Battersea Matters the newsletter of the Battersea Society SUMMER 2020 Not for for me, not for you, but for us Empty streets show the truth of Battersea’s motto Clockwise from centre: Children’s rainbow messages decorate The Grand; Clapham Junction station; Battersea Rise; supermarket shelves in late March; York Road. Photos: Michael Jubb, Duncan Don’t forget to visit our website: Parish, Jenny Sheridan www.batterseasociety.org.uk for regular updates on Battersea Society news, events and planning matters From the editor sit on doorsteps or stand by gates on the big fallen trunk. Families stop or on adjoining balconies to chat. to admire the ducklings; a greylag I realise I There’s more time and peace to talk goose takes seeds delicately from am lucky, if you bump (distantly) into a friend a girl’s outstretched hand. Children immensely so. when taking your hour’s exercise. play on the pavements, families cycle I have a garden, For me, there is the enjoyment of together in the safer streets. After all I live in a house shopping in the Oldies’ Happy Hour this is over, wouldn’t it be good to and I have no in an almost empty supermarket and have a car-free day once a month? immediate fears the pleasure at finding that the corner When all this is over I hope we for my income. shop may have less choice but is will maintain the sense of gratitude No-one I know has died or been often better stocked. And there is the we feel not only to health and care hospitalised due to coronavirus. None consolation of knowing that as one’s staff but to the street cleaners, the of these are true for many people in hair grows ever shaggier and one’s dustmen, the shop workers, the Battersea. As I write, over 900 people roots show more and more, at least delivery and postpeople. We are have died of Covid-19 in Wandsworth. there will be few people to notice! all interdependent – ‘no man is an And thousands of others live in small island’, as John Donne wrote when flats with no outside space and have Time saved seriously ill in 1623. insecure jobs or the fear of losing If you are working from home you no And when all this is over, I shall their income. longer have to face the horrors of the be thrilled to return to the theatres, So please bear with me if I focus rush hour Northern Line or Clapham galleries, concerts and museums I on the good things that have arisen Junction train. The time saved can love, not to mention the hairdresser out of this period. One is the quiet: be used for a run or walk in the park, and the pub. But I’ll miss the I’m no longer woken at 4.30am a glass of wine – or of course more quiet and the birdsong, and that with the first of a stream of planes. work. transgressive thrill of walking down There is very little traffic, so one can Spring has been more beautiful the middle of the road. often walk down the middle of side than ever, it seems. In streets and The great majority of members roads. Crossing even main roads is gardens blossom and flowers will receive this issue of Battersea swifter and safer. The air is noticeably appeared early and stayed late. The Matters not in print but via a link cleaner. traffic-free air has been scented by to our website. Do let me know Most importantly, there is a choisya and wisteria. what you think of this experience. On Wandsworth Common people new spirit of neighbourliness and Jenny Sheridan are active in appropriately distanced community, as evidenced so clearly [email protected] ways, playing catch, football or by many of the articles in this issue. 020 7350 2749 And when the sun shines neighbours Frisbee; kids climb trees and balance Battersea Society news Sadly, due to the Coronavirus a revised programme of walks, situation, we have had to postpone talks and visits in the next issue of the My Battersea photographic Battersea Matters. This will take competition. We hope to be running it into account government and social with renewed vigour in spring 2021. distance guidelines. We had to cancel our AGM in March, though we have thanked our retiring trustees, Monica Tross and The Man on the Battersea Bus Harvey Heath, and welcomed John writes: Usually Jenny and I Oughton. share this page but since this At our trustees’ meeting on 20 time we both have so much to April (held by Zoom) we agreed to say, and as this issue is any give donations of £500 each to two case online we decided that my local Battersea charities working in piece would be made available the Coronavirus context. One is the in my blog. Coronavirus Angels (see page 5), the Just go to other the Big Local SW11 Covid-19 batterseabus.co.uk/life-in- Fund, which gives grants to projects lockdown supporting local people. and you’ll find me. In the meantime, mind how you Unfortunately we have put all of Rainbow nation: a Battersea our Battersea Society events on hold go. resident’s uplifting display until September. We hope to publish 2 Surviving and thriving in the lockdown Aaron Barbour describes how Katherine Low Settlement is addressing loneliness and isolation The worst of times can bring out the calls and 51 referrals were best in humanity and our teams at made in the first four weeks Katherine Low are demonstrating of lockdown). Others are this. Over the last few weeks, we’ve receiving a call, email or been responding, adapting and letter every other day, once refocusing our work to meet the a week etc. depending on needs of local people during this what they need. We’re calling Covid-19 crisis. this new service ‘KLS Fone On 17 March we suspended our Friends’ and it provides: face-to-face services, sent staff Emotional support and volunteers home and closed • This is crucial during this our community centre. It was a sad time as many are scared, and unsettling time. But we had a lonely, anxious and stressed. contingency plan and we’ve been working hard ever since to put it The Lunch Club at Katherine Low in • Practical support into place. happier times We’re trying to keep to the KLS We’ve adapted our community routine that so many of our elders services to support all our members local people get the emotional and enjoy, so we’re offering our exercise over the telephone and online. For wellbeing support they need. programme over the phone, via example, we’re supporting our most One group that has found the YouTube and sending exercise sheets vulnerable elders with over 100 lockdown particularly challenging through the post. daily calls; delivering ESOL (English) has been older people. Many of We’re posting arts & crafts packs classes to 100 students with a them were lonely and isolated before and hope to exhibit their creations combination of Zoom, WhatsApp the lockdown, which is why we in a local gallery after the lockdown. and Google G-Suite; supporting work with them. But this has been We’re working with local food groups our Somali Women’s Group via amplified during the Covid-19 crisis. like Kambala Cares and Waste WhatsApp late on a Friday night Poor mental health is significantly Not Want Not to provide hot meals. once their children have gone to increasing, with issues such as We’re working closely with Battersea bed; and we’re hosting a new weekly anxiety, depression and self-harm. Coronavirus Angel volunteers to pick online Corona Homework Club for 47 This in turn is exacerbating their up shopping or prescriptions. Other refugee young people. existing physical health conditions eg ideas we’re progressing include: heart, COPD and cancer as well as needlepoint tutorials, virtual meals, Volunteers the effects of poverty and loneliness. singing and reminiscence games. Alongside our own services we have Our priority over the coming Advice and casework support been actively involved in the wider months is to reduce the impact of the • We are addressing specific issues coordination across Battersea and lockdown on local older people by that elders are facing by advocating Wandsworth. We’ve helped set up tackling these issues, and improving on their behalf or connecting them Battersea Coronavirus Angels. As their wellbeing. with the Wandsworth Community of 27 April the Angels had recruited We currently support 320 local Hub, Social Services, Age UK 375 volunteers and supported elderly Wandsworth residents, and Wandsworth, Citizens Advice etc. for more than 230 vulnerable local plan to do so for as long as the changes in their care packages and residents with picking up shopping lockdown lasts and beyond. This financial issues, for example. and prescriptions, topping up pre- number is increasing each week payment utility cards, dog walking as new elders contact us for help. Dedicated and providing a friendly listening ear. Our experienced Elders Team has Through working in partnership with We’ve worked with our partners in the identified, classified and prioritised the Battersea Coronavirus Angels and Big Local SW11 Alliance to establish the type of support each of our others eg Big Local SW11, Age UK, a £100,000 Battersea Covid-19 elderly members needs (friendship the Council etc, we have recognised Community Fund (thanks to the calls/psycho-emotional support/ the need for a new Befriending Battersea Society for your generous advice and guidance/advocacy and Service.