ISSUE 83 AUTUMN 2020 mynews and informationmer from your council ton Sign up for our email alerts Community spirit How the council and the community are supporting our most vulnerable residents Shop local, shop safe Back the borough’s businesses 2 The Leader of Merton Council, Councillor Stephen Alambritis, writes for My Merton As the country takes its first slow steps We have so much good to build on: across the borough to make sure towards recovery from the coronavirus we’ve found new ways of working all our communities are heard. wave, so too does the council and the together and supporting each other And we are seeing a determination people, families and businesses of this through a time of crisis. that Merton continues to be a great great borough. This pandemic has Make no mistake – the road to place for families, with AFC resulted in families being torn apart, recovery will be long. The huge Wimbledon on schedule to be back children going without formal financial impact means the council home for the autumn, and completion education, job losses and financial will have to make some very difficult of Harris Wimbledon School a bit hardship. And it continues to take its decisions in the near future in order later in the year. toll. My heart goes out to those who to continue serving all the people of As ever, I want to give my thanks to have lost loved ones or have suffered. Merton as best we can, particularly you all for your spirit, resilience and Now begins the process of building those who are most vulnerable. patience. Together we can build back back up again, and building back But we are already seeing better this great borough we call home. better. The response of us all – improvements in the way our streets voluntary services, charities, function, with more room for cyclists workplaces, friends, neighbours and and pedestrians, making it safer for the council – in the face of Covid-19’s the borough’s children and improving best efforts to wrong-foot our the air quality. We are seeing better Councillor Stephen Alambritis community, has been immense. ways of working with our partners Leader of Merton Council Council Leader joins the board of London Sport Councillor Stephen Alambritis has been appointed to Welcoming Cllr Alambritis and the other new serve on the board of London Sport for an initial term trustees to the board, Jillian Moore, Chair of London of three years. Merton council’s leader was one of seven Sport, said: “In light of the current situation, it is more new trustees to join London Sport over the summer. important than ever that we are not spectators, and He was appointed by the organisation’s funding we continue to make the case for the value of physical partner, London Councils. activity and sport in London. I am confident that our The new recruits were selected to bring a wide new trustees will, alongside our existing board and the range of experience and specialist knowledge to whole team at London Sport, play an important role enhance London Sport’s connections with sporting in supporting these efforts, and helping achieve our groups and diverse communities across the capital. vision of making London the most physically active Alongside Cllr Alambritis on the board is Sally city in the world.” Benatar, the South West Command Leader for find out more the Metropolitan Police, which covers Merton. www.londonsport.org mymerton merton Issue 83 • Autumn 2020 3 proud to be a Fairtrade borough merton.gov.uk Do it online For information about council services or to report it, pay it or apply for it online, visit merton.gov.uk Keep up to date with the latest news in our newsroom: news.merton.gov.uk Contents Find out what’s on and post your own event on our events calendar: merton.gov.uk/events Working together Partnership working to support communities 25 Follow us click Subscribe to receive our email news Be the first to hear about the latest news, events and services, plus emergency alerts and updates. Our heritage Sign-up: merton.gov.uk/newsletter Celebrating @MertonCouncil Black History Month @Merton_Council @whatsoninmerton www.youtube.com/mertoncouncil 12 Whenever you see this logo that means there’s a volunteering opportunity to get involved in. Walking and cycling mymerton Promoting active 20 and healthy travel is published quarterly and is distributed to 86,000 households in the borough. Cover photograph: Merton Giving fundraisers at AFC Wimbledon’s new ground For details about advertising and in Plough Lane. From left to right: Caroline Cook, Usaama Kaweesa and Ivor Heller. editorial deadlines, please visit merton.gov.uk/mymerton The London Borough of Merton does not accept responsibility for or Community endorse any products or services offered by advertisers. News 4 Back to school safely 18 Designed by Domino4 [email protected] Features Cleaner and greener www.domino4.co.uk Recycling Week 22 Merton Giving Printed and delivered by Here to stay 10 History Cliffe Enterprise Print Partnership Heritage Discovery Day 24 0845 601 9478 Rebuilding our bridge [email protected] www.cliffe-enterprise.com Bishopsford Bridge works 11 Community safety 26 My Merton costs only 12p a copy to produce. The magazine Working life What’s on 27 is printed on fully recyclable paper, which is accredited Caring for residents 15 by the PEFC Council (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes). This edition ofMy Merton 5 minutes with is distributed from 3 September 2020. Backing businesses Morden businessman Shop local, shop safe 16 John Merriman 31 When you have finished with this magazine please recycle it. news 4 Keeping Merton informed Marking Windrush Day Don’t lose your right Councillor Edith Macauley MBE to vote All residents are being contacted by post, email or SMS messaging to check if their electoral registration details are up to date. The annual canvass began in July and also encourages residents to register to vote, if they have not already done so. Residents are being asked to respond promptly to prevent the need for home visits from council staff. Elections for the Mayor of London and the London Assembly are due to take place in May. find out more merton.gov.uk/voting Once again, the council joined forces with the Children were also encouraged to create Merton West Indian Family Friends Association kite-shaped artworks to put in their windows (WIFFA) in a successful bid to fund activities to pay tribute to the huge contribution for Windrush Day. Due to the pandemic, members of the Black Caribbean community Milestone for events around the day in June to celebrate the have made to frontline services. The council borough’s achievements of the Black Caribbean community is continuing to work with WIFFA, Merton went virtual. School pupils and those at home Heritage Centre and schools on the projects walking routes were engaged with some creative fun activities developed for Windrush Day. Campaigners are celebrating the including art, music, history and cooking. first footpath in Merton to be officially recognised as a Public Right of Way since 1974. The pathway, off Rockwood Avenue, More training opportunities for runs to the borough boundary with Kingston in Blagdown Road. The council, which is residents affected by Covid-19 keen to promote walking, has Merton Council has as a result of the pandemic residents in the east of been working over the last successfully bid for funding will be able to update their the borough who were decade to get evidence to secure from the Greater London skills or learn new ones as they already on waiting lists to Public Right of Way status for a Authority, totalling almost seek alternative employment. enrol for training in core number of footpaths across the £360,000. This will be used Those who have been subjects, including maths borough. The pathway off to deliver more online and shielding during lockdown and English. There is a Learn Rockwood Avenue is the first to face to face adult education with limited or no access to IT English Together project, have progressed through the courses over the next will also be able to sign up for for residents whose first legal process involved. two years. courses on IT skills or digital language is not English All local authorities are More than 900 extra places training. Some of the funding and tailored courses for required to maintain a list on adult learning courses will also be used to invest in people with a disability or of Public Right of Ways to are being created and offered computer equipment that can a learning impairment. protect them from being built to residents who have been be loaned to residents who Enrolment is open for over, or closed by the most disadvantaged by the may not have the resources many of the courses, which freeholders of the land they Covid-19 pandemic. to access otherwise. will begin later in September. cross. Merton’s map and Residents who have been Some of the extra course find out more definitive statement on the furloughed or made redundant places will benefit the merton.gov.uk/adultlearning routes were last formally updated in 1974. news Keeping Merton informed 5 Have your say on proposals for emissions-based parking charges Residents and visitors to harmful emissions by The proposals are part of which charges for the use of Merton are being asked for encouraging drivers to give up the council’s air quality action older, more polluting their views on proposals for a their vehicles and enjoy the plan and follows its Climate diesel-fuelled vehicles.