PLACEMAKING AWARDS 2013

SHORTLISTED x2

We’re delighted to say that two of our projects have been shortlisted for the Placemaking Awards 2013, which “recognise and publicise projects, plans, people and organisations that are making places better”. Our Alley Links project was shortlisted for “public participation in planning”, while Small Works Hackney was selected for “regeneration”. We’ll be crossing our fingers until the Awards Night at the British Museum on 28th January.

SMALL WORKS HACKNEY

A MAGNET FOR SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

We’re beginning to get the distinct impression that word about Small Works is spreading. We’ve met with many social entrepreneurs this month who are interested in renting out desk space and taking part in the Small Works programme. This is great news on several fronts. It will support our long-term operating model and it will also allow us to increase our range of workshops and activities for the local community. We expect to have more information on new Small Works members soon, so watch this space.

On a day-to-day level things have also been busy at Small Works Hackney. We hosted a Halloween party for the children and parents of Regent Estate. We’ve been looking into the idea of starting a football team on a nearby pitch. We’ve been working towards the launch of the new Regent Estate online community magazine together with local resident Richard Hunt and Stu and Will from String & Cup. And there’s also been a lot of bike maintenance going on, with Otesha’s Dr. Bike initiative helping residents repair their bikes on Tuesdays and The Bike Project teaching repair skills on Thursdays.

SMALL WORKS VICTORIA

ADDING HEALTH TO THE PACKAGE

Small Works is all about building well-being on the micro scale of communities. Since health is of course an essential component of well-being, we’re thrilled that Small Works Victoria will soon be offering free health checks to local residents. We’re dealing with the last bits and pieces of red tape right now and will then be able to start.

Just like its sister project in Hackney, Small Works Victoria also hosted a Halloween party this month. Apart from that, we’ve had a range of workshops on topics ranging from tai chi to photoshop and digital skills. Our intern Martina Dahm has also made some visual improvements to the space, which now boasts photo walls, freshly painted chairs, signs and a stand for flyers. We’re delighted by all the positive feedback we’ve received on the changes, both from Small Works members and from local residents.

REGENT’S CANAL

EXPANDING OPERATION WHISTLEBLOWER


As part of the ongoing effort to improve safety along Regent’s Canal, our community organiser Keith Brown has been working with a boater to develop a Canal Danger Map. The purpose of this initiative is to have a visual representation of incidents taking place on the towpath and to underline the need to come up with solutions.

In addition, Keith has been helping the community to expand the range of Operation Whistleblower, which aims to set up a simple but effective alarm system for boaters by providing them with whistles. We’re pleased to announce that the Canal & River Trust is getting actively involved and has ordered 100 whistles, and that Whistleblower will soon be spreading along Regent’s Canal from Broadway Market towards Little Venice.

THE WALLED GARDEN

SUPPORTED BY MERCER’S COMPANY

Our project partner The Friends of Bedford´s Park submitted a successful application to the Mercers’ Company for funding to restore the pineapple house in the garden. This is a tremendous stamp of approval, as the Mercers’ Company is the premier livery company of the City of London and ranks first in the order of preference.

There hasn’t been much time to celebrate, though, as there have been too many other things to get on with. The main harvest is now complete and has resulted in 10 bags of potatoes, weighing maybe 200kg in total. On top of that there has been a huge amount of building work taking place: we hosted a design workshop to develop ideas, continued work on the walls and the toilet block, demolished the old potting sheds and also built a rocket mass heater, which is a hyper-efficient wood burning heater. We would like to extend a big thank you to our partner Seetec who have been a vital part of the redevelopment work. Seetec, who provide skills training to long-term unemployed people, have helped us clear a lot of spaces, take down old structures and lay manure on new beds. Last but not least, they’ve also added to the buoyant atmosphere in the garden.