IslingtonLife Blog

Helping young people stay fit and healthy

It's been recently recommended that children under the age of 5 should participate in three hours of physical activity every day, with children and young people aged between 5 and 18 participating in vigorous activity for at least one hour a day. 

In Islington, one in four primary school pupils currently enter secondary school obese. The level of obesity amongst year 6 pupils is higher than London and England. Physical activity and play is vital in helping children and young people achieve and maintain a healthy weight. 

Islington's green spaces and playgrounds provide an ideal opportunity for local children and young people to take part in and enjoy physical activity. For children under 5, physical activity can include skipping and running, also playing on climbing frames, and a wide range of ball games. However, play and physical activity can also be unstructured allowing children to do what they want with their free time and space.

For children and young people aged between 5 to 18 years there are lots of opportunities to be physically active in their local area. Access to Sport, a local sports charity, provides free sporting opportunities during summer holidays and term time. There are a wide range of activities that can take place outside - for example, children can join local adventure playgrounds where children experience a wide range of physical play opportunities within a safe environment. The Islington Family Information Service provides free impartial advice and guidance about a wide range of activities for children and young people in Islington.

Find out about Islington's parks and open spaces by clicking here.
Find out more about a wide range of activities in Islington this summer by clicking here.

Groups launch SNAC projects to make the borough safer

A number of projects are currently being showcased as the judging period for the Safer Neighbourhoods Annual Challenge (SNAC) 2011 approaches.

As part of the SNAC, groups of young people have spent the last few months coming up with problem solving ideas for issues within their communities. Many groups of young people have now started to implement those solutions as they prepare for the judging process by Islington Police and Islington Council on Thursday 9 June.

The best initiatives in three age categories will be presented with awards for their youth clubs and schools during a joint awards event with Camden Police, who are also running the SNAC initiative, on Sunday 19 June.

Making the borough safer
Three groups have already launched their projects. Children from Newington Green Primary school launched their campaign to tackle speeding on Matthias Road outside their school. The Year 5 students have already produced posters, a rap song, a play, and creative writing on the subject of road safety. They presented these during a special assembly and went out in the local streets to survey members of the public about what they think of the issue.

They were also visited by the local Safer Neighbourhoods team, and specialist MPS Traffic officers who talked to them how the police tackle speeding. The children were shown how a speed gun works, and how the police enforce traffic regulations.

Sergeant Rob Leslie, Mildmay Safer Neighbourhoods team, said: “All the children have really enjoyed this project, and I am pleased to see that they are already thinking about responsible road use. I hope the good example they have set will make people think twice about breaking traffic laws or inconsiderate road use.”

Gangs documentary
In Hillrise, a group of teenage girls produced a mini-documentary film on gangs, focusing on the actual problems and myths of gangs. The film shows them giving their views and interviewing a trainer from Islington Boxing Club in nearby Elthorne Park to focus on some of the positive initiatives which already exist for young people.

PCSO Bernie Hayde said: “This has been a real learning curve for the group. Some of the girls used to feel intimidated when they saw big groups of boys hanging around, even when they were running in the park as part of positive sports activities so part of this looked into their fears and perceptions of crime as well as the real issues of criminal groups.”

Youth Leader Margaret Oliver, said: “It has been absolutely fantastic, and even if we don’t win the competition it has helped us to get the camcorder so the girls can make more films which is so good for them. We also spent a lot of time talking about gangs together which helps them to know they can talk to us and the police about any issues.”

Estate improvements
In a third project, a group of horticulture students from City and Islington College, supported by Islington Council, started their project to improve Biddestone Park in Loraine Estate, on Holloway Road.

The students, aged 16-18, planted new plants and are planning on doing some painting to make the area more attractive for the many local families and communities to use.

PCSO Shaz Saheb, of Holloway SNT, said: “I regularly speak to residents on the estate, who have often said they would like to use the park but don’t find it a very attractive area. These local students then came up with the idea of using their expertise to spruce up the park by painting benches, walls, and children’s climbing frame, to make it an interesting communal space for the local community which will also help their work portfolios.”

Watch this space for details of the winners!

Bright Sparks volunteers speak out!

Bright Sparks has been up and running for nearly a year now and is going from strength to strength! Since opening last June, the pioneering electrical repair shop has sold over 1,660 items and is seeing a steady flood of customers looking to have their faulty electrical items repaired or recycled.

The hard work of sorting, repairing, testing and recycling is carried out by a team of trainees and volunteers, including local young people. IslingtonLife spoke to a few of the volunteers to find out what they do and why they enjoy it.

Darren P-Brimah has been volunteering at the workshop since September. “I found out about Bright Sparks through an employment agency, and now I help out with testing, rewiring plugs, cleaning, and recycling the goods that people bring into the shop," he said.

“Working here is great because everyone at Bright Sparks has a good sense of humour. It has also given me the chance to learn new skills such as portable appliance testing, functional testing and minor repairs and gain more experience for other fields of work in the future.”

New challenges
Ernest Ricketts, who joined Bright Sparks in November, also enjoys working at the workshop. “I enjoy working with the Bright Sparks team and learning new things. It’s great when we get a new item that I’ve never seen before – both old and new – as this presents us with a real challenge. I’m building up lots of new skills including dissemination and assembly of computers which I hope can help me in the future.”

The shop is also good for local people and the environment, as Darren explains: “Bright Sparks is a useful shop as we can take donations from people who no longer need them, and then sell them to members of the community for a price they can afford. It also helps the environment if people aren’t chucking out old or broken goods. So by coming to the shop, people are also helping the local community.”

Ernest agrees. “I would recommend that people visit the shop as there are a wide variety of electrical items that can be purchased for a very cheap price.”
 
Anyone interested in learning new skills through Bright Sparks or volunteering with the project is welcome to get in touch (see contact details below). People looking for good-value electrical goods are invited to pop into the shop and browse, and to bring in their own old or unwanted items.

The Bright Sparks Shop is at 225-229 Seven Sisters Road, London N4 2DA. It is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 12.30pm to 5.30pm, and until 7pm on Thursdays.

To contact the shop call 020 7561 5515 or email shop@brightsparksonline.com. For more information click here.

Doing business with you

There are around 12,000 different businesses in Islington, and the council offers them a range of help and support, which is especially important during the current financial climate. Here are details of a few of the ways the council helps - click the links to find out more...

Working together
The Islington Business Partnership offers support to all companies in the borough, such as help with government legislation which the council has to enforce. Members get a free quarterly magazine and email bulletins, as well as free training opportunities, fraud alerts and guidance on council services. And best of all, it’s free to join.

A fair trade
The Islington Trader Scheme (ITS) was set up to highlight local shops that are committed to fair trading and good standards of customer care. Consumers can identify shops that are members of the scheme by looking for the distinctive red bag image in a shop window. A list of members can also be found on the council’s website.

Joint working
iCAM is a joint procurement initiative between Camden and Islington councils that helps local companies benefit from major developments in both boroughs.
iCAM provides training workshops on all aspects of making a successful tender for private and public sector contracts, and can refer local companies to any contractors that are active in the two boroughs. Without iCAM, very few local companies would get the opportunity to quote for work on many of the major developments in the borough. The project has created or safeguarded an estimated 750 jobs since it began in 2005, and many of these jobs go to local people. The project has already generated £8.4m of new sales for small business in Islington since 2009.

To market, to market
Ever thought about setting up a stall? The council runs two free workshops a year on setting up and running a successful market stall. The next course will be held in March. Find out more by calling 020 7527 3185 or email businesspartnership@islington.gov.uk. Find out more about street trading here.

Partnership hits 200
The Islington Climate Change Partnership is expanding steadily and has now reached its 200th member with the joining of Barker Langham, a global cultural consultancy based near Kings Cross.
The partnership brings together companies in Islington to tackle climate change and reduce costs. With a saving of over 8,650 tonnes of carbon to date, the ICCP has been recognised as an example of best practice, winning a number of high profile awards.

For more useful information on running a business, from guidance on crime prevention and recycling, to parking permits and transport, click here. You can also download a booklet of useful advice and contacts to help your business during the recession.

Could you help a child or young person?

Have you been thinking about doing something really special this year to make a positive difference to people’s lives, instead of trying to stick to half-hearted resolutions? If so, why not consider caring for a child or young person who needs support? 

Every child in Islington deserves to get the best start in life and grow up as part of a loving family. By fostering or adopting a child, you can help this happen.

Fostering a child, either on a short-term or long-term basis, is a really rewarding experience and one that is so important for those children in need of a stable home. As well as the satisfaction of helping a child, foster carers receive generous tax-free allowances of up to £433 a week, extensive training and 24-hour support.

Islington Council fostering service’s Liz Khan says: “Foster carers make a huge difference to a child’s life. I think it’s the best job in the world, helping young people at a really difficult time in their lives.”

Islington foster carers Karen* and Ibrim* looked after Hannah*, aged three, and her five-year-old brother Peter*, when their mother’s drug and alcohol problems meant it was unsafe for them to stay in the family home.

Even with a lot of help their mother couldn’t manage, so Hannah and Peter now have a new adoptive family. Karen and Ibrim cared for them and then helped them gradually settle into their new adoptive family, who said: “With their love and care for the children, Karen and Ibrim really gave them a good start.”
* Names have been changed

Want to help but not sure fostering or adoption is for you?
Did you know you don’t have to be married or a home-owner to foster or adopt a child in Islington? We have foster carers and adopters from many different backgrounds, religions and lifestyles. You don’t need qualifications but you do need to be good with children and young people, keep them healthy and safe, and help them make good progress at school.

Supportive lodgings: Being a full-time foster carer is a full-time job. So if you’re a very busy person then our supportive lodgings scheme could be for you. You need a spare room to take a 16-21-year-old so they have a safe and supportive place to live. By teaching them skills such as cooking a meal or managing their money, you can prepare them for independent living. You will receive allowances and support throughout.

Caring for a child over a weekend: Our family-based short breaks scheme provides regular respite care for disabled children in Islington, and we’re looking for people to give some of their time to offer this.
You do not need any qualifications or experience with disabled children but you will need to be enthusiastic, patient, and be happy to have a child stay at your home for at least one weekend a month. You’ll receive financial allowances, specialist training and 24-hour support.

Working with young people: There are many other ways to help children and young people in Islington, from childminding and youth work to nannying. To find out more, go to www.islington.gov.uk/fis

For further information about fostering, our supportive lodgings scheme or family-based short breaks, email fostering@islington.gov.uk, call free on 0800 0730428 or visit www.islington.gov.uk/fostering

For information about adoption, email adoption@islington.gov.uk, call free on 0800 0733344, or visit www.islington.gov.uk/adoption

Bothered by noise? Don’t suffer in silence

Islington is one of the most densely populated boroughs in London, with many residents living in flats, so perhaps it’s not surprising that noise is a common problem. But did you know that 5,000 residents report noise problems to the council every year?

The main noises that cause problems are loud music, burglar alarms, car alarms, fans and motors, barking dogs, DIY and noise from construction sites.

The council’s noise service works across the borough tackling noise with a dedicated noise patrol service for residents bothered by night-time noise. If talking to the person who’s causing the noise doesn’t solve the problem, or you feel unable to approach them, contact the council.

In a recent case a resident called the service to complain about a loud party. Noise patrol officers visited the property where the party was taking place, asked the tenant to keep the front door closed and turn down the music.

The resident who made the complaint said: “I found that the service really helped the situation calm down. I also thought the staff were really professional and dealt with the problem well.”

Estates noise
Homes for Islington (HFI) works with the noise service to tackle noise related anti-social behaviour on estates. In one case, HFI received 40 complaints about one individual, with reports of frequent shouting, banging furniture and children jumping on the floors. Following warnings, HFI obtained a court injunction against the individual making clear that if the noise continued they would  risk being evicted.

There were two breaches of the injunction which were followed up with home visits and a final warning. Since then there have been no more complaints from neighbours about the noise.

If you’re bothered by noise at night, call the noise patrol on 020 7527 3229. During the day, residents who live in council properties should contact their estate manager who will discuss the noise problem with you first and then refer it to the council’s noise service if appropriate. If you live in a private property call the noise service on 020 7527 3258 (during office hours).

• Dealing with noise problems

Recycling saves money!

Did you know that it’s cheaper to recycle your rubbish than to send it to landfill? So why not make recycling your New Year’s resolution!
There is no escaping the budget cuts that the council is currently facing, but local residents can really help make a difference simply by recycling as much as possible. It costs a lot more to bury rubbish as landfill than it does to recycle it, so simply by recycling more, every household could help save money that can then be put towards other vital services.
Plus there’s the environmental impact of throwing all our waste into landfill to consider. When rubbish is buried in landfill it eventually rots, creating methane gas which contributes to climate change.
The council’s job is to make it as easy as possible for our residents to recycle. Already about half of Islington’s residents can recycle their food waste too. So what’s stopping you?

“I can’t be bothered.”
Every tonne of waste you throw into your bin instead of recycling it costs the council more money. This is money that could be spent on other services that will help the whole community, so it’s well worth everyone doing their bit.

“What’s the point? It all gets dumped in landfill anyway.”
That’s not true. Everything that you recycle is used to make new products, such as compost for our parks, new bottles, cans and newspapers, and even fleece jackets! Any company employed by the council to dispose of waste is closely monitored to ensure they are complying with all the regulations. So recyclables aren’t just dumped.

“I already recycle everything. Well … except my food waste. I don’t know how!”
It may seem easier to recycle bottles and newspapers than your food scraps, but it is quite simple and the council is trying to make it as easy as possible for you. If you live in a street property, you can simply put your scraps into your small food waste caddy, before putting it into your brown bin in time for your weekly collection. Everything from food scraps and egg shells to tea bags, flowers and fruit peelings can go in there.
And if you live on an estate, you’ll be pleased to hear that around 10,000 of you will be able to recycle your food waste by April. There are also other options you can consider such as composting or wormeries.

You can find out much more about what you can and can't recycle on our website.

Do you already recycle everything? Or is there more the council could do to help? Tell us what you think by commenting below...

Have a green Christmas
Make sure your tree stays truly green even after the needles begin to fall by recycling your Christmas tree in January.
If you live in a street property, you can simply leave your Christmas tree at the edge of your property along with your normal green waste from 3 January. If you live on an estate, please contact your Area Housing Office to find out how to recycle your Christmas tree.
There will also be four sites where you can leave trees between 3 and 16 January – these are King’s Square, Rosemary Gardens, Elthorne Park and Barnard Park. And remember the Household Reuse and Recycling Centre on Hornsey Street also accepts Christmas trees and green waste all year round.

What’s town planning all about - and why should you care about it?

If past trends are anything to go by, there could be 16,000 more people living in Islington and 32,000 more people working here in 15 years time. Islington is already one of the most densely populated areas in London, so further growth does present its challenges, and places strain on housing and public services.

On the other hand, it’s good news if local businesses and developers want to build new homes and open new shops, restaurants and cultural venues in Islington. It boosts the local economy and can help regenerate some of the more deprived parts of the borough.

It’s a town planner’s job to anticipate changes before they happen and help make sure local people benefit from investment in the borough. It’s also our job to find ways of using the planning process to keep negative effects of development, like noise and pollution, to a minimum.

New homes and local shops
Housing is one of the most complex issues for town planners. The council is planning for 25,400 new homes here by 2025. Although this will be a challenge, the council thinks it’s a priority to keep the quality of housing high. So, in the latest policies we’re preparing, there are some new minimum size requirements for new housing and conversions to ensure people will have decent size homes to live in.

When we’re preparing policies we do as much consultation as possible with residents, community groups and businesses and many of them have told us they’re worried about the future of Islington’s local shops. The strong housing market in Islington means that it can be tempting for property owners to convert local shops into housing.

Although providing new homes is a big priority for the council, our shops are also a vital part of Islington’s character and we’re proposing to protect them through the planning process.

Why should you care about town planning?
Planning policies being written now could have a significant impact on your area and the way it might change over the coming years. Of course, town planners do months of careful research to understand the potential impacts of new policies, but if you live and work in Islington, you’ll know your neighbourhood best. That’s why we want to hear from you.

The latest policies we’re developing are set out in more detail here, but they’re just proposals at this stage. They can still be changed and new policies can be added. If you prefer to discuss the options in person, why not come along to one of our drop-in sessions? They are taking place this Saturday (27 November) and Thursday 9 December.

Sakiba, Team Leader
Spatial Planning, Islington Council

A safer place to be?

There is no simple solution to tackling crime and anti-social behaviour. That’s why the council is using a range of ways to help make the borough a safer place for everyone.

Vulnerable and elderly residents on the Brecknock Estate have had their gardens transformed thanks to a Community Payback project.

The programme is run by Islington Council, London Probation and Safer Neighbourhoods Teams. Offenders on the programme are low risk and fully supervised. The scheme is successful because the work offenders do isn’t simply a punishment – it also provides them with life skills, gives something back to the community, and aims to prevent them from becoming involved in further offences.

The gardens on the Brecknock Estate had become very overgrown, and police community support officer Amanda McDermott from the St George’s Safer Neighbourhoods Team suggested the estate for a makeover.

The Community Payback team, with help from the gardening group at housing charity St Mungo’s, cleared a huge amount of waste from the gardens, which will be composted, and a local garden centre donated plants for the project.

Hard work pays off
One local resident was overwhelmed with the work that was done, saying: “I am really amazed at what the team has achieved. I could never have done this digging myself. They have worked really hard and I’ve finally got my garden back.” Young people from the Zone Youth Club and the St Mungo’s gardening group have agreed to continue to look after the gardens to ensure they don’t become overgrown again now the project has finished.

Cllr Barbara Sidnell, executive member for community safety, said: “One of the biggest challenges we have in Islington is building a fairer society. It’s sensible to think about how people who have committed low-level offences make a contribution to the community. This actually helps the victim - and reduces re-offending.

“We should think about crime and its causes – taking into account how education, housing and the possibility of a job influences the chance of someone committing crime.”

Cracking down on burglars
October 2009 saw the Metropolitan Police launch Operation Bumblebee to tackle burglary by targeting suspects, increasing patrols and bringing offenders to justice. And compared with this time last year, the number of burglaries in Islington is down by 16%. Detectives are continuously working hard to build cases against burglars and ensure they are brought to justice. Earlier this year officers caught a 47 year old man at the scene of a burglary, following a call from a suspicious neighbour. When officers arrived they found him inside the flat hiding in a wardrobe. Officers arrested the man and found stolen goods on him. The man admitted to nine other residential burglaries during interviews with detectives and he has now been convicted.

As Young As You Feel

There is a lot for younger people in the borough to get involved in and enjoy, but this does not mean that we have forgotten our older residents. From tea dances to lunch clubs, there is something for everyone – as well as help at hand for those who need it…

One of the many activities available for our older residents is the Cally Over 50’s Lunch Club, which is transforming the lives of older people in the Caledonian Road area. The club offers members a light exercise class, a delicious two-course lunch, tea and coffee, and a bingo session for a bargain £3.

Derek Marjoram is the volunteer chair of club and he works alongside Lisa, Alisha and fitness instructor Petra to make sure the club offers a fantastic service to local residents.

Derek, himself disabled, said: “I love seeing our members having a good laugh and staying fit together.” Derek is helped by Voluntary Action Islington. He added: “Without their help I would never have known how to get funding or how to run my club finances.”

If you’d like to go along to the weekly lunch club, call Derek on 020 7359 9383 or email d.marjoram@googlemail.com. If you run, or would like to run, a community group or organisation of any sort contact Voluntary Action Islington on 020 7832 5800 or email development@vai.org.uk

Taking pride in hail and ride 
The popular 812 bus route is celebrating a brand new fleet of shiny new vehicles. The route is specially designed to ensure that older people and those with mobility difficulties can get out and about by being easier to board and targeted at areas that otherwise are not well served by public transport. Buses run every 20 minutes between Hoxton and Angel, and it's free to Freedom Pass users - although all residents can use the service for £1.
 

Join the forum
Islington Pensioners’ Forum is a campaigning group that was established in 1986 by Liz McKeown, a Pensioners’ Champion who sought to ensure that pensioners have a voice to express their needs and demands. There are about 450 members and monthly meetings take place on the third Thursday of every month at Islington Town Hall from 10.15am to noon. Members receive a monthly newsletter and membership is free. Islington Pensioners’ Forum is based at 1A Providence Court, Providence Place, Upper Street, N1 ORD. Find out more by calling 020 7226 7687 (please leave a message if there is no reply) or emailing ipf@talktalkbusiness.net