Choose a playground design for Swaby Gardens

Enable, the contractors who maintain parks in Wandsworth say:

Wandsworth Council are redesigning the existing junior playground in Swaby Gardens and would like your view. 

 Up to £163,000 of funding has been secured from NCIL (Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy) to refurbish the junior playground and move the toddler play equipment to be part of the new design. Wandsworth Council secures NCIL funding from development projects in the local areas and invests the funding in local community facilities.

There are three designs to choose from, each aimed to improve movement and physical activity among children of all abilities.

The purpose of the refurbishment is to:

1. Redesign the layout and join the junior and toddler playgrounds.
2. Provide an accessible playground for children of all abilities.
3. Provide exciting play equipment that has; climbing, swinging, rotating, sliding, balancing and stretching features.
4. Offer a range of challenging, energetic strength building play experiences to help build children’s self confidence and tests the limits of their capabilities.
5. Create a place for social interactions, to help children learn how to negotiate, cooperate, compete and resolve conflicts.

Come along to the public consultation meeting on Tuesday 14 February 11am to 4pm at Earlsfield Library to talk to representatives from Enable Leisure and Culture and give your view in person, or have your say online here.

Online consultation is open from Monday 6 February to Sunday 19 February.

For further information please contact:

Teresa Constantinou, Playground Development Officer, tconstantinou@wandsworth.gov.uk

Enable Leisure & Culture manage and deliver the parks service on behalf of Wandsworth Council.

The first Tooting Common parkrun: a runner's report

Go Earlsfield was laid up with a cold last Saturday (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it), but loads of brave locals took themselves out into the somewhat inclement weather to celebrate the first, ever so slightly under the radar, official Tooting Common parkrun.

Readers might know that it's been a long journey to get to this point with many people putting in a lot of time and effort to negotiate with the council. Congratulations to everyone involved, and to the runners and volunteers who turned out. Long may it continue!

So what's it like at Tooting Common parkrun? Intrepid reader Kevin has reported in and tells the story of the day in his own words:

"It was up and out of bed early on Saturday and was still dark outside... I had got all my gear prepared the night before, running shoes, shorts, t-shirt, sweatband and fleece to wear for the walk from the Balham station as the forecast was looking a bit chilly... Energy bar, drink and the all important barcode completed the requirements as I set off towards Tooting Common inaugural "parkrun" yes that is spelt correctly, one word all lower case which is the running phenomenon that is sweeping the country with some 382 venues (growing on an almost weekly basis) with around 80000 runners making the pilgrimage every Saturday morning for the 0900hrs start…

Arriving at the common around 0845 I managed to find the start in good time where assembled there were some 200 runners, several volunteers in their hi-viz tabards, the local MP Sadiq Khan to send us on our way and the founder of parkrun Paul Sinton-Hewitt, CBE!!



Before the start we had several announcements from the organisers and the actual “run” director…. we were given the general housekeeping rules, “keep dogs on leads”, “under elevens must be accompanied by an adult”, please try and keep to the left on the paths as we don’t have exclusive use of the common” And also the course description and directions and number of laps … Suited and booted so clearly not running our local MP gave us a few words, explaining that this had taken a couple of years to get approval and is presently on a six month trial basis….. He then mentioned that the “race” would be starting shortly before being corrected by almost 200 people in good humour “it’s a run not a race”



The course itself had a small start / finish straight, before turning right for a 3 lap “triangle” (see link http://www.parkrun.org.uk/tootingcommon/course/ )

So…. the time had finally come to tackle the 5k and I placed my fleece on the already crowded bench near the start / finish funnel…

Sadiq counted us down, 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 go !! and off the 200 runners set for our parkrun adventure…..

The first lap seemed incredibly long and several people passed me, then just as I was setting out on lap two some runners fairly sprinted past me and I soon realised that these were the real athletes and I had been lapped!

There were several Marshalls out on the course to make sure we didn’t get lost and they encouraged, clapped and helped to keep us going each time we passed them…

What a fantastic buzz and atmosphere, every runner was given amazing support and it didn’t matter one bit if you were fast, slow, young old, fat or thin….Everyone was given the same respect and encouragement….

Thankfully each circuit seemed to get shorter and I tried to kick for home on the last straight managing to pass a couple of people before going through the finishing funnel….



Gasping for breath and hardly able to acknowledge the “well dones” from everyone I was given a finishing token, which together with my barcode I took over to be “scanned” to the result would appear on the relevant Tooting Common parkrun page online…

How did I do??? Well remember it’s a run not a race so 185 out of 200 is just fine :)

The whole event seemed to go really well with superb organisation and marshalling with the whole community pulling together to make it work…. I am sure that the trial period will go well so that Tooting Common goes beyond the six month trial and has a regular place on the parkrun events page…..

It was nice to get back home now for a well earned cup of tea, biscuit and a rest….. will I be back again?? Oh yes you can count on that for sure! :) "

All photos from the Tooting Common parkrun Flickr group.

Tackling the Wandle Trail's missing links

The Wandle Forum writes:

A new opportunity to tackle the "Earlsfield gap" - one of the last remaining "missing links" on the Wandle Trail - has presented itself with plans to redevelop Haslemere Industrial Estate on the borough boundary between Merton and Wandsworth.  This two acre site is being considered for residential development and the developers are looking for input. The site borders the Wandle and offers the chance through planning gain to tackle this unresolved gap in the Wandle Trail. 

 You can contact the developers at their website.

Love your local park? Tell the council...

Wandsworth Council is looking for your views on local parks. We're lucky to have a few dotted around Earlsfield so if you have an opinion on how you'd like to see them looked after, let the council know. They say:

The parks development team wants local people’s views to help draw up plans to improve each of the small parks across the borough, and to ensure they are being properly managed.

There are 25 parks in total. You do not have to live near the park, or use it every day. Even if you just visit once a week, or pass through it on your route to work, your views will be useful. 

As well as giving your opinion, you can sign up to stay in touch with news and developments in your local park. 

The council’s environment spokesman, Cllr Jonathan Cook, said: “We are keen to ensure that as well as our large, high-profile, parks, Wandsworth’s smaller parks remain important oases in the heart of their communities, and provide a space where local people can have fun and relax. 

”Let us know how you use your local park, if you feel they could be improved, and how well you think they are managed. This will enable us to draw up plans to make them even better.”

The survey will run until August 31. 

To take part follow the links from www.wandsworth.gov.uk/consult. There will also be posters put up in the parks with a QR code you can scan. 

If you would prefer to fill in a paper survey, email Geraldine Kelly at parks@wandworth.gov.uk

 

The parks are:

• Bramford Gardens, SW18 
• Christchurch Gardens, SW11
• Coronation Gardens, SW18
• Falcon Park, SW11
• Fountain Rec, SW17
• Fred Wells Gardens, SW11
• Furzedown Rec, SW17
• Garratt Green, SW17
• Garratt Lane Old Burial Ground, SW18 
• Garratt Park, SW18
• Go dley Gardens, SW18
• Harroway Gardens, SW11
• Heathbrook Park, SW8
• Latchmere Rec, SW11
• Leader’s Gardens, SW15 
• Montefiore Gardens, SW8
• Lavender Gardens, SW11
• Putney Old Burial Ground, SW15 
• Shillington Park, SW11
• Swaby Gardens, SW18
• The Pleasance, SW15 
• Tooting Gardens, SW17
• Queenstown Green
  

  York Gardens, SW11

Get out, get active, get to King George's Park

The 2015 Get Active Wandsworth Festival will take place at King George's Park in Wandsworth on Saturday 18 July, with 10,000 people likely to get involved.  The event is FREE for all to attend and takes place between 12pm and 5pm.

Local people will be inspired by the activities on offer including a mobile climbing wall, a 60 metre running track, free health checks, golf, our huge stage for dance performances and a chance to meet our mascot PAWS!

If you are a sports club, health organisation or local business and want to get involved in this year's event then fill out this form and send it to active@wandsworth.gov.uk For more information call the council team on 020 8871 8154. 

Join in and see more at their Facebook page.

Sign up to support a Wandsworth parkrun

Many people will be familiar with parkrun, the volunteer-led, independently-run 5km races found all over the country.

Efforts to found a Wandsworth parkrun have run up against a council policy that requires an annual fee for running events in the park. As parkrun is a free, not-for-profit event, the fee would be a barrier to them taking place, and organisers are concerned that it could be seen as a precedent by other councils.

They say:

In an era of the obesity epidemic, and of advice from the Government, the NHS and the BMA to exercise regularly, WBC is denying not only its electorate the opportunity to participate in free, organised activity in their own open spaces, but also the children of the borough. Again: in their own parks. WBC do this not because of the cost – wear and tear is minimal – but because they cannot raise revenue from the activity. Unlike charities, parkrun does not even fundraise. The impasse between WBC and parkrun has persisted for 5 ½ years.

If you would like to demonstrate your support, please sign the online petition.

Get Active festival at King George's Park

This year's day out will be the fifth Get Active festival for Wandsworth families. On Saturday 12 July, King George's Park will play host to five hours of family fun and activities from 12-5pm.

Entry is free and everyone who comes along will receive a map showing what activities are taking place.

The festival is divided into five zones related to the five Olympic rings. It includes:

• street dance
• rugby
• tennis
• BMX
• bouncy castle
• athletics 
• advice on eating well
• advice on stopping smoking

Last year the festival was attended by over 5,500 people and the organisers want this year's event to be even better.

Keep an eye on the Get Active web page for updates. Contact the organisers on 020 8871 8154 or active@wandsworth.gov.uk.

Community river clean-up

The Wandle Trust is hosting one of its regular community river cleanups in Earlsfield on Sunday 13 October. They say:

"The water in the River Wandle is now some of the cleanest in London, but the river has been treated as a flowing dustbin for at least the last 150 years. Unfortunately, many people still use it as a place to dispose of things they don’t want.

That’s why we hold regular community cleanups at different points up and down the river, at 11.00am on the second Sunday of every month, to improve the environment for birds, fish, insects and local people. Click here to see some of the results of our work!

Everyone involved is a volunteer, and we usually collect at least a lorry full of rubbish within about 4 hours, before enjoying a well-earned drink at the nearest pub. We’re immensely grateful to our partners at the local London Boroughs of Croydon, Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth for taking the rubbish away for us afterwards – and for helping us recycle some of it too.

We provide waders, plus protective gloves and First Aid facilities, but please bring your own wellies if you have them, and wear old clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty and possibly wet."

So if you've been pained by the sight of shopping trolleys, tyres, and road cones where there should be ducks, fish, and herons, head down to the Haslemere Industrial Estate, Ravensbury Terrace, SW18 4RL at 11am on Sunday 13 October.

Help improve the Wandle Trail in Earlsfield

The Wandle Trail is a shared pedestrian and cycling path running along the Wandle river from Wandsworth to Croydon.

The trail in Earlsfield is in need of some attention to make it wider and more user-friendly. On Sunday 15th September a working bee is being organised to clear the path.

Wandle Trail by diamond geezer on Flickr

Between 10am and 4pm volunteers are invited to attend to "cut, lop, hack and trim" the surrounding vegetation so the path can be widened. Lunch will be provided and all are welcome to attend as much or little of the day as they can spare.

Read the original article or email dan@danwatkins.org.uk for more information.

Get Active in King George's Park this Saturday

The blog has taken a rather sporty turn this week. Last year's inaugural Get Active Wandsworth festival involved 11,000 people. The council is looking to make it bigger and better this year with a Get Active Day and Open Weekend.

This weekend Wandsworth residents are invited to take part in the Get Active Day in King George's Park, 12-5pm.

Activities include:

• zumba
• climbing wall
• face painting
• archery
• football
• inflatables
• food
• street dance
• massage
• healthy eating advice
• stopping smoking advice
• and more!

Read more and find out how you can get involved on the council's website.

Getting fit in Earlsfield

Now that the weather is finally improving (or, at the very least, the days are longer), lots of people seem to be out pounding the pavements in Earlsfield. But what other options are there for getting out and active? You might be surprised at the range of activities on your doorstep.

If your club or class is missing, please leave a comment and I'll update the page.

Classes and activities

 

From golf to kickboxing to pilates, you can find it all in Earlsfield. Many of the gyms and clubs offer classes too, so be sure to check them out!

Active Lifestyles 50+ programme - run by Wandsworth Council
Central London Golf Centre - located on Burntwood Lane
Fishing - in the southern basin of the Wandsworth Common lake
Fit For a Princess - 13 classes a week on Wandsworth Common including cardio pilates and kickboxing
Grove Pilates - a range of classes and activities and you can book online
ProPhysiotherapy: located in a studio off Garratt Lane, morning and evening classes, plus men's pilates on Saturdays, antenatal and post-natal pilates, and post-natal circuits with free baby-sitting, book on enquiries@prophysiotherapy.co.uk
MA&Y - yoga and martial arts in Earlsfield library on Monday and Thursday evenings.
Wildflower Yoga - in the same studio as Grove Pilates, Monday and Tuesday evenings book as above
Jiva Health (formerly Anoushka's Yoga) - yoga classes in St. Andrew's Parish Hall in Waynflete Street
whYoga - classes in Earlsfield Library
Visit Wandsworth Council's website to book a sports pitch or tennis court on council grounds. Find out what sports activities the council offers at which venue.

 

Gyms

 

There are gyms for all budgets and tastes in Earlsfield and surrounds.

Crossfit Bold - strength and conditioning in a warehouse on the Haslemere industrial estate
easyGym - opening autumn 2014 in Southside but accepting memberships now
Nuffield Health - in King George's Park
Pure Gym - on Wandsworth Road at the top of Garratt Lane
Switch Gym - women-only gym near Burntwood Lane
Virgin Active - in Southside Shopping Centre
Wandle Recreation Centre - run by DC Leisure on behalf of the council

Clubs

 

Battersea Ironsides - on Burntwood Lane for rugby, cricket, and football
Earlsfield Amateur Boxing Club - a long and proud Earlsfield history
Heathfield Club - a bowls club on Sandgate Lane
Magdalen Park Bowling Club - on Magdalen Road
Magdalen Park Lawn Tennis Club - with bookable facilities, coaching, and tournaments
Run Club - on Tuesday and Thursday evenings
South London Bowling Club - established in 1900
The Spencer Club - based in Fieldview and supporting hockey, cricket, tennis, lacrosse, and squash
TYGA Earlsfield Martial Arts - based at Beatrix Potter Primary School
Wandilea Bowls and Social Club - Lawn bowls sports club playing within Surrey County Bowls Association
The Wandle Runners - open to all runners looking for a group to train with. Follow them on Twitter for the latest news or visit their website.

Green spaces

 

If you just want to get out of the house, Earlsfield is home to some great parks and green spaces. Some of them have running tracks and other facilities too. Visit the websites for more information.

Garratt Green - including playground
Garratt Park - including basketball court and playground
King George's Park - including part of the Wandle Trail
Wandsworth Common - a range of spaces and facilities