THIRTY FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT
2018/2019 November 2019
Groups and Organisations affiliated to, or receiving Minutes from, South Greenwich Forum in 2018-2019 Advocacy Now Central Eltham Youth Project Clive Efford MP Community Association of New Eltham (CANE) Eltham Park Residents Association Eltham Public Transport Users Group The Eltham Society Eltham Regeneration Manager Greenacres Residents Association Middle Park Community Centre Normanhurst Residents Association Old Page Estate Residents Association Progress Residents Association Riefield Road Residents Association Strongbow Tenants & Residents Association Thomas Philipot’s Almhouses and a number of individual members
Officers of South Greenwich Forum 2018-2019 Chair: Milena Powley (Eltham Park Residents Association) Vice Chair: Jim Basford (Normanhurst Residents Association) Treasurer: John Lawton (Riefield Road Residents Association) Secretary: Judy Smith (Old Page Estate Residents Association) Forum meetings are held on the third Monday of most months, usually at St Mary's Community & Resource Centre, 180 Eltham High Street, London SE9 1BJ. Up-to-date information on venues and other matters can be obtained from the Secretary, c/o 2 Everest Road, London SE9 6PX (020 8850 7578).
Aims & Objectives The object of South Greenwich Forum shall be to research, establish, develop and extend social, cultural, health, welfare and educational facilities that respond to the needs of residents living in the southern part of the London Borough of Greenwich. It shall be non-party political and non- sectarian in religion. (The full Aims are available from the Secretary)
Statement of Principle South Greenwich Forum recognises that Greenwich is a multi-racial borough and believes that cultural diversity positively enriches our community. South Greenwich Forum believes that no person should suffer disadvantage by reason of race or colour. South Greenwich Forum members declare their intention to work through their information exchange with other groups to eliminate racial disadvantage and promote racial harmony in the community.
Chair’s Report 2018-19
The South Greenwich Forum met monthly throughout the year to represent the interests of residents and community groups in the South of the Borough. The range of issues that the Forum has discussed over the year has spanned a number of disciplines. On health, it has continued to press for the services at the Eltham Community Hospital - including the blood test, the imaging/X- ray facilities, wound dressing and the out-of-hours GP service - to be promoted more actively. The Forum also continued to press for the re-instatement of The Source, the nurse led facility at Horn Park, where there is no doctor’s surgery or pharmacist. On the public realm, it has argued that controlled crossings in High Street (rather than courtesy crossings) are essential for pedestrian safety. On planning policy, it has objected to the Kidbrooke Station Square planning application as a case of overdevelopment on a small site. On community safety, it has supported measures to reduce financial fraud and to introduce CCTV to locations where there are incidents of anti-social behaviour.
The Forum’s traffic sub-group has continued to monitor transport and traffic management issues at its quarterly meetings. Issues which the group has discussed with the Council’s Highway Department’s officers have included: access to the Sutcliffe Park Sports Centre; the future prospects for direct trains to Victoria; safety issues at the Broad Walk/Rochester Way/Nelson Mandela Road junction; the difficulties generated by the new design and lay-out at the Well Road/Dunvegan junction; issues at Kidbrooke Station, including lift access, drop-off arrangements and short-term parking; and the absence of any mention of a possible DLR extension to Eltham and Kidbrooke in the third Local Implementation Plan.
The Forum regularly received reports, and supported initiatives, on the following projects and organisations: Well Hall Pleasaunce, Avery Hill Park, Eltham Parks North and South, the Progress Estate, the Save Avery Hill Winter Garden campaign, and the Eltham Society. Members of SGF are represented on the Town Centre Partnership, the Eltham West Safer Neighbourhood Panel, the Friends of Well Hall Pleasaunce and at least one Patient and Public Involvement Forum. Over the course of the year, the Forum has welcomed as speakers Councillor Sarah Merrill, Chair of the RBG Planning Board, Leanna Minahan from the RBG Community Safety team, and Kellyanne Kelly from the London Fire Brigade.
The Forum has continued to keep abreast of community issues and to pursue them actively on the community’s behalf over the past year. My role as Chair has been helped by the continuing interest and support of members of the Forum, serviced competently and conscientiously by Judy Smith as Secretary.
Milena Powley Chair November 2019
Treasurer’s Report 2018-2019
The Income & Expenditure for the year set out below shows that we have an excess of Expenditure over Income of £150.06. We know our expenditure will increase as we already know that the charge for our meetings, the largest part of our expenditure, is increasing in our next financial year. We have also acknowledged that without any grant aid we will invariably have an excess of expenditure.
We have previously agreed that it is not appropriate to ask our member groups and individual members for an increased subscription, as all are unfunded other than the subscription they ask of their own members. I recommend members approve these accounts, remembering, as we have said previously, that we must keep expenditure under control.
John Lawton Treasurer November 2019
INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDING MARCH 31 2019
Income General Fund Balance b/f £1,645.44 Requests for Minutes £ 150.00 ______£1,795.44
Expenditure General Fund Room Hire (2017/18) £ 196.00 Affiliation (St Mary's) £ 55.00 Secretarial expenses £ 49.06 ______£ 300.06
Balance Carried Forward £1,495.38