THE WESTMINSTER FREE reporter ISSUE 96 AUTUMN 2009 Westminster City Council magazine How to fi nd work Free events and get training for children More than 1,000 Your guide to what’s people helped through on in the autumn the recession Stay fi t in Do you know Little Venice someone special? New £4.5 million Nominate them for a sports centre now open Neighbourhood Leadership Award and they could win £1,000 WIN! Shopping in the West End Theatre tickets Strictly star Alesha Dixon tells us See page 11 about her High Street Fashion Week SAFE IN WESTMINSTER FREE ENTRY The Abbey Centre STOP PRESS 34 Great Smith Street Community Thursday, 8th October, 2009 TheReassurance Homeownership Westminster Westminster ‘One-Stop-Shop’ Event 12pm to 8pm London SW1P 3BU ISSUE 96 contents AUTUMN 2009 Westminster City Council magazine Unlock the door to The Westminster Reporter is produced homeownership in as part of Westminster City Council’s customer service programme. Cabinet Member for Communications: Councillor Colin Barrow, Westminster Leader of Westminster City Council. The Westminster Reporter is delivered to homes and businesses throughout Westminster. If you encounter delivery problems, please call the communications team on 020 7641 2412. Also available from One Stop Services, libraries and leisure centres. For general enquiries, call the council switchboard on 020 7641 6000. Alesha Dixon on Oxford Street To discuss editorial matters, please contact: The Editor, The Westminster Reporter, 17th Floor, Westminster City Hall, How the council is helping Free activities for you and 64 Victoria St, London SW1E 6QP. 6 people into training and 16 your children in the autumn Telephone: 020 7641 2412 back into work Fax: 020 7641 2958 Westminster’s Magnificent Email: [email protected] Nominate someone who 20 Seven: how the council will Minicom: 020 7641 2948 8 makes your community a improve the city for 2012 The editorial team: Stephanie Matheson, Neil Wholey and Clym Sutcliffe. better place What you can do to minimise Reference copies of The Westminster Get involved in improving 24 your risk of swine flu Reporter are available in large print and 10 your neighbourhood audiotape format. To have a free copy sent Find out how you can recycle Do you want to buy your own home? to your home call 020 7641 2412. We are doing it: how 24 more and become a Zero Hero 14 residents are making Homeownership Westminster is a new council service that gives you Published by Westminster City Council, Your area’s history: Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street,, a differencedid fference 35 advice and information about buying your own property. London SW1E 6QP Little Venice ward Printed by Quadracolor Ltd, Unit 3, Kangley Bridge Road, If you live or work in Westminster Lower Sydenham, London SE26 5AR Call: 0845 437 9701 Printed on FSC/PEFC certified recycled material using vegetable based inks. Visit: www.homeownershipwestminster.co.uk Please recycle The Westminster Reporterr. For more information on recycling call thee Environmental Action Line on 020 7641 2000.00. Homeownership Westminster is provided by Catalyst2 The Westminster Housing Reporter Group, a charitable housing association The Westminster Reporter 3 Community News in brief ReassuranceSAFE IN WESTMINSTER Biggest Olympic memories Leader’s Column o you remember the 1948 DOlympics? Tell us your story and play day you could win publications from the Westminster City Archives and tickets In this edition of the Reporter we have included a ever in for museum exhibits. Safer Westminster booklet which I hope you will To submit your story, contact Georgia fi nd interesting. It shows how we’re working together Vossou at gvossou@westminster. Regent’s gov.uk or on 020 7641 5162. with the police to make Westminster even safersafer.. Park Award-winning More than 3,000 children took trading standards part in free council-organised estminster City Council’s trading activities ranging from sheep Wstandards department scooped shearing to ferret racing and the Public Protection Achievement of falcon displays. the Year award at the 2009 Municipal Journal Awards. The team successfully llr Mark Page, Westminster’s dealt with criminals and conmen hiding CCabinet Member for Children’s behind mail forwarding addresses. Services and Young People, said: “Play is such an important part of all children’s lives and needs to be actively encouraged to help them learn about Zoe Zielinska, 3, enjoying a spot of golf themselves and the world.” World’s fi rst High Street Fashion Week Community role Guiding the future n theh magazinei you willill fifindd examplesl andd TTachbrookhb k markets.k WWe haveh alsol of Westminster Iof how Westminster City Council started to improve 400 of Westminster’s n September, Oxford Street hosted for parking attendants helps you live in a healthy and safe most important streets, making a real Ithe very first Fashion Week dedicated detailed guide on how Westminster environment, including information on difference to the city’s landscape. to High Street fashion. Shoppers enjoyed ew people realise that in Ashould grow and change over community events and how you can To find out more about what we are free shows, exhibitions and discounts. FWestminster, parking attendants both the short and long term is being find out what’s happening in your doing to build a living city of Alesha Dixon, who was voted High only give out an average of just compiled by its planning experts to neighbourhood. You’ll find out about opportunity, visit www.westminster. Street Fashion Queen, said: “I am so one ticket an hour. A large part of help shape the city’s future. This started different projects that keep your gov.uk/livingcity or contact us at excited to be part of the first ever High their role is to help motorists with with a series of lively public debates borough’s streets safe and clean, and [email protected] Street Fashion Week. Since I was young, directions or information on where hosted by the council in July. that will get Westminster in shape for I’ve always popped down to Oxford to park. They also report problems the 2012 Olympics. Sandra Cove If you want to share your ideas for Street with my friends for our ritual they spot in the street, such as We are making a number of the future of Westminster or join shopping Saturday.” broken railings, signs or lights. “Our job is now much more about improvements across the city and will in the debate, contact the LDF Sandra Cove has been a parking helping the community, rather than tackle areas that need smartening up. Find out more at www.high Team on 020 7641 2503 or email attendant for three years. She said: just enforcing parking rules.” We are looking to revitalise the local Cllr Colin Barrow, streetfashionweek.com [email protected] shopping streets near Church Street Leader of Westminster City Council. 4 The Westminster Reporter The Westminster Reporter 5 City Recovery City Recovery What we are doing ‘I didn’t expect to get a job so quickly’ AfterAf being out of work for two years, Telka Chambers, 28, found a job through the Westminster WorksW programme and is now a Customer Service Offi cer at Octavia Housing, a local housing to help you through association.as She explains how Westminster Works helped kickstart her career. had some previous work experience in reception I had both time and financial pressures, I would say to tough times “Iand administration but had always wanted to anyone looking for a job that this is a great way in and wwork in housing and needed more experience to get worth the short-term sacrifice. a job in this sector. “Once I was ready to apply for jobs, they also helped A year after it was launched, Westminster City Council’s “I met with my Westminster Works advisor to me with my applications and interview skills which I City Recovery Programme has helped more than 1,000 ddiscuss what skills and experience I wanted to gain as a found really useful in building my confidence. vvolunteer and came up with an action plan to help “Octavia hired me after the work placement. I didn’t people and 1,200 businesses through the recession. mme to achieve my goals. I was given a three month expect to get a job so quickly. I am thankful to wwork placement at Octavia, where I worked as an Westminster Works for helping me to develop skills that easures we have taken include a council tax freeze, aadministrator. This experience was vital and although helped me secure this position and begin my career.” Ma combined debt and benefits support service as Telka Chambers well as advice for job seekers and small businesses. To findf out about the help Westminster Works offers, such as CV, interview and language training, work Many people have been helped into training or work, plplacements,a childcare or financial advice, call 020 7575 3113 or visit www.westminster.gov.uk/westminsterworks and an extra car-free day for the West End has boosted income for the capital’s premier shopping streets. by Sam Adlerer Housing support ‘With help I developed a strategy to Residents at risk of losing their homes because defy the economic situation’ of diffi culties with mortgage or rent payments LaraLa D’Appollonio, 29, has been a professional photographer for more than eight years and can now apply for an interest free loan under a waswa able to set up her own photographic agency a year ago in Bayswater. She tells the Reporter new council scheme. aboutab the council-funded advice that made it possible.