a quick reminder that the next meeting of the Friends of Hither Green Triangle Nature Reserve (hidden away between platforms 4 & 5 of Hither Green station) is on Wednesday 14th January at 7:30pm in the Parish Room of the Good Shepherd in Handen Road.

The agenda for the meeting is:

1. Minutes of Last Meeting

2. Matters arising

3. Finance Update

4. Committee Membership
Web Manager/Fund Raising/Publicity

5. April Clean Up day.

6. Any other business

7. Date of next clear up day/date of next meeting.

Lee Green Safer Neighbourhood Team Street Briefing

Our local Safer Neighbourhood Met Police Team will be holding a Street Briefing on Saturday 17th January at 12:00 hours in Manor Park (junction with Kellerton Road). The briefing will focus on crime prevention, and particularly on car crime which apparently has been on the increase in this area, however you can raise any other concerns you may have with them as well.

Lee Green Safer Neighbourhood Team contact information:

Tel: 020 8721 2482
SNT mobile: 07920233877
email: LeeGreen.SNT@met.police.uk
24 hour non-emergency number: 0300 1231212
Emergency calls: 999
Anonymous Crime Stoppers: 0800 555111

Lee Green Team
Lewisham Police Station
43 Lewisham High Street
London SE13 5JZ

Our Safer Neighbourhood Team are:

PS Simon Hedges 12PL
PC Paula Dodds 806PL
PC Jodie Clapp 529PL
PCSO Stephen Eaton 7156PL
PCSO Lewis Stuart 7242PL
PCSO John Farley 7109PL

Community Notice Board

Just a quick reminder that as well as the FUSS and Hither Green Community Association boards in the access tunnel to Hither Green station we also have a large general Community Board which is available to anyone in the ward who has a meeting, AGM, event etc. in the ward to publicise and is offered on a with space permitting basis. Items obviously have to be legal, non-political, and a maximum size of A4 but I may have to get back to you for an A5 version of your flyers if the demand increases in order to be able to display more items on the board. To get items displayed all you have to do is email your Microsoft Word or Apple Pages docs, or PDF to me. Time and space permitting they'll go up on the board the same day.

Friends of Hither Green Triangle Nature Reserve Meeting

The first meeting in 2009 of the Friends of Hither Green Triangle Nature Reserve will be on Wednesday 14th January at 7:30pm in the Parish Room of the Good Shepherd in Handen Road.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Manor Park User Group Meeting

The first meeting in 2009 of the Manor Park User Group will be on Tuesday 13th January at 7:30pm in the Parish Room of the Good Shepherd in Handen Road.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Advice on Dealing with the Economic Downturn

From 1 January 2009 Lewisham Council will launch “Coping with Recession”, specially tailored web pages providing advice and guidance for residents and businesses in the borough on how to cope with the economic downturn.

The web pages can be viewed at: www.lewisham.gov.uk

Residents currently feeling the pinch can find information on how to save money at home, particularly on fuel bills, food and travel costs. For those in serious financial difficulty there is information on how best to cope with rent arrears and mortgage payments in addition to a directory of where to turn for advice.

Businesses in the borough, especially small and medium-sized businesses, can refer to a list of tips which give practical advice and support. They will also be directed to other organisations specialising in specific problems faced by the business world.

February’s edition of Lewisham Life, distributed free to households in the borough, will also include a wealth of tips and advice on how to reduce the effects of the recession.

Extract from Lewisham Press Release December 31 2008.

Your local Councillors and Advice Surgery Details

A quick reminder that your local Councillors are:

Cllr Paul Bentley

email: cllr.paul.bentley@googlemail.com
Telephone: 020 8297 4849
Advice Surgery, 2nd Saturday of the month in:
The Parish Room of the Good Shepherd
Handen Road SE12
between 10-11am

Cllr Sven Griesenbeck

email: Cllr_Sven.Griesenbeck@lewisham.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 8297 4826
Advice surgery, 1st Saturday of the month in:
The Community Room of the Newstead TRA
Anne Compton House
2, Birch Grove
London SE12 0SA
between 10-11am

Cllr Brian Robson

email: Cllr_Brian.Robson@lewisham.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 8297 4283
Advice Surgery, 3rd Saturday of the month in:
The Portakabin,
William McEwan Centre
Leybridge Court SE12
between 10-11am

And you can write to us:
c/o Governance Support, Civic Suite,
Lewisham Town Hall, Catford,
London SE6 4RU

Sven's surgery will be returning to Manor House Library when it re-opens in March 2009.
Please also note that there will be

NO SURGERIES IN AUGUST

.

Christmas Recycling

Christmas Cards:

Sainsbury's have a card recycling box in the lobby of their Taunton Road entrance until the 13th January 2009. You can of course also put them in your green recycling box or wheelie bin.

Christmas Trees:

There's a Christmas Tree recycling drop point once again at the Old Road entrance to Manor House Gardens from 27 December 2008 to the last week of January 2009.

Don't forget you can also recycle year round in your green wheelie bin, green box or communal collection facilities on estates and private blocks and developments:
Paper including magazines, office paper, telephone directories, envelopes, leaflets
Cardboard including Christmas cards, egg and cereal boxes, sleeves off food packaging, empty teabag boxes
Cans including fizzy drinks and soup tins (preferably rinsed out)
Glass bottles and jars (jam and marmalade rinsed out) coffee jars
Plastic bottles ONLY, e.g. fizzy drinks, milk, water, washing up liquid, detergent bottles.

Tetrapak cartons can be left at the following places around the borough for recycling collection. Look for the black and orange recycling bins:

Laurence House car park
Sainsbury stores at New Cross and Forest Hill
Tesco in Lewisham
Grove Park bus garage

Plastic food packaging can not be recycled. This includes:

empty sandwich containers
yoghurt pots, margarine tubs
plastic knives and forks, teaspoons
crisp packets
salad containers
polystyrene food containers, plastic cups (coffee and water)
teabags

For enquiries about refuse and recycling collections, or Christmas tree collection points contact Lewisham Council on 020 8314 7171.

Happy New Year!

Best wishes to everyone for a Happy and Prosperous New Year!