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DPNF APRIL 2023 NEWSLETTER HIGHGATE FOLD PROJECT UPDATE March and April were busy months for the Highgate Fold project team! The DPNF was awarded CIL Funding to develop initial sketch proposals (from 2020) into a more developed scheme, with a spending deadline of the end of the 2022/23 Tax Year. The perspective view above is a result of the efforts. Highgate Fold: Where does this name come from? Historically, shepherds used to graze their sheep near the site in Kentish Town green. A traditional safe enclosure for a sheep flock is called a fold. Our community can have its own protected sanctuary, where people can enjoy the calm of greenery, have a rest, or get involved in healthy gardening. The concept is to recreate fields and green spaces of Kentish Town. Not for sheep, but to benefit residents and users. Outline Brief: – improve the outdoor space – encourage positive and responsible use – maintain existing trees – planters, consider robust native plants – potential for planters associated with NHS Doctor’s surgery, patients use, or other shop use – prevent flooding – improve railings, which could be linked to local historic imagery – seating for elderly / patients, those who need it – low maintenance This project was identified originally in our Neighbourhood Plan as something that could contribute to the achievement of the Plan’s objectives (Project number 7, p. 139). Highgate Road: …from numbers 97 to 117 and located close to the Parliament Hill Medical Centre. The landscaping is at present harsh and dark, with much of it set down below the road level behind an unattractive railing. There may be a possibility of softening and greening the landscape, opening it out, and making more public use of the wide spaces in front of the shops and businesses. The proposed improvement to the area is based on original community input and subsequent feedback between 2020 and 2023. Acting on community feedback, the DPNF will look to support the next stage which would be to raise funding for further development, construction and maintenance. Please feel free to add your feedback to info@dpnf.org.uk Or you can join us in our upcoming Community Engagement to be announced soon. Watch out for it! DPNF’s GREENING & OPEN SPACES GROUP BLOOMIN’ STREETS DPNF’s Greening & Open Spaces working group (Claudia Kretzschmar, Jeska Harrington-Gould, Kathleen Molnár, Catharine Wells, Eileen Willmott) has announced a new initiative, Bloomin’ Streets in collaboration with Veolia’s Education Communication and Outreach (ECO) Team. Valerie Doulton and Agnieszka Slominska Karachuk will join the DPNF group. The group has successfully been awarded £1,000.00 funding (£ 500.00 in cash and £ 500.00 in kind) from Veolia’s Sustainability Fund, directed by its Education, Communication, Outreach (ECO) team. The Veolia fund’s purpose is to help community organisations transform their community or environment. Greening & Open Spaces Group’s aim is to create and develop a community project to weed, clear, plant Spring bulbs and maintain street tree bases for a picturesque floral Springtime 2024 streetscape. The DPNF Group is currently compiling a spreadsheet listing of designated street trees solely within the Camden DPNF area. The listing will provide tree species name, age, location, and value in terms of carbon capture. This is all useful information for the selection of suitable tree pits for bulbs and other plants as well as labelling trees to encourage passers-by to learn and appreciate trees as a valuable resource. Please contact Kathleen Molnár for further information, any queries and how to participate with Bloomin’ Streets – info@dpnf.org.uk 07973 510 866  GROWING GREEN The mission at Growing Green is to re-wild urban areas and promote biodiversity, carbon capture, and clean air. On a volunteer basis, Growing Green helps schools and community organisations find the best options for their spaces; assist with fundraising, project management and planting. Together, they create mini forests, native hedges, wildflower meadows, orchards, hedgehog habitats, bird sanctuaries. Growing Green’s Open Wildlife and Kitchen Garden Day with Wellness Raffle and Clothing Sale takes place Sunday, 21st May 2023, 11:00am – 3:00pm at 35 Langbourne Avenue, Holly Lodge Estate, N6 6PS. Wander around this beautiful wildlife and kitchen garden, where you can learn some fantastic ideas for encouraging wildlife and be inspired to grow your own food. Everyone can enjoy a delicious home-made cake at the Chicken Shed café. Plus, don’t miss out on the pre-loved clothing sale and wellness raffle with 20 fabulous prizes to be won! These include some cool pre-owned and designerclothes and shoes with real bargains and unique pieces. There are prizes highlighting yoga, Pilates, massages, skin treatments, luxury beauty products, gardening and so much more! This event is perfect for nature lovers of all ages, and children are more than welcome to join in the fun. Book your place now and discover the joys of urban re-wilding with Growing Green. Kids will love making their very own hedgehog sign. Don’t forget to get your raffle tickets for a chance to win some amazing wellness prizes! If you can’t make the date, you can still enter our wellbeing and nature raffle – check out the wonderful prizes here. www.growinggreen.org.uk  HIGHGATE CAMDEN SAFER NEIGHBOURHOOD PANEL (HCSNP) HCSNP is a volunteer group of Highgate businesses and residents who assemble bi-monthly to discuss local issues together with the Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT – Metropolitan Police), Highgate Councillors and London Borough of Camden representatives. The core responsibility is to identify crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) trends at local level and to explore possible solutions and prevention. Please contact HCSNP with your community concerns, issues and ideas. If you are interested in joining HCSNP and support your community in the process, please email Kathleen Molnár molnarkmt@gmail.com 07973 510 866 HIGHGATE FESTIVAL – 10TH – 19TH JUNE 2023 The Highgate Festival returns in 2023 with nine days of events in the area’s churches, streets and venues. Organisers are calling for sponsors and talent to boost the not-for-profit community event. www.highgatefestival.org Concerts, street parties, competitions, heritage walks, theatre, family shows, music, open gardens, workshops and exhibitions are planned by the team of dedicated volunteers. Now in its sixth year, many events are free with others moderately priced. Anyone wishing to take part, please contact info@highgatefestival.org The deadline to be included in the Highgate Festival printed programme is Friday, 28th April. Other volunteers are needed including those with photography, social media or design experience. The festival is a community interest community (CIC), created for the use of people who want to conduct a business or other activity for community benefit, and not purely for private advantage. Businesses, individuals or organisations who can join festival sponsors Channing School, Highgate School and London Borough of Camden in making this year’s event the best yet should get in touch with Kathleen Molnár, Communications Lead info@highgatefestival.org 07973 510 866 DARTMOUTH PARK NEIGHBOURHODD FORUM (DPNF) DPNF is an independent not-for-profit non-political body, run by and on behalf of the local community. It is open to everyone who lives or works in Dartmouth Park, together with elected councillors who represent the ward. There is no membership fee. DPNF’s committee is comprised of locally-based skilled and committed volunteers. Committee Member Biographies can be found on www.dpnf.org.uk We are keen to involve more people of all social, work and ethnic backgrounds and from different age groups. Are there any young people out there with an interest in architecture, design, the environment and urban regeneration? Participation is possible by joining the DPNF Committee or one of the four working groups (energy efficiency and resilience, greening & open spaces, planning, safe streets), or collaborating with us on a one-off ad hoc basis. Please contact info@dpnf.org.uk |
DARTMOUTH PARK NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUM (DPNF) FEBRUARY 2023 NEWSLETTER
SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM THE NEW DPNF CHAIR
Dear Neighbours
Firstly, I would like to thank Maya De Souza for all her hard work as DPNF Chair and contributions to the DPNF and our community.
I am honoured to step into the role of DPNF Chair until the next AGM – the summer of 2023. I hope to contribute to Maya’s legacy and continue to represent all who live and work in our area. The DPNF mission is to promote and improve the social, economic and environmental well-being of our area.
I invite and welcome any who are interested in joining us!
We are always looking for new ideas / input, and have some interesting roles and positions available. I echo the DPNF Chairs’ Annual message and call –
We are keen to involve more people of all social, work and ethnic backgrounds and from different age groups
Are there any young people out there with an interest in architecture, design and urban regeneration?
Participation is possible by joining the DPNF Committee or one of our four working groups (planning, safe streets, greening & open spaces, energy efficiency and resilience), or collaborating with DPNF on a one-off, ad hoc basis.
Please enjoy our February newsletter, we are grateful to Kathleen Molnár for compiling this.
Best regards
Ilona Hay
For more information and to get involved, please contact DPNF – info@dpnf.org.uk
BLOOMIN’ STREETS
DPNF’s Greening & Open Spaces working group (Claudia Kretzschmar, Jeska Harrington-Gould, Kathleen Molnár, Catharine Wells, Eileen Willmott) has announced its new project, Bloomin’ Streets in
collaboration with Veolia’s Education Communication and Outreach (ECO) Team.
The group has successfully been awarded £1,000.00 funding (£ 500.00 in cash and £ 500.00 in kind) from Veolia’s Sustainability Fund, directed by its Education, Communication, Outreach (ECO) Team.
The Veolia fund’s purpose is to help community organisations transform their community or environment.
The group’s aim is to create and develop a community project to weed, clear, plant and maintain street tree bases for a picturesque floral Springtime 2024 streetscape.
The designated streets are those within the DPNF reach. These can be found on the DPNF website. www.dpnf.org.uk
Please contact Kathleen Molnár for further information, any queries and how to participate with Bloomin’ Streets – info@dpnf.org.uk 07973 510 866
DPNF ENERGY EFFICIENCY RESILIENCE
One of the core principles of DPNF Plan is sustainability. With this in mind, an Energy Efficiency Resilience working group was formed in the autumn of 2022. All are welcome to join this group.
Taking on board both the climate crisis as well as the energy crisis, the group developed and with input from the overall committee, submitted these representations to London Borough of Camden in light of the review of the Local Plan (Camden’s planning policy rules that guide decisions on planning applications). Please contact mayadesouzablog@gmail.com
Additionally, Valerie Doulton, DPNF Deputy Chair, recently organised with Dartmouth Park Talks, and as part of the DPNF winter talks series, a relevant DPNF Talk on what can be done locally in terms of renewable energy and insulation, with speakers Anna Woodeson and Tanuja Pandit from Power Up North London.
Please contact Valerie with any ideas for future DPNF Talks.
v.doulton@gmail.com
FORMER MANSFIELD BOWLING CLUB
DPNF has lodged an objection to the planning application to build a high-end care home on the former Mansfield Bowling Club site on Croftdown Road.
DPNF’s objection is focused on the design of the proposed building, including its bulky form which sits uncomfortably in the heart of the Conservation Area.
DPNF also raised concerns about the lack of an affordable element and public access to the open space, which is protected as Local Green Space – giving it similar status to Green Belt – in the Dartmouth Park Neighbourhood Plan.
GROWING GREEN
Claudia Kretzschmar and Jeska Harrington-Gould have recently announced their new London-based grassroots taking action initiative, Growing Green.
It is volunteer-led and set up to help schools and community organisations find the best options to “rewild”.
Growing Green assists with fundraising, project management and planting. Together, it creates mini forests, native hedges, wildflower meadows, orchards, hedgehog habitats, bird sanctuaries and more.
On 4th February, Growing Green ran a biodiversity session at Parliament Hill School, planted a Miyawaki mini forest with 15 varieties of small native trees / shrubs, and sowed a wildflower meadow.
Supporting this session on the day were Frognal Gardens Ltd, who built a mini pond, and Heath Hands who donated bird boxes and a hedgehog house.
There is still so much they want to do. Please support Growing Green if you can with volunteering and fundraising; whether you have special skills, (carpentry, guttering, other) are capable of physical work and willing to donate a few hours or can chip in a few pounds!
Details can be found at www.growinggreen.org.uk
HEATH HANDS
Youth Nature Wellbeing Project on Hampstead Heath
Heath Hands is launching a pilot project inviting young people aged 13-16 who struggle with school attendance to take part in nature activities on Hampstead Heath. The new project aims to promote mental wellbeing and practical skills through a combination of hands-on conservation work, nature art activities and forest-school style experiences. Sessions will run in February / March 2023.
Learn more here – https://www.heath-hands.org.uk/youth-wellbeing-project
New Nature Interpretation Centre Appeal
Heath Hands is turning a room at the Kenwood Dairy into a new nature interpretation centre to provide information and activities about the wildlife and nature of the Kenwood Estate and the wider Heath. The aim is to create a resource centre to help engage visitors and new audiences about the natural heritage of the area’s green spacesHeath Hands is fundraising to enable it to develop resources and displays, as well as to help open the space on a regular basis. Find out more and support the project here –
https://www.heath-hands.org.uk/youth-wellbeing-project
HIGHGATE FESTIVAL 2023
Now in its sixth year, the Highgate Festival will take place 10th – 18th June 2023. www.highgatefestival.org
This joyful celebration of Highgate, is organised by a small group of locals who dedicate their energies, expertise and time to the festival’s creation and coordination.
Highgate Festival is registered as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) which exists to benefit the community rather than private shareholders.
The festival celebrates the breadth and variety of Highgate – its residents, businesses, schools, gardens, culture, biodiversity, buildings, places of worship, shops, art, history, music, restaurants, sustainability, pubs, literature, cafes, dance, local talent and creatives.
The eight days of events are free and fee-based taking place in venues top, bottom and sideways in Highgate. It encompasses every nook and cranny of Highgate with several venues distinctly unique.
Highgate Festival’s aim is to connect and engage with the community, boost Highgate’s economy and support local artists, performers, venues.
There is currently a CALL FOR Event Ideas, Open Gardens, Talent
and Social Media Aficionados!!!
Deadline for inclusion in the printed programme is Friday, 28th April 2023.
Please contact info@highgatefestival.org for donations, information, participation, sponsorship and questions Kathleen Molnár – 07973 510 866
Please subscribe to receive newsletters and updates www.highgatefestival.org
HOLLY LODGE COMMUNITY CENTRE
Please register to enter the Table Tennis Competition Tuesday, 14th February, 11:00 – 3:00pm at the community centre.
All ages are welcome.
There will also be puzzles, games, crosswords, chats, snacks and drinks.
On Thursday, 16th Febuary, 11:00 – 1:00pm there is a Craft Workshop Finger Knitting. From 8 years + and no charge.
30 Makepeace Avenue
N6 6HL
hollylodge.manager@gmail.com
LONDON BOROUGH OF CAMDEN – TfL
The DPNF Greening & Open Spaces group contacted Camden in January 2023 as many in the community were concerned about a proposal to rename the Parliament Hill Fields and William Ellis School bus stops close to the intersection with Swains Lane and Highgate Road.
This was to be a “phase 2 proposal” about possible work with TfL changing the name of the bus stops close to Boris Nemtsov Place.
DPNF is pleased to report that on 11th January 2023, Camden Council’s Richard Bradbury, Director of Environment and Sustainability confirmed that this proposal is not being progressed.
POWER UP NORTH LONDON (PUNL)
PUNL has launched a share offer to install solar panels at the Talacre Community Sports Centre.
PUNL is looking for investors to raise £80,000 to install 83kWp solar panels. Each year this will save 12 tonnes of carbon, equivalent to planting 546 trees.
Investors will receive 4% interest and 5% of their capital back annually.
Please support this green initiative to help Camden meet their net-zero carbon goals.
Please contact info@powerupnorthlondon.org
Webpage (with details to invest): https://powerupnorthlondon.org/