Posted on

A decision on future of Solace mental health drop-in centre due soon

We’ve covered the efforts made by users of the Solace Centre to keep it open in the face of closure in previous posts. There are various options now available and we hope the Council will agree to continue funding the centre whilst these options are explored in detail.

Ealing Council’s cabinet will consider proposals next Tuesday (24 March) to continue providing an out of hours drop-in service at the Solace Centre.

The Solace Centre is a drop-in support service for adults with mental health problems. It operates out of a council-owned building 365 days a year and is jointly funded by Ealing Council and the West London Mental Health Trust. In November, cabinet considered proposals to close the centre as part of a wide-ranging set of budget savings designed to help the council fill its £96million funding gap. Under these proposals, eligible customers would have been given their own personal budgets to buy alternative support services once the centre shut.
Cabinet gave its approval for the council to begin consulting users, staff and other people affected by the proposed closure. As part of this consultation process, the council asked voluntary sector groups to come forward with other ways to deliver the service, while still making the required savings for the council. There has been considerable interest from voluntary sector groups who have put forward a number of credible alternatives all of which now need further evaluation.
Proposals include an external group running the drop-in service from the Solace Centre building; using the Solace Centre building more efficiently; and finding another space for the Solace Centre to use so the existing Solace Centre space can be transformed into flats for people with mental health problems.

Cabinet will decide on Tuesday whether to agree to continue funding the Solace Centre while these alternatives are given careful consideration, and further options are explored. A further cabinet paper is expected in June.
Councillor Hitesh Tailor, cabinet member for health and adults services, said: “I will be making the case very strongly at cabinet for the council to continue funding the Solace Centre in the short-term, while we secure the long-term future of the service in Ealing.
“Solace Centre users have put forward some strong arguments for why a drop-in service should continue and I’m pleased that so many local voluntary groups have come forward with their ideas on how we can make this happen together. The council is in a very tough financial situation and is having to make some very difficult decisions, and this consultation process goes to show that, by working with service users and local groups, creative solutions can be put in place that allow services to continue while still making the necessary savings.”
The report will be considered on Tuesday, 24 March by the council’s cabinet.

Posted on

Book your stall for the Northfields Jumble Trail in June

This was a great success last year and reached up as far as Regina Road.  The organisers write about thier plans for this year:

‘We have our first few stalls for the Northfields Jumble Trail 2015! It is on Saturday 6th June, it is FREE to have a stall, you keep all the money you make (or give it to a charity of your choice), and it’s a great community event where you can sell all that stuff you’ve been meaning to get rid of of from right outside your own house. Toys, clothes, books, music, cakes, crafts, furniture, whatever you like. Last year’s sale made almost £2,000!

All you have to do is sign up, put your pin on the map, help spread the word and on Sat 6th June we’ll have a big Northfields-wide jumble sale. Click the link below to join in. ‘

http://jumbletrail.com/event/northfields2015

Posted on

Help clean up Fitzherbert Walk in Hanwell this Saturday 10am-2pm

Big Spring Clean at Fitzherbert Walk, Hanwell

You are invited to come and help the park rangers with a Big Spring Clean at Fitzherbert Walk, Hanwell – the footpath leading to Hanwell Bridge from the Grand Union Canal at Green Lane, W7.

The first day of spring is Saturday 21 March and to celebrate summer being around the corner, communities around the country are organising Clear Up Days on Saturday 21 March. These are a ‘national spring clean’, backed by the Government, that aims to spruce up the country’s high streets, residential and business areas, villages and parks.

Our plans for the day at Fitzherbert Walk are to hold a series of volunteer tasks including:
• Cutting back excessive vegetation
• Clearing pile of dead wood into ‘habitat piles’ (homes for wildlife such as fungi, beetles and nesting birds)
• Filling in potholes in the path to provide a better surface for bikes and walkers
• Putting up bird and bat boxes ready for use
• Removing unsightly rubbish and litter

Come along on the day and make a difference in your area! Whether you can do a little or a lot, everyone is welcome.
We’ll be working from 10.00am to 2.00pm. Drinks and refreshments will be provided at lunchtime. Please wear suitable outdoor clothes and footwear.

Directions:
To get there travel to the end of Green Lane near the Fox Pub W7 2PJ. Turn right onto the canal towpath and walk 100 metres crossing the footbridge and passing the canal lock (no. 97) on your left. Then follow the footpath leading off to the right.

A poster advertising the event is attached. Please feel free to pass onto others you think would like to come and join in.

If you have any questions about the day please drop me a line.

Kind regards

James

James Morton
Park Ranger – Norwood Green and Dormers Wells Wards
Leisure and Parks, Ealing Council
Telephone 07956 932065 / 020 8813 9232

Posted on

Northfields Spring Night Market on Saturday 21st March 6.30-9pm

We all had a fabulous time at the recent Northfields Christmas Night Market and it’s now time to start planning for our Northfields Spring Night Market!

Once again we will be bringing amazing local businesses together; providing gift inspiration, hand-crafted pressies, wonderful food and the great Northfields community atmosphere. Live music from JSMG Band and Love2Sing Choir (yep entry is free)!

We are very lucky that the wonderful Kingsdown Methodist Church has an all weather hall & arena, so not even rain can stop us.

Date: Saturday 21 March

Time: 6.30 – 9.0pm
Address: Kingsdown Methodist Church Hall, Kingsdown Ave, W13 9PR

Fab participating businesses:

The Fields Café, Tropic Skincare, Mind Body & Story (Barefoot Books), The Giggle Company, Miss B, Ealing Privilege Card, Cheeky Chutneys, Blue Feather Book Designs, Vanilla Frost Cakes, Boho City, Bell Eames W13 Jessica Rose Fine Art, Denalis Jewellery, Desi Baker Artisan bread, ElSilver (silver Jewellery), Knitted items Popcorn Box, Lazarow Wood Turning, RosyRosie, Spice Magic, Emy and Julie, Sargasso Shoes, Fabulous Fudge Natural Fragrance Company Ltd, Smallprint Jewellery, Forever Living, Spinning Tops, Nella Catering, Garden Shed Designs, Make it Mimi, Mano Creations (Jewellery), EE’s Cosmetics, Powerfoods (Northfields Pharmacy). Pampered Chef, Gala Bebe, Kristina Uffe Photography, Fairly Amy, Mother and Child Homeopath, Truali, Imagethirst Photography, Coopers Beans & Leaves, Mobytek

Posted on

Time to review traffic plans for West Ealing

SherwoodClose

If you live in the roads near the Sherwood Close Estate (shown on the map) then you may well have had a green coloured leaflet through your letterbox yesterday.  It’s about the traffic access arrangements for the redevelopment of the Sherwood Close Estate. It’s worth taking a few minutes to read it and think about the issues it raises and whether these concern you.

Access to the new development was always going to be tricky as most of the nearby roads such as Seaford Rd and Westfield are narrow and heavily parked up on both sides.  It’s already difficult for delivery lorries to get round these roads.  Our worry is that the access plans for the new estate do little to improve this.  With an increase in homes of some 100 or so, which means about 200-250 new residents on the redeveloped estate, logic says there will be more deliveries.  Yet, access to the estate from the north or south will still have to be via the existing narrow streets or, to be precise given the current road system, via Westfield Road and then along Glenfield Terrace, Bonchurch Road or Milford Road.  Access from the east and west should be better as there will be a new road off Tawny Close.

We feel there is a good case for a careful review of the traffic routes and traffic flows in this whole sector of West Ealing – from Leighton Road in the south to the Uxbridge Road in the north and from Seaford Road in the east to Grosvenor Road/ Seward Road in the west. We think it’s important not to make a decision about access to the Sherwood Close Estate in isolation from already residents’ concerns about traffic problems that already worry people living in these streets.   We say, let’s step back and take a good look at this whole area and avoid piecemeal decisions.

The leaflet gives details of who to contact if you have concerns about this.  These include the three Walpole Ward councillors who cover the area concerned. You can find them here.

 

 

Posted on

West Ealing post office likely to move

I just thought it would be useful to flag this up for information. The post office in Leeland Road is looking to move round the corner to the Uxbridge Road to where the wet fish shop/shoe repairer/ Caribbean food shop used to be. The planned move is part of a national modernisation programme. The new branch will be of modern open plan design with longer opening hours, same products and services with addition of car tax. It will also be open all day Saturday whereas it now shuts at 12.30pm on Saturdays. There is a 6-week consultation which ends on 16th April. Comments can be made online at postofficeviews.co.uk and you need to quote their branch number 125006. If it all goes through the new branch will open June/July. The form has full details of opening hours etc.

Posted on

Salvation Army shop in West Ealing needs volunteers

The Salvation Army needs volunteers to help in their West Ealing shop:

‘Do you have a day/few hours a week spare? Available on a Monday or Saturday?
Want to do some volunteering in a charity shop (the Salvation Army charity shop, Leeland Road, West Ealing, W13 9HH) We are a friendly happy bunch, but are short staffed and really need some reliable volunteers. Please Email :- Nicola.joyce@salvationarmy.org.uk ‘

Posted on

Weekly street food market coming to Ealing Broadway from Friday 2th Feb

I read about this on Ealing Today and it sound brilliant and, even better, it’s organised by an Ealing resident – Kate McKenzie.  She’s organising a street food market every Friday in the Ealing Broadway shopping centre.  Kate is clearly very passionate about street food markets and it sounds a great idea and well worth a visit. It starts on Friday 27th February and runs weekly until Friday 17th April and this is just the start. She’s already thinking about a monthly weekend market.

Posted on

1 to 1 business advice and more at Ealing Town Hall Weds 25th February

Ealing Means Business
Ealing town hall, 9-5pm, 25 February 2015

Come and say hi at the ‘Ealing Means Business’ event. Ealing Blueprint will have a stall at this year’s ‘Ealing Means Business’ event at Ealing town hall from 9am-5pm on Wednesday 25 February 2015.

This free business event will have 1 to 1 advice sessions, exhibitions, seminars and networking, so why not come down and see what it has to offer.

To register your free place, visit: www.ealingmeansbusiness.co.uk

Don’t forget to pop down to Chat&Meet @Ealing Blueprint, 13 Drayton Green Road, West Ealing. We are open Tuesday – Saturday, 8.30am – 5.30pm for hot desking, meetings, seminars and coffee!

Many thanks,

The Ealing Blueprint Community