Brockley Fun Run

Well done to all those who took part in today's Brockley Fun Run, on Hilly Fields. Around 300 people took part, with many more cheering people on. Special congratulations and thanks should go to Erin from Cafe Broca, Des, Jill and everyone else from Brockley Cross Action Group who helped to organise the event. Hopefully it will become an annual institution, along with Brockley Max Festival, Hilly Fields Fayre and Brockley Open Studios. As Dean mentions, it was partly funded by the Brockley localities fund.

Local bloggers were well represented on the race, with Tom first to finish in impressive time, followed (some time later) by Dean and bouncing along shortly afterwards were Jonathon on his powerizers (pictured) and Howard. I tried to take photos, but lots of runners opted for a sprint finish so they are rather blurry!

I love Brockley Fun Run, April 27th 2008

Coming soon to Hilly Fields, courtesy of Brockley Cross Action Group. Details below from the BCAG website:

Event: The first annual I Love Brockley Fun Run 2008
Description: A non-competitive measured 5km running and/or walking course
Who for: Runners and walkers. Corporate teams; schools and colleges; individuals; and families
Date: April 27th 2008
Location: Hilly Fields, Brockley, London
Start time: Registration opens at 8.30am
Warm up at 9.45am, Run starts at 10am

The aim of the I Love Brockley Fun Run 2008 is to encourage a family atmosphere as well as an event for regular runners to enjoy. It is also a great chance to learn about your local community as well as fundraise for our large community-led project; The Brockley Common!

The Fun Run 2008 will be a friendly and relaxed morning of running and walking for all ages and abilities for a wonderful local cause. If you are feeling sluggish after the New Year and looking for an easy way to keep your resolutions on track, this is the answer!

Running in the one of the best parks in South East London this is a safe introduction to racing for all ages as well as a chance to meet your neighbours and enjoy an extremely picturesque landscape with a spectacular start and finish.

The event is held in association with Brockley Cross Action Group and a donation will be made from the entry fees from each runner to the charity. Your entry details will be passed to Brockley Cross Action Group for the purposes of sending you fund raising material but will not be shared with any other organisation/company.

A limited edition t-shirt as well as a medal and a goodie bag are included free with your registration.

Prices: Standard entry - £12.00
Concessions - £9.00
Children (under 12) – free entry (child t-shirt £5.00)
You can also register on-line at www.runnersworld.co.uk
You can also pick up a registration pack from The Broca coffee shop (4 Coulgate Street, Brockley, SE4 2RW) from Feb.28th onwards.

Coming up this week . . .

A number of interesting events coming up this week in and around Ladywell:

Sunday 9th March 11am-1pm River Clean Up in Ladywell Fields. Meeting at the Environmental Classroom, come and take a wade along the new river channel and help keep it clear of rubbish and debris. Everyone is welcome including children that are accompanied by an adult. Refreshments will be provided for all.

Wednesday 12th March: Ladywell Fields Users Group Meeting (7pm in the Civic Suite, Lewisham Town Hall). LFUG secretary Robert Shepherd writes that there is a full agenda which includes:

• Alison Taylor, QUERCUS project manager, floating plans for a Launch and Fun Day event;
• Dann Jessen of East (Architecture, Landscape & Urban Design) talking about their feasibility; study on the future of our Park;
• David Dyer from the Youth Service talking about the adventure playground proposal; and
• Carole Crankshaw, the Council's Sustainable Transport Officer

Also on 12th March and unfortunately clashing with the above is Brockley Cross Action Group's AGM. Duncan Law from Transition Town Brixton is giving a talk. For those of you who don't know much about Transition Towns (and those who do!) I would very much recommend listening to him as he is a great and inspiring speaker. Transition Town Brockley/Ladywell anyone?

However, most excitingly for Ladywell, is the planned public meeting on Thursday 13th March to set up a new community action group for the area, which I think deserves a bit more details in a seperate post.

New Community Action Group in Ladywell

On Thursday I had an informal meeting in Masons with a group of local residents concerned about the state of Ladywell Road. A number of people have expressed concern over the past few months (and years) about the number of empty shops along Ladywell Road, the range of shops, the state of the pavement, the unsightly railings and various highways and safety issues. Things have got markedly worse recently since the only shop selling fruit and vegetables on the road has closed, and there is a potential threat of the Post Office being closed too.

I organised Thursday's meeting to bring together people who had expressed concern, but also enthusiasm to do something about it. Anyway, I was delighted that 10 people attended who are all keen to get involved and do something to improve the situation along Ladywell Road. Des Kirkland from Brockley Cross Action Group also came along and provided an insight to what BCAG have done and how they got started, which was much appreciated.

Outcomes from the meeting, in brief:

• We have agreed to form a group to work for improvements to Ladywell Road, kind of Ladywell's answer to Brockley Cross Action Group.
• A survey is being put together, to gather views from local people on the shops and facilities along Ladywell Road, and what they would like to see.
• A provisional date for a public meeting to formally launch the group and agree a plan of action has been set for Thursday 13th March, 7.30pm. Venue will hopefully be St Mary's Centre, but that's to be confirmed.
• We haven't decided on a name yet, though suggestions so far include Ladywell Road Action Group (LRAG), Ladywell Action Group (LAG), Friends of Ladywell Road Shops (FOLRS), SOLVE (Stakeholders for Ladywell Village Enhancement), BLAG (Better Ladywell Action Group) or the 'We want a deli too, Brockley can't have them all' group. Any thoughts on these, or another name?
• An e-mail group has been set up; to join the group, e-mail ladywellroad-subscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk with your name and street name (to avoid spammers). You will then be forwarded the minutes of the meeting.
• A Facebook group has been set up; join it here.
• A website I've been cyber-squatting, www.ladywell.info is hopefully going to be brought into use to promote the group, but by someone with better website designing skills than me!
• The group is keen to complement, rather than compete with existing groups such as Ladywell Society and to involve local businesses as much as possible.
  
• Hopefully, among other things, the new group, along with local shops, will help sell and promote the Shop Local in Ladywell bags, which should be ready in a couple of months.

I left the meeting feeling very encouraged by the level of enthusiasm and determination among local people to do something to improve the area. I will of course continue my efforts to get action at a Council level to bring the empty shops back into use, for highways improvements etc, but sometimes it is much easier as a councillor to be able to show you are representing the views of a local group, not just your own pet concerns.

Finally, a reminder that any designs for the Shop Local in Ladywell bag should be submitted by Friday 18th January to cllr_sue.luxton@lewisham.gov.uk or posted to Cllr Sue Luxton, c/o Governance Support, Lewisham Town Hall, Catford, SE6 4RU.