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Winter 2009 |
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This newsletter is brought to you by the Colliers Wood Residents' Association, is compiled and distributed to 3000 households by volunteers from Colliers Wood, and is also available online at collywood.org.uk.
Following a review of options for the relocation of the Donald Hope Library, we can now confirm that it will be remaining at the current site at Cavendish House, High Street.
With their future secured, the staff are keen to increase the use of the library by developing services to meet the needs of the community. Existing plans for improvement include the development and launch of a self-service system, a face-lift of the library welcome area and the development of a programme of events offering added value to all. The staff at Donald Hope invite you to help shape our library by visiting and sharing any ideas you have for its future in their comments book.
Chrysella Holder, Donald Hope Library Manager, said, “We are always keen to improve the service delivered to you but to do this we need your help. Your views really count so please visit and share your thoughts and ideas with us. We look forward to welcoming you at Donald Hope Library.”For more information on your library visit www.merton.gov.uk/libraries or call 82745799.
The Primary Care Trust are considering the new site for the Colliers Wood and Lavender surgeries on the 19th of November. The proposed site is the old Job Centre building (above Donald Hope Library). We will post the results online as soon as they are available.
Lavender Fields residents are fighting the proposed merger, but Colliers Wood Councillor Sheila Knight doesn’t think they realise how ‘unfit for purpose’ both premises are. In a recent study of 50 surgeries, Colliers Wood came 48th and Lavender Fields 50th. Activities such as well-being sessions, health promotion and groups working on management of chronic diseases cannot take place at either surgery because there is no space. In 2000 there were 7000 patients with 3 full time GPs; There are now 12,153 with 7 full time GPs and other staff, and the population is expected to continue to grow.
An added benefit from the new Health Centre would be the renovation of a building on our High Street that has long been vacant. We will be discussing this proposal, amongst other things, at the next CWRA meeting on the 5th of January.
It seems that some residents already use organic box schemes and some buy dried and tinned goods collectively. There is a possibility of expanding this scheme to include the wider community.
The plan would be to collectively order goods from Infinity Foods. They've been around since 1971, selling organic and health food. They are a cooperative and the UK's biggest wholesaler in their field, supplying lots of shops all over the country. Their catalogue lists around 5,000 lines and they are happy to deliver to small cooperatives. They don't do fresh foods (except for butter and a few cheeses), and they charge between 10 and 40 per cent below retail price, depending on the product lines. For more information on what our co-operative could be buying, check out the newsletter website.
If we just wanted to share a weekly Infinity order between a number of households we'd need some premises (e.g. an empty garage, shop or office) where Infinity could drop the goods off, and where we'd split up the boxes. This is already being done informally in Colliers Wood between friends, but the house is simply too small to cater for a larger community. Do you know anywhere we might be able to have goods delivered?
If you are interested in joining this bulk buying scheme or have premises suggestions, please email Michael at mikedeesfromhull@yahoo.co.uk.
On Saturday the 10th of October, Making Colliers Wood Happy co-ordinated a Healthy Living Day at St Joseph’s Hall.
The aims of the day were to promote all aspects of health, provide an opportunity for local people to meet local health practitioners and to act as a catalyst for further workshops, classes and events. Over 50 people came to give their health a boost, including Jacqui Ward and her son Ian, who wrote to thank all those people who gave their time and knowledge so freely and said, “there was such a lovely feeling of community.”
Our thanks go all these people for their generosity of spirit – Aasia Bora for the yoga class, Gina Musa for the laughter workshop, Sarah Kipps for the blood pressure checks and health advice, Liz Bevan-Jones for homeopathic advice to resist winter flu, Ferenc for information about naturopathy, Lara Last for head and shoulder massage, Marianne Zeck for hand massage, Dance Express for the dance classes, Steven Beaver for the drumming workshop, Kevan Samwells for the head, shoulder and back massage, Simon and Steven for their advice about osteopathic treatment and Sustainable Merton for providing us with a healthy lunch.
The event was free but donations of over £60 were made to this community newsletter. If you would like contact details for any of these practitioners and/or would like to help organise another Healthy Living Day, you can e-mail Keith at keithaspears@hotmail.com or call 07982 721496.
The nights are drawing in and winter is upon us once again. Not known for hibernating in these cold, dark days, we here in Colliers Wood have instead laid on a huge selection of events and amusements so there's no excuse to stay in – even if the thermometer sinks down low. Here are some highlights and the back page is crammed with Making Colliers Wood Happy events. (We are celebrating our 4th birthday this December!)
In December, look out for your local choir – Colliers Wood Chorus – singing carols at the Mitcham Clock Tower on Sunday the 13th at 2pm and also at the Merton Abbey Mills Band Stand for a magical Christmas Sing-a-long with string ensemble on the 19th at 7:30pm. The choir is also making its South Bank Centre debut on Sunday the 24th of January at 1:30pm. It's free – come along and support us!
Other events in our area include a Myrna Close Nature Reserve Workday from 10.00am on the 29th November, on the 1st of Dec CW/East Mitcham Community Forum are meeting at Liberty School, Western Road, Mitcham @ 7.15pm, Christ Church are having a Christmas Fair on the 5th of Dec from 1pm, and on the 6th Dec the Christ Church Carol Service is at 5:30pm.
The Mayor is hosting several charity fundraising events: on the 8th of December is the Mayor’s Christmas dinner @ The Hub, on the 11th Dec at 7.30pm an Evening of Carols at Trinity Church, Mansell Road, Wimbledon and finally on the 26th of February, 2010 is The ‘Big Event’, the Mayor’s Charity Ball at The All England Club. For more info on these Mayoral events please call Hillary Gullen on 85453517.
 | “Ooh! A green gym! Where?” |  | “Residents' parking review?” |  | “Any progress on the proposed Health Centre in the High Street?” |
| “Is something finally going to happen to the TOWER???” | |||||
Do you have a story for our Spring edition? Get it to us by the 10th of February and yours could even be our cover story!
Contact the editor, Christopher at info@collywood.org.uk, or leave a voice or text message on 07588 812078.
The Newsletter was funded by funds raised at these events:
| Cavendish Road Table Top Sale | £51.44 |
| Healthy Living Day | £62.71 |
| Community Games night in September | £90 |
| Community Games night in November | £127.87 |
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
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