NEWSLETTER
SUMMER 2012
Chair: Anna Tapsell C/-235B Kennington Lane, London SE11 5QU
Deputy Chair: Diane Kavanagh 
020 7793 0268
FROM THE CHAIR
Dear Members
Over the years, several people have suggested that the KA become a more official organisation, such as a Registered Charity or a Company Limited by Guarantee so that we could increase our chances of winning funding grants and perhaps lease office space.
Our Constitution allows us to become a Company Limited by Guarantee and we have been fortunate that Fisher Meredith, our local solicitor and member of the Business Forum, has agreed to act for us on a pro bono basis as we explore these options. They have advised us that, at this time, it would be better to become a Company than a Charity because it’s a much simpler process and the usual way of enabling a group like the KA to take on a lease etc. while retaining its non-profit status. And it’s essential that KA have some legal status to lease any kind of office to use as KA’s new address when Cathy Preece retires as Administrative Assistant this October. We have been very lucky and blessed that Cathy has allowed us to use her personal address for so long.
As you see on page 7 we are making progress on our bid to lease and manage Lollard Street Adventure Playground. Our presentation to the Council, parents and young people at a public meeting held at the playground two weeks ago was well received.
If we are fortunate enough to be successful in our bid, with all the advantages it can bring to the future of KA, the Council has already told us that we will need to become a Company or Charity to protect the significant funding that will come from the Council as well as awards from other major funders, such as the Lottery.
The Committee view was unanimously in favour when we discussed it in May but we also need to be sure that you, our members have no problems with this.
We will be having our AGM on 22nd October and this new status will be a formal item on the agenda. However, if you would like the opportunity to discuss this with me or any of the Committee members in advance of the AGM, we would be happy to meet up with you.
Thank you for the support you have given to the KA Committee during this campaign to save our Adventure Playground and the many ideas you have put forward on how we can improve and develop its use for all ages.
Anna Tapsell
KA BAZAAR BREAKS RECORD
Once more, our volunteers did a spectacular job fundraising for KA’s charities. In April our spring Bazaar brought in more than £1000 for Lollard Street Playground and Tai Chi, beating our record set in 2002. And on 19 May our Table-Top Sale netted nearly £120 for Secret Santa. The book stall at the Kennington Fête on the last Sunday in May brought in another £227 for Secret Santa and brought us lots of attention and new members as well.
Congratulations to all our hard workers especially Gisella Azzopardi who organises our Bazaar Team, Marie Bradley and Mike Strong who run our Table-Top Sales and Margaret Barilone who pulled a team together quite quickly for the Fête bookstall.
See the calendar for our next events and remember, Bazaar donations can be brought to the venue after 6pm Friday night and from 9-10 Saturday morning. Donations for the Table-Top Sale can be brought to the pub that morning. And remember, we can always use more hands—especially to help publicise our events. Contact the coordinators to volunteer. You’ll have fun and perhaps meet new people too!
CHARITY DRIVES
Secret Santa – Help a Local Family NOW!
Once again, it’s time for our annual Christmas Charity drives. Secret Santa provides Tesco vouchers for Kennington families who could use a bit of extra help at the holidays. Families (who remain anonymous to KA) are chosen by a network of health visitors and staff at local schools and each year we get reports from these people telling us how much this extra help means. One mother commented, “I felt so alone at Christmas--just knowing people care made such a difference.” Another mother was so grateful to be able to provide essentials for her newborn baby after a family breakdown.
As everyone must be aware, this year extra help will be more crucial than ever as many families face cutbacks in support they’ve come to rely on. Please give as generously as you can, using the enclosed form. Last year 100 families were helped, and with your support, KA should do even better this year.
Please join them! Don’t put it off! We need to collect money quite early to alert our team and work our way through Tesco’s corporate office for vouchers.
Grey Power
On the reverse of the Secret Santa form, you’ll find an appeal for Grey Power—the KA drive to provide Christmas-day lunches to local pensioners at a Kennington eatery! Once again, the beneficiaries of these lunches remain unknown to us and are identified through Lambeth Age UK who goes through sheltered housing schemes etc. to identify local people who would otherwise be alone on Christmas Day. Transportation is also provided.
It takes a lot of time and planning to organise, so please get your contributions in early. Once the summer gets in full swing, we all find we “forget” many things until it’s too late!!
AGM
Our AGM will be held in the Durning Library, Monday 22 October, 6:30 gathering for 7:00 pm start. In addition to electing new Committee members to replace people standing down, we'll be setting the direction for the KA for the next year and voting on some important issues. We'll also have a guest speaker, perhaps from the Council.
Committee meetings are always open to KA members (except votes) and currently are held the last Tuesday of the month at 7 pm. (This may change based on needs of new Committee.) We especially invite anyone who'd like to join the Committee at the AGM to come to a meeting on 31 July, 21 August or 25 September to take part. In the next few meetings we'll be finalising plans for our September fund raiser and AGM. The July meeting will be held at the Dog House PH at Kennington Cross.
SEPTEMBER FUND DRIVE TO CELEBRATE 10 YEARS OF KA
The Kennington Association is planning a September Fund-Raising Gala to celebrate 10 years of the KA and raise money for a number of local projects including Secret Santa, Tai Chi, and Lollard Street Playground.
We’re holding our event at Centenary Hall, just off Kennington Lane. But as in similar events in past years, we’ll still auction some work of the students at the City & Guilds of London Art School on Kennington Park Road to aid their emergency bursary.
Plans are still firming up so we can’t give a lot of detail now, but we’ll definitely have music, fun and a few items and vouchers (such as meals for two) to auction off as well.
We need two things NOW from our members:
1) HELP—we have a lot of ideas and a few firm plans, but we need an overall coordinator. Please send a note to KADeputyChair@gmail.com to volunteer or call 020 7735 5507 to discuss.
REMEMBER, REMEMBER – BE SURE YOU’RE A MEMBER!
KA memberships now run from October to October. If you don’t pay by Standing Order, make sure to renew your membership or pay at the AGM. Members should send cheques made out to Kennington Association and mark membership on the back. Use the address on the front of the newsletter. People who’ve joined since 30 April will be considered members until October 2013.
If you’re not already a member, please use the form enclosed.
And please use the form to volunteer!
Working together to build a better community is what the Kennington Association is really all about. So be sure to tick one of the boxes so we can contact you at the next opportunity.
Right now we especially need people to help publicise our upcoming events, someone to take over our membership database and a writer/editor for our newsletter, especially someone who can add some good design features and generally jazz it up a bit! You can also email your interests or suggestions toKenningtonAssociation@gmail.com.
PLANNING FORUM
At the March 2012 Vauxhall Triangle Public Inquiry, the KA Planning Forum opposed Kylun Ltd’s “Twin Towers” development as contrary to good strategic planning in London, given that Lambeth was still trying to get its game together on a coherent Vauxhall vision. The PF also found the affordable housing offer deficient, and the open space compensation offer inadequate. But they were able to support the St Anselm’s development at Kennington Cross proposal in March and the Beefeater Gin Visitor Centre proposal in April.
In May the PF had a joint presentation on the Beaufoy redevelopment from Bellway Homes (for the housing development) and Diamond Way Buddhists (for the refurbishment of the Beaufoy itself as a residential and study centre). This would refurbish a neglected Grade II listed building, yield neighbourly-styled flats in scale with adjacent buildings, and provide 40% affordable housing, and the group judged that in planning terms this would be a satisfactory outcome.
Finally, in June, the PF also supported the Sainsbury’s supermarket redevelopment, which provides interesting private open space in a roof garden over the new store, and, in the circumstances, a reasonable affordable housing offer. But they criticised Lambeth for downplaying the legal limitations on use of Sainsbury’s S106 monies, when handing the bulk of them over to the VNEB (Vauxhall/Nine Elms/Battersea) Strategy Board.
UPDATE ON LOLLARD STREET PLAYGROUND
As reported from the Chair in our last newsletter, the KA is working hard to ensure Lollard Street Adventure Playground continues to provide free, supervised play after school for children in our neighbourhood. To this end, the KA has tendered an application, including a business plan, to manage Lollard Street Playground.
Our intention is to form a contract with the Lambeth Play Association who is currently providing play workers, directly employed by LPA. We would also work with other organisations who have expressed a willingness to provide activities such as arts and crafts, homework help, and gardening.
Taking over the management of the Lollard Street facility will also give KA office space plus a venue for use during school hours and late evenings for other activities such as day-time gardening projects for pensioners and local group meetings, after 7 pm.
On 15 June at a public meeting, the KA presented its plan and answered questions by councillors, parents and young people. Informal feedback after the meeting was very positive. And as other groups have dropped out, the KA is now the only contender to manage the facility. However, the Council was clear that this does not mean KA is favoured. If the Council is not satisfied that KA has the wherewithal to run the Playground to their standards, they will continue providing a minimum service, in the short term, which will probably be only one day a week. Currently, with KA help in fund raising, Lollard Street Playground is open three days per week. In the long term, the Council could release it for development.
Where do we go from here? Well, we’re anxiously awaiting the Council decision which won’t be before the end of July. In the meantime, we await promised funds to build a ‘quiet area’ in the building that children have asked for so they can read, do homework and generally ‘chill out.’
SPORTS AND FITNESS
Tai chi has moved back to Kennington Park (near the Café).
Do join us Thursdays from 2:00- 3:00 pm and Saturdays from 11am to12 noon. Classes are open to all. No experience necessary. Just join in and follow the leader! You’ll soon catch on.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW
21 August Kennington History Walk
Meet: 11 am led by Cathy Preece
Oval Tube Station and Muriel Whelan
8 September Table Top Sale
10 am - 1 pm Outside the Dog House PH
Kennington Cross SE11 6BY
29 September KA Fund-Raising Gala
7:00 – 10:00 pm Centenary Hall
Cottington Street SE11 4RZ
6 October KA Bazaar
11am – 1:30 pm St. Anselm’s Church Hall
Kennington Cross SE11 5DU
22 October AGM
6:30 for 7:00 pm start Durning Library
Kennington Cross SE11 4HF
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