October 2020

A Wanstead-based knitting group has created a range of woolly poppies to raise funds for The Legion. Just one way Social Knitworks is helping our community one stitch at a time, says founder Liz Hickson

The idea to set up the Social Knitworks group (despite the fact I am no knitter or crocheter!) came to me after walking past a horrific scene opposite Liverpool Street Station in December 2018. A homeless man had ruptured and died in his sleep. Witnessing that horrific sight on a cold rainy morning when I was on my way to work was something I couldn’t get out of my mind, especially as it was Christmas. And I wanted to do something to help vulnerable people in my local community – in particular, the homeless.

Bringing together a diverse group of local knitters and crocheters, Social Knitworks knits and crochets for a variety of local charities and projects. When we make a sale, 100% of the purchase price is donated to a local cause – with our primary focus being Wanstead’s Corner House Project, which helps support vulnerable people within our community, including the homeless.

However, since February last year, we have also produced countless items for Whipps Cross premature baby unit, as well as for full-term babies who are from less advantaged backgrounds. In addition, if you’re like me (and not a very good knitter), we make very simple squares which get made into cat blankets for the Celia Hammond Animal Trust. So, there is literally something for everyone depending on both ability and the type of cause that may be of interest to the knitter.

Prior to the arrival of COVID-19, we met weekly in The Cuckfield. On our first anniversary in early February, around 20 knitters came along to celebrate. When lockdown hit, we took to Zoom and then my back garden. We then returned to The Cuckfield before Tier 2 restrictions meant we were back on Zoom last month. We all now look forward to returning to real-world meetups!

As a group focused on the community, I have been amazed by the support we have received – including the people who knit, the people who donate wool, Lizi Arnold and her team at The Cuckfield and last but not least, the people who buy from us. I had the idea for the group, but everyone else has made my idea a reality.

With Remembrance Sunday around the corner, we are currently working on a range of knitted and crocheted poppies. Selling at £4 for a small crocheted poppy or £5 for a larger knitted poppy, purchasers have the choice of donating 50%, 75% or 100% to the Royal British Legion.^* If donating less than 100% to The Legion, the remainder will be donated to The Corner House Project.

*I am currently trying to confirm with the RBL whether I am legally allowed to split donations as described above. However, despite contacting the RBL several times by phone, online chat, email and Twitter as of writing (14/10/20) I am still awaiting a response. Should no response be received by 11/11/20, I will split donations as per customer wishes (with at least 50% of the purchase price going to the RBL). But please be assured 100% of the purchase price per poppy will be donated to either the RBL or a combination of the RBL and The Corner House.

Wanstead foodies Suzi Harnett, Kate Rowe and Paul Canal are launching a Lockdown Virtual Supper Club to raise money for Haven House Children’s Hospice.

“Participants who pledge £10 to Haven House will receive a four-course menu, comprehensive recipes and full instructions, along with recommended wine and drinks pairings from celebrated food writer Kate Rowe. The menus are curated by local restaurants Le Marmiton, Provender and La Bakerie,” said Paul.

The event is scheduled for 21 November.

To take part, HavenHouseVirtualSupperclub@gmail.com

Pamela Odukoya of the Woodford Green Speakers Club introduces an event in connection with Black History Month

COVID -19 has led to further unemployment and massive changes in the world of work. This is a time of great uncertainty for the Black and Minority Ethnic community (BAME) and as professionals from this community,  we are keen to support our community to make changes in different areas of their lives, as an example, career planning and financial management. We believe that with access to sound careers guidance they will be able to access a  range of other professions and achieve their potential.

As a result, this will contribute to a change of narrative that currently hinders their progression and financial security.  If we are to continue celebrating Black History Month, we believe now is the time to start developing our future heroes.

Purpose: To empower people from BAME communities to reflect, work together and change their current narrative about careers, their voice and money management.

When:  29 October at 6.30pm -9pm via zoom.

Topics: Career Management,  Your Voice and  Financial Management

Cost: Free

Link to register: rb.gy/56ei3d

Nat Cato from Healthwatch Redbridge encourages service users to make their voices count

In September 2019, Whipps Cross was given the go-ahead to build a brand-new state-of-the art hospital. A strategic case was developed with local health and social care partners talking to service users and hospital staff.

The initial plans for the new building involved increasing the proportion of clinical space from 50% to around 70% and maximising the use of its departments. It would make more efficient use of services which are currently spread out across the site. The proportion of critical care and maternity beds would also be increased and modern wards would have the proportion of single rooms significantly expanded, improving patient experience and infection control.

Meetings and surveys showed seven out of ten respondents agreed that the hospital couldn’t be done without developing the site for new homes as well as core health and care services.

The Challenges of COVID-19
When COVID-19 arrived Barts Health adapted to minimise its spread by restricting hospital visits and using technology for virtual consultations to ensure services were delivered where possible. Most elective surgeries were suspended (apart from cancer treatment and life-saving operations).

Seeing Covid-19 as one of the biggest challenges faced by the NHS, the Trust’s clinicians came to the realisation that the overall vision for the new hospital remained valid but would need to adapt some of the detail in implementing it.

“We are increasing the proportion of outpatient consultations done remotely by telephone or video. These are positive changes we wanted to make, that are taking place sooner than we hoped… 

We now anticipate making further changes to the “front door” model of the new hospital to account for the expectation that more people will access services by being referred from GPs or NHS 111, rather than walking in as at present.” Barts Health NHS Trust 

Join the virtual meeting
As a service user, your views are needed. Join the virtual public meeting for an update on the new hospital, present your views and have your questions answered.

The panel for these meetings will include representatives from Barts Health as well as partners from the local health system in East London and from local government.

A summary of the emerging plans – ‘Building a Brighter Future for Whipps Cross – Moving to the next stage’ – can be found here.

The meeting for Redbridge residents is on 29 October 2020, 6.30pm to 8.30pm

Register for meeting

Healthwatch Redbridge is an independent champion for health and social care is keen that services hear directly from members of the public.

The Wanstead Society is seeking to revitalise the iconic K6 telephone box outside Wanstead Station, with the Wanstead Community Gardeners high on the list of those wishing to put it to good use.

“This particular box has Grade II listed status with Historic England and, of course, it complements our beautiful Art Deco station perfectly. BT will decommission it, but leave the electricity for the top lights. Then it is ours to clean, paint and use. The project is in its early stages, but hopefully, by next summer, the shiny red kiosk will be brimming with plant life. Crowdfunding may be needed for the refurbishment, but possibly not for the purchase price – it’s £1,” said Eileen Flinter.

The K6 kiosk design was created by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V.

A rope bridge, tunnel and games table are among the new play equipment installed on Christchurch Green earlier this month.

“It’s great to see Christchurch Green’s popular playground benefitting from Redbridge Council’s commitment to investment £1.6m in play equipment across the borough. I have long been calling on the council to commit more funds to playgrounds as I know from first-hand experience how crucial playgrounds are to families with young children,” said Councillor Jo Blackman.

The third permanent coronavirus testing centre in Redbridge opened in Woodford Green this week.

Located in Charteris Road car park (IG8 0AL), the site is open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm. “Redbridge has the highest COVID-19 infection rates in London and we need to ensure our residents can get tested to help stop the spread. We want every resident in the borough to be able to access a testing centre nearby,” said the Leader of Redbridge Council, Councillor Jas Athwal.

Visit wnstd.com/test

Planning some building work at home? Why not make sure it offers net gain for nature? Susie Knox explains why in the 23rd article of a series charting the Wild Wanstead project

In the last 25 years, an area of countryside and green space almost the size of Cornwall has been lost to development. Built-up areas in Britain increased by nearly 3,500 square kilometres, according to the UK Centre of Ecology and Hydrology, most of it in England. If someone had proposed to concrete over the whole of Cornwall, there would have been an outcry. But development is much more insidious than that. A little bit here, a little bit there. Each pretty insignificant, but collectively, adding up to a vast area of land lost to nature. 

The researchers calculated that between 1990 and 2015 there was a net loss of 1.9 million acres of grassland.

With so much more development still to come, it is good news that in the new environment bill, the government is embracing the concept of net gain for nature. It means that big developments will (allegedly) have to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than it was beforehand. By measuring the value of existing habitats in biodiversity units, the net gain approach will hopefully encourage habitats of high biodiversity value to be avoided or preserved, given the difficulty and cost in compensating for them. It should also lead to new developments integrating wildlife-enhancing features into plans to boost their score of biodiversity units.

It seems a shame that in places like Wanstead, where most development is small scale or residential (extensions and driveways), no such rules will apply, and the gradual concreting over of suburbia looks set to continue. A little bit here, a little bit there. I wonder how many George Green’s worth of gardens have been concreted over in Wanstead during the last 25 years?

Maybe, as individuals, we should embrace the concept of net gain for nature, even if we aren’t forced to by law. For example, if garden land is being lost to make way for an extension, why not ensure the remaining garden becomes a haven for wildlife? Or put on a green roof and create a new area of vegetated land?

Suburban gardens are home to nearly 700 different species, and probably many thousands of individual creatures. What to us seems like a lovely extension or patio, or a neat driveway, is Armageddon to insects, birds, frogs, toads, hedgehogs and the many other creatures trying to live alongside us in Wanstead. Many people say they feel reconnected with nature following lockdown this year. Let’s hope those feelings turn to actions by ensuring our own home building projects result in an improved habitat for our local wildlife.

Ways to help nature gain while achieving the house of your dreams:

• Incorporate green features in your new development.
• Compensate for any loss of vegetation or habitat by making the remaining land even better for nature.

For example:

• Use a small amount of hard surfacing and maximise space for vegetation.
• Put a sedum or wildflower roof on extensions, sheds or garden rooms.
• Opt for a green driveway.
• Don’t put down plastic grass.
• Switch areas of your lawn to no-mow in spring and early summer.
• Plant trees and hedges around the edge.
• Allocate an area to become a wild corner – with leaf piles, wood and dense vegetation.
• Create a wild flower mini-meadow.
• Start growing ivy or other climbers up your fences.
• Add a wildlife pond or water feature.
• Lift up old areas of gravel and slate and plant low-maintenance shrubs instead.

Wanstead teenager Grace Wolstenholme invites you to watch her YouTube channel for an insight into her life with cerebral palsy. In the third of a series of articles, Grace gets to party for the first time this year

Hi. It’s me again, Grace. You’re probably thinking: “Bloody hell, what more could she possibly have to talk about?” Well, to be honest with you, I didn’t know what to write about, but then I thought, why not talk about my first time going out since lockdown? So, here we go… you’ll probably want to sit down for this because, as my family say, when I have something to talk about, it’s never quick. So, I hope you’re comfortable.

Most people have probably seen my post on the local Facebook pages saying I’ve been isolating since the beginning of March due to coronavirus. Because of my cerebral palsy, I’m very vulnerable. I’ve got a very low immune system. But on 28 August, one of my mates had a party because she turned 18. So, I was very excited to go to a party for the first time since December.

Obviously, my mum was shitting herself because there would be a lot of people there. But I was well excited! It took me two hours to do my hair and make-up to get ready because, you know, I had to look good. You never know, there could be a fit boy there. Unfortunately, there weren’t any fit boys.

I was filming and doing a photo shoot in my mate’s garden because – excuse my French – f**k me, her garden is huge, and by huge, I mean it’s like the size of, do you know the Wanstead part of Epping Forest? It’s probably not that big, but not far off! She’s got a lake – yes, a lake, not a pond, a lake – and a whole lot more. I mean the party was literally out of this world!

There was a bar, from which I got a passion fruit Martini. There were three big tents, one had a DJ in, another had a photo booth in and the other was a chill-out area, but I spent most of my time in the party tent, and talking to her nan. I know, you’re probably thinking I don’t have a life if I talk to nans, but we really got on. I think it’s because I’m really close to my own great nan. That woman is a nightmare: she goes to Westfield and she does every floor. She’s even been in – wait for it – Ann Summers. So, that’s why I think I got on with my mate’s nan.

By the end of the night, I looked a right mess. My shoes were covered in mud. I’m surprised I managed to walk in them because they were knee-high heels.

At 1am, we called it a night. It took an hour to get home.

So, yeah, that’s everything that happened to me when I was released from lockdown.

Art Group Wanstead member Pippa Davismoon works with clay and glass. She has just started teaching a new glass fusing evening class, and believes making things can enhance your wellbeing

Ever since I can remember, I have needed to make things. I now believe it’s fundamental to a rich and rewarding life. Since finishing at Central St Martin’s Art School with a distinction in glass in 2011, I have worked in kiln-formed glass and ceramics alongside drawing and print.

Teaching and running local workshops are also part of my art practice, being passionate about how making can enhance wellbeing. I’ll be running glass evening classes and Christmas workshops again this year.

I first fell in love with the colours of studio glass when studying architecture in Liverpool. The cathedral has coloured glass in its dome, and when light shines through, beautiful colours fill the space.

I started working with glass 10 years ago, finding it as inspiring and beautiful then as I do now. Glass is exciting to experiment with and a very forgiving medium. It can be refired up to seven times. When you open the kiln, it’s like opening a present from a friend.

Working with ceramics is a slower process, meditative and relaxing; during this time, you can adjust and develop your work. I also often work with porcelain, as despite its technical challenges, it’s a sensuous clay, producing an exquisite finish, glazed or unglazed.

During the last Wanstead Festival, I worked with Elsa Arnold (from the Spreading Kindness Through E11 initiative), running a workshop for people to make kindness bunting, which was displayed in local shop windows.

Currently, I am working on Lockdown Lessons, a participatory word game made out of ceramics.

It is well documented that turning to veganism is one of the most effective ways an individual can reduce their carbon footprint, says Tina Nieman Da Costa of Wanstead Climate Action

As a movement, plant-based living has seen steady growth in recent times, and the market share for products and services in this sector has exploded. And yet, still there are some who find this lifestyle confusing. As one Zimbabwean vegan pointed out: “It was easier to come out to my father. There were less questions, less tears and way less calls for an exorcism.”  

So, here are seven questions every new vegan will face, and helpful ways to answer them.

1. What do you eat?
Fruit, vegetables and grains. Anything that converts carbon dioxide into oxygen. And in the summer, swimmers in the sea… No wait, that’s sharks, vegans eat plants.

2. Where do you get your protein?
The extensive variety of nuts, legumes, seeds and grains available in any decent grocer.

3. Why are you not dead yet?
The side effects of a plant-based diet may include reduced cholesterol, lowered blood pressure and reduced risk of heart disease.

4. Why are vegans always talking about it?
To save you the effort and embarrassment of killing, cooking and serving a whole cow to someone who has no interest in eating meat or animal products of any kind.

5. Do you take supplements?
No, we get all our nutrients from the food carefully selected based on what we need to live, and not what we live to eat.

6. How do you manage it?
By the grace of the vegan goddess Serena Williams, all things are possible.

7. Are you an ethical vegan or a dietary vegan?
These labels, like most labels, are irrelevant and detract from the wider and more important conversation.

The conversation being, should we, as a civilisation, rethink our agricultural activities for the good of the planet, and what are we willing to sacrifice for the future, now we know simply leaving the mess behind for someone else to clean up is no longer – and never has been – an option? Pollution of all kinds is not going anywhere until big and wholesome changes are made to stop a climate crisis that the generation sitting in pushchairs right now will have to live with.      

The answer is not just veganism; in fact, you don’t even have to be a vegan. What is needed is a commitment to change your mindset from a consumer to being part of the solution to the climate issue in every aspect of your life. This will not be easy, but life by its very definition is not meant to be easy. It is, after all, the struggle against the infinite violence of the cosmos.

The Rotary Club of Leytonstone and Woodford is inviting residents to join an online bingo night on 30 October to raise money for charity.

“Our club is part of Rotary International and supports the global challenges facing us all. However, we are particularly focused on the local community and other deserving causes closer to home,” said club member John Bracken.

The event, which starts at 7.15pm (£10 per person), will include four games, with prizes for one line, two lines and a full house.

Email peter.blake97@outlook.com

Derek Inkpin from local solicitors Wiseman Lee reflects on how the mortgage market has changed over the last 50 years and why he is thankful the Financial Conduct Authority are doing their bit

When I first started work over 50 years ago, it could be tough getting a mortgage. Even if a borrower fitted the lender’s criteria, UK-wise, things were a lot tighter financially and mortgage lenders operated a strict allocation of funds so that if the lender’s funds ran out for a particular month, borrowers would have to wait until further funds were available for their purchase.

The courts were tougher too. Many years ago, a particular judge at Bow County Court in rent possession cases had an often repeated mantra to those appearing before him saying “No rent, no house,” so if you were in arrears with your rent, you could not expect much clemency from the judicial system, and that was pretty much the same for persons with mortgage arrears. Thank goodness things have changed for the better.

Fast forward to 2019 and the bank of Mum and Dad is open for business, and there are hundreds of mortgage products and many more people are able to get the mortgage they want to make home ownership within their grasp.

When Covid-19 struck, the world as we know it, in so many ways, was turned upside down. People’s finances were and continue to be thrown into jeopardy with a lot of financial worry. Thank goodness in 2020 the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has been issuing guidance to mortgage lenders so that borrowers who face financial difficulties arising from coronavirus can be helped.

This FCA guidance is advice to lenders to use short- and long-term options, which include altering the repayment duration of a mortgage, thereby reducing monthly payments, offering payment deferrals and other solutions so as to provide much-needed financial support at a very difficult time.

The whole point is that if borrowers need help, instead of facing the prospect of their homes being repossessed, lenders can give support tailored to the individual borrower’s circumstances to help them manage their finances. Lenders are also being advised to refer their borrowers for debt advice.

We are a long way from the Covid-19 situation coming under control and the headlines are worryingly full of indications that employers are apparently planning substantial redundancies for the UK workforce. At least the FCA are doing their bit to give advice to mortgage lenders to ensure the right kind of practical help is given to mortgage borrowers at this critical time.

A 300 year-old mulberry tree at Wanstead Golf Club has split in two – a victim of the summer’s hot, dry weather. But this is just the beginning of a more recumbent phase of old age, says Peter Coles

Since Roman times, mulberries have been planted in London for their delicious fruit and medicinal virtues. Today’s trees help to tell this tale.

I first visited the veteran black mulberry tree (Morus nigra) at hole seven on Wanstead Golf Course in 2018. I was invited to do so by local resident and mulberry enthusiast Claire Weiss, and I remember being excited to add it to the Morus Londinium database. Morus Londinium is The Conservation Foundation’s mulberry mapping project in London. This particular mulberry could date back to the 1720s, perhaps planted as a fruit tree in the kitchen gardens of the (long since demolished) Wanstead House.

It therefore came as quite a shock when Bob Ward, manager of Wanstead Golf Club, informed Claire the tree had split in half during the very hot, dry weather of August, which had been followed by strong winds.

But, like many other veteran mulberry trees that collapse, this is just the beginning of a new phase. “The collapse of this tree should not be seen as a catastrophe but rather as a natural progression in its continued growth. Without doing anything, the natural order will be for some of the branches, now touching the ground, to root and grow independently of the parent trunk. The part still upright will also lean over and, at some point, do the same. Our oldest mulberry trees have all lost their original trunks and survive as a collection of stems rooted in this way,” said dendrologist David Alderman, who helped assess the damage.

Not so long ago, when an old tree like this keeled over, the urge would have been to think it was dead, or at least to chop up and  remove the fallen section. Nowadays – and especially in the case of the Wanstead Golf Club mulberry, which has lots of room around it – the advice is to leave it alone.

According to David, the size and age of the Wanstead mulberry qualify it for the national hall of fame: “The size of the tree makes this a remarkable specimen! I measured the tree to be 7.5m tall x 2.97m girth at 0.8m above ground level. Very few mulberry have intact measurable trunks of circa 3m in girth and although not the oldest mulberry, this is the second largest, most intact mulberry in Greater London… Out of 500 specimen mulberry in Britain, the Wanstead tree is 9th largest when comparing only those surviving with a clearly identifiable short trunk.”

This said, black mulberry trees can live for several centuries under the right conditions, but their long, spreading branches may need to be supported. Wanstead Golf Club is very proud of its venerable tree and has assured us they will do whatever is needed to preserve it.  We will follow this story with great interest in the months to come.

James Paterson reflects on the success of the Tin in a Bin (TinaB) network – which he established at the start of lockdown with fellow Wanstead resident Julie Harvey – and explains why the initiative is still vital

It all began so simply! Julie Harvey, a regular donor to the Redbridge Foodbank via St Mary’s in Overton Drive, set up a system outside her house where neighbours could drop goods to be added to the church collections. Julie decorated her front windows with signs asking people to “Put a tin in the bin,” and left her recycling box out to collect these.

When lockdown was imposed, churches had to close their doors to the public, and one immediate consequence was the end to regular weekly donations on Sundays; the foodbank was deprived of an important supplier, hampering their vital work. So, I came up with a solution: a large plastic chest in front of my house where people could drop donations instead. The problem was, Drummond Road is neither very central nor convenient. Nevertheless, the availability of the two drop-off points at mine and Julie’s houses was publicised on the Wanstead Community Hub Facebook page.

Immediately, donations started to come in. Amazingly, people also volunteered to become drop-off points as well, and the Tin in a Bin Network was born! It grew rapidly, and the network now has 35 collectors across Wanstead, South Woodford and Aldersbrook. It has become affectionately known as TinaB! Responding to requests, we also set up a PayPal pool for those who preferred to donate money.

TinaB volunteers bring donations to me and Julie. They’re sorted and taken to the foodbank. The first week, incredibly, saw donations of 700kg. The second week, we received 1,345kg, which is still a record. We now drop an average of 1,000kg to the foodbank weekly, reaching over 10 tonnes at the end of June. As at 5 September, the total donated to the foodbank was 16.65 tonnes! In addition, we distributed surplus food the foodbank didn’t need to local initiatives supporting people in crisis, including hotels housing rough sleepers, Frank Charles’ worthy Feed the Streetz and the Magpie Project, to name a few. These donations weighed around another two tonnes.

Julie and I are so thankful to our community for their continuing support. We are also grateful to the Wanstead Village Directory for frequently publicising the network. Sadly, the need for the foodbank has increased steadily during the pandemic, and the continuing crisis – with the end of the furlough scheme – is likely to increase the number of people who rely on its emergency support.

So, in addition to seeking additional drop-off points, we are now planning to approach other churches and schools to see if we can further expand the network. We are also publicising the initiative on a wider basis to encourage people in other areas to start their own TinaB networks.

To send a message to the network, email editor@wnstd.com

Wanstead UpCycles was rocked by theft last month when three bicycles were stolen from the home of the charity’s founder Paul Canal. But things are on the up, thanks to the kindness of friends and strangers

Devastated and furious. That’s how I felt after the despicable theft. But from the lowest of lows, Wanstead UpCycles has bounced back, thanks to the generosity of local residents and the kindness of strangers.

Within days of the theft, friends Paul and Kam hand-built a taller fence, securing my back garden. A press appeal led to a flood of new donations, with several new bicycles to replace the three stolen ones. Our local Redbridge Police also came up trumps by offering recovered stolen bicycles they have been unable to reunite with their owners.

Wanstead UpCycles started out during lockdown, rehoming donated bicycles to low-income families and selling on surplus bicycles to raise money for Haven House Children’s Hospice. Wanstead UpCycles is now supported by an enthusiastic team of local volunteers, including teacher Mark Fodder, structural engineer Thierry Suc and telecoms engineer Mick Terry, who have all been a huge support. Their enthusiasm and bicycle knowledge has been essential to our success.

Wanstead UpCycles even has its own engineering apprentice after local teenager Mawusi Jones volunteered to help fix the donated bicycles. Mawusi is simply fantastic. He is keen and knowledgeable; an absolute credit to his family and school.

I have been overwhelmed by Wanstead UpCycles’ journey over the last four months. I started out with a target of raising £1,000 for Haven House, whose own fundraising has been hit hard by the pandemic. We have smashed that target, and thanks to the kindness of local people have raised over £2,500 and have a new target of £4,000.

We have rehomed over a dozen bicycles to lower-income families, replaced a nurse’s stolen bike and a toddler’s stolen tricycle, and repaired and refurbished over 40 bicycles that would otherwise have been languishing in a shed or destined for scrap.

Wanstead UpCycles still has several smaller child’s bikes available, from 12” to 20”. There is a waiting list for larger bikes, from 24” to adult bikes, including road, mountain and hybrid bikes. There is also a big demand for ladies “pashley” style bikes.

Through Wanstead UpCycles, I have met some amazing new friends. I start every Saturday with fresh bagels Thierry cycles in from Brick Lane, and I have had tremendous fun.

One of the best parts is seeing the broad smile on a child’s face as they choose and then cycle, or wobble off, on their new bicycle. There are few things as uplifting as a truly happy child.

Wanstead’s Flamingo Fairs have been postponed until next year after plans to resume the art and craft event this month were cancelled.

“The restricted number of people allowed in the venue, combined with Redbridge’s exceptionally high number of September Covid-19 cases, has made us reassess the schedule. Cancelling the fairs at the last moment would have been even more disappointing,” said organiser Donna Mizzi, who has been running the event at Wanstead Library’s Churchill Hall for nine years.

Litter pickers have called for people to dispose of face masks properly after 15 people joined last month’s socially distanced clean-up event.

“It was great to see people continuing to come out to keep the streets of Wanstead clean. One recurring theme, however, was the number of face masks that seem to just be discarded on the ground… it is selfish and irresponsible behaviour. Take the masks home and dispose of them appropriately,” said Councillor Paul Donovan. The next litter pick will take place on 17 October.

The event takes place on the third Saturday of the month from 10am, meeting on the corner of High Street and Woodbine Place.

In the third of a series of articles by Refugee Welcome Wanstead – a community group planning to welcome a Syrian refugee family to the area – Eleanor Taylor reports on the group’s Home Office application

Thanks to all the support we’ve received from people in Wanstead and the surrounding areas, we’ve been pressing ahead with our project to welcome a Syrian refugee family to the area, and we’re delighted our application has been accepted.

When we last wrote in June, we were in the process of writing our application to the Home Office. This was a complex task that involved working with the Community Sponsorship Team at the Resettlement, Asylum Support and Integration department. We completed a long questionnaire, detailing how we will support the family and help them work towards independence once they are here. Our core group of volunteers were working for a number of months to complete the process.

Following submission, we had a detailed pre-approval meeting (virtually) with the Home Office in July. This was a nerve-racking experience, but we are pleased to say our application has recently been successful.

The timing couldn’t be better, as the situation for refugees across the world has become even more dangerous over the summer. The devastating explosion in the port of Beirut is estimated to have impacted thousands of Syrian refugees who had been forced to move to Lebanon, having already endured disaster in their home country. The family we will be welcoming to Wanstead will also be Syrian, displaced by the conflict there and currently living in a refugee camp in the Middle East. We have the opportunity to help one family escape from the constant dangers that life as a refugee can inflict.

There are still delays to the process due to Covid-19 restrictions, with UK embassies shut for visa applications. But the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration announced in mid-June that resettlement departures for refugees would be resuming, so we are looking forward to pressing ahead.

Our next steps are to prepare as much as we can while we wait for the various agencies to match us with a suitable family. We are preparing a guide to Wanstead, which we hope will tell the family everything they need to know about our community, and help them feel welcome as soon as they arrive.

We are so grateful for the ongoing support shown by everyone in Wanstead and the surrounding areas, and as soon as we know more about the family who will be joining us, we will need lots more help, especially from people who have experienced the system or who have relevant language skills. In the meantime, if you are able to help or would like to donate to our project, please get in touch.

Local resident Lorna Paterson is establishing a series of sign language bubbles in Wanstead to help people learn – and share – the skills for this important form of communication

Last month, I bumped into my neighbour at the supermarket. Usually, when we meet we have a chat, but this time we gazed helplessly into each other’s eyes, totally unable to communicate.

My neighbour, who is hearing impaired, was unable to read my lips because we were both wearing masks. She suffered hearing loss in later life and has never had an opportunity to learn how to sign, so my qualification in British Sign Language (BSL) was of no use to us.

This made me think of how good it would be if more people knew some common signed phrases. In a post on the Wanstead Community Hub on Facebook, I asked if anyone would like to learn a little BSL. Over 30 people responded, and at the time of writing, six of them have signed up to take part in the Wanstead BSL Project.

The deaf community is proud and independent, but for many people, the experience of hearing loss can be isolating. Children born with hearing impairments benefit from the amazing ‘deaf tech’ now available, but they also need community support. Loss of hearing is especially troublesome if it comes on in later life when it is more difficult to learn new ways to communicate.

Although, in theory, I am qualified to teach BSL Level One, I will not be running formal lessons. This project will be all about sharing and ‘cascading’ skills. Of course, it must also be Covid-secure. Here is the model I suggest. I hope it will result in a chain of ‘BSL bubbles’ cascading knowledge.

Firstly, I can meet five other people, outdoors and socially distanced, for one hour a week, to share basic information. This will be our basic bubble. Then, the five who have been with me in the basic bubble can each form a new Covid-secure bubble, with up to five other people at a time, to share what they have learned. Groups can form their own bubble of up to five to welcome a leader from the basic bubble.

If you are going to let me teach you this important form of communication, then you should probably know a bit more about me. I have lived in Wanstead for 40 years. I was Head of English in a high school in Waltham Forest until I chose to retire early. Now, I’m employed part-time, by a DFE-approved tuition agency, to support hearing impaired university students. I passed BSL Level Two last June at Havering Community College. I am not yet a fluent signer.

If you would like to take part in the Wanstead BSL Project, please get in touch. Let me know if you have any previous experience of using BSL or if you have any special reason for wishing to learn it. This information will be very useful in forming BSL bubbles.

Around 30 households in Wanstead took part in a mini jumble trail last month.

“It was not a formal trail, but with the help of WhatsApp street groups, the idea quickly passed along to the four roads behind Christchurch Green. Residents emptied out their lofts and sheds, selling items that others could reuse and repurpose. It was a wonderful, albeit socially distanced, day, with neighbours getting to know each other better and visitors commenting on the area’s incredible community spirit,” said the organisers.

The Corner House Project – a Wanstead-based initiative that supports the homeless – is hosting a drive-through for donations of clothes and toiletries at Wanstead Cricket Club this month.

“Items can be dropped off in the car park at 1 Overton Drive between 11am and 2pm on 17 and 18 October. This will enable us to make up survival kits to distribute to those who are struggling,” said a spokesperson. Items needed include gloves, scarves, woolly hats, sleeping bags, deodorant, toothpaste and sanitary products.

Visit wnstd.com/cares

With reports of a lack of blood testing services operating in Redbridge, Nat Cato from Healthwatch Redbridge offers an overview of the options available to Wanstead residents

Due to patient feedback, we became aware of a lack of blood testing services operating in Redbridge. Healthwatch Redbridge have been liaising with Barking, Havering and Redbridge Clinical Commissioning Group (BHR CCG) regarding this matter.

Most tests must be booked in advance. The only exception is the Barts Health service at Forest Medical Centre in Loughton. Only patients who usually access the Wanstead or Whipps Cross sites should use Forest Medical Centre or Whipps Cross. Results are unavailable for patients who don’t usually use those services.

The walk-in service at the Heronwood and Galleon site in Wanstead reopened in late September for Redbridge patients only (8am to 1pm, Monday to Friday). Patients who usually use this site or Whipps Cross Hospital can also use any of the other sites across BHR.

BHR CCG has also told us appointments are now available at additional clinics across Redbridge. These clinics may be temporary, but appointments can be booked now, online or by telephone at South Woodford Health Centre, Hainault Health Centre or Seven Kings Health Centre.   

If your GP tells you that you need to have a blood test, you must book in advance – don’t just turn up. This ensures infection control and social distancing guidance can be followed. Those aged under 12 can have blood tests using the children’s outpatients service at BHRUT. Your GP can refer you or you can call the paediatrics team at Queen’s Hospital for advice (01708 435 289). Housebound patients are also supported by NELFT’s domiciliary blood testing service, which is operated in line with infection control guidance. Referrals are made by GPs directly to the specialist service.

When going to an appointment, take your paper blood test form with you as this is needed to process your test.

Forest Medical Centre (walk-in service)
Only for patients who normally use the Wanstead and Whipps Cross sites.
Old Station Road, Loughton, IG10 4PE
No children under 10. Call 020 8535 6888

South Woodford Health Centre
114 High Road, South Woodford, E18 2QS
No children under 12. Call 0300 300 1704

Hainault Health Centre 
Manford Way, Hainault, Essex IG7 4DF
No children under 12. Call 0300 555 1045

Seven Kings Health Centre
1 Salisbury Road, Seven Kings, IG3 8BG
No children under 12. Call 0300 300 1704

All phone lines operate office hours only.
Book online at wnstd.com/booktest

For more information on blood tests in Redbridge, visit wnstd.com/bloodtest