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December 2001 newsletter

London Fields User Group

• Chair:  Mike Martin
• fax- 020 7241 3373
• mobile phone - 0775 2833 487
• E-mail:london-.fields@virgin.net
• website: http://londonfieldsusergroup.ground-level.org

John Zeraschi, manager for London Fields, reported to us that he has managed to do many of the repairs he promised to. The toilet block that had been vandalised has had the graffiti cleaned off inside and out and been redecorated with gloss paint for easier cleaning in future. The disabled door has been fixed with a new lock, and the other equipment checked and serviced. The fallen lamppost has been removed. But other items have had job tickets made out for them but they haven’t been done as yet. The broken glass in the Toilet windows has still to be replaced with shatterproof plastic as proposed. The red sand football pitch (Redgra) at the centre of the Fields is still to have its surface tided up and the fencing patched. They are also still to test the electrics and replace lamps for the lighting.

When we consider that council workers are going through yet further reorganisation, with new rounds of cuts and redundancies, it is a wonder that anything is being done at all. We consider that many of the council workers are doing a valiant job in the face of all these difficulties. Parks with bowling greens are now being threatened with having them closed. We wonder if the new children’s paddling pool that we went to so much trouble to have rebuilt will ever get opened?

In the light of this the Parks User Groups have decided to get together and form a Hackney Parks (User Group) Forum. This may be (apart from forming a Community Trust) one of the few ways in which outside revenue can be obtained in the future. There has been a proposed constitution drawn up for this Parks Forum and so far four of the Parks User Groups are supporting it, plus Hackney Marshes informally giving support. The rest have still to make their minds up.  The formation of local people into voluntary community groups, to assist in managing and maintaining local green spaces and play areas, is something that is given great support and significance in the recent government pamphlet published by the DTLR.  Their pamphlet “Green Spaces, Better Places” is available from <www.dtlr.gov.uk> under “Urban”; or by phoning 0870 1207 405.

We are slowly proceeding with our formation as a Community Trust. After agreeing on a Constitution, we now have Groundwork to assist us with the technical documentation for Registration with the Charity Commision.

If any of our regular supporters who receive the newsletter have an e-mail address please let us know. Posting is an expensive method of sending information and e-mail is GREEN.

Come along to our next meeting, Tuesday the 4th. of December at 8pm. We have arranged to meet upstairs in the conference room, at the Pub on the Park, Martello Street E8.

Mike Martin