Charlton’s two Anglican churches have closed their doors during the lockdown, but they are exploring new ways of communicating with their community. The rector of the benefice of Charlton, the Rev Liz Newman, says…
We are starting a WhatsApp group open to people who call themselves religious and those who don’t to share together the reflections that arise out of the time we’re living through. It occurs to us there may be people who have nowhere to share some of the big questions that the health crisis is provoking and we hope to provide a welcoming and non-judgemental platform where they can be aired, shared and wondered about together.
You can get in touch with the group on 07922 587 263.
Charlton ward councillor Gary Parker has produced a briefing document for local businesses and voluntary groups looking for funding during the coronavirus crisis.
He says it is aimed at giving “local businesses and community organisations access to both Covid-19 related and non-Covid-19-related information on funding and support to help them survive the current crisis. I am concerned about the economic impact in the community during and even more so in the aftermath of the pandemic when many local businesses and community organisations may struggle to survive.”
Separately, charities and community groups based in Greenwich borough can apply for up to £10,000 in funding to help them through the coronavirus crisis. Greenwich Council and a charity linked to the local NHS, the Greenwich Charitable Trust, have each put in £75,000 to fund the grants, with the voluntary service organisation Metro Gavs in charge of distributing the funds. Details of how to apply are on the Metro Gavs website.
Three men have been charged with drugs offences after a police operation in Charlton on Monday.
Tjay Burrell, 30, of Swanley, and Matthew Exall, 24, of the Cherry Orchard estate in Charlton have been charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Danny Richings, 28, of Harvey Gardens, was charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine, possession of criminal property, dangerous driving and using a vehicle without insurance.
The men were charged after a vehicle stop on Monday, and following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Crime South Unit.
All three were charged on Tuesday, 21 April. They were due to appear today at Wimbledon magistrates, police said.
The coronavirus emergency has seen demand for Greenwich Foodbank rocket. Some of the food bank’s regular donation points have been closed, but two local households have stepped up to the mark by hosting collections in their front gardens…
There is a cardboard box left outside 49 Banchory Road (between Charlton Road and Old Dover Road) all day, every day, where you can leave food that is in date and in closed packaging – the box will be taken to the food bank a couple of times a week.
There is a second garden collection outside 59 Delafield Road, but this is only between 2pm and 3pm on Tuesdays. More on the Charlton Central Residents Association website.
Supermarket collection points at the Sainsbury’s and Asda branches on Bugsbys Way remain open. Check on the Greenwich Foodbank website for what’s needed (UHT milk is the big shortage right now).
You can also donate cash – Charlton resident Nick Buckland’s appeal for the food bank has passed the £20,000 mark. Can you make it £21,000?
Charlton Park’s Big Red Bus Club has been given a grant to help it keep its volunteer programme running for another year – including its online storytelling sessions for families stuck at home during lockdown.
The charity, which runs the under-fives’ play centre off Cemetery Lane, was awarded £6,825 from the housing association L&Q’s Place Makers Fund.
Since the coronavirus emergency began, its volunteers have been running daily live storytelling online for local families with a range of activities and songs. These run every weekday at 1.30pm.
The club also offers career development support for its volunteers, aiming to support those kept out of the workplace through being a parent.
Its chief executive, Annie Drewry, said: “Big Red Bus Club and the families we support are facing uncertain times. L&Q support means we can carry on and keep supporting families and children so they don’t feel so alone and isolated even though they are living in isolation. We urge local families across Greenwich to join our online community of activities that L&Q support has kept alive.”
The big names in media are rightly being supported. But what about the smaller ones?
Yesterday, the government launched a public health campaign that will not reach you. It won’t reach you because the government has not included independently-owned community news outlets like The Charlton Champion in its campaign.
The All in, All together campaign is a welcome response from the government to provide essential information at this time. It is also a demonstration of the government’s support for the press.
However, unless you managed to find a copy of the Evening Standard, or bought a national newspaper, you will not have heard about it.
Organisations like ours are the true frontline key workers in this industry who are keeping our communities afloat with genuine, accurate and important information during this pandemic. Sadly, we are also the ones most at risk from the current crisis. The impact of Covid-19 on organisations like ours could have a catastrophic impact on public health across the UK.
Yet the government has seen fit to exclude us from its public health campaign. And that means they have excluded you too.
It is critical for public health that organisations like ours continue to give essential, verified and useful information to the communities we serve. Any public health campaign that does not include publications like ours is insufficient and is a dereliction of the government’s duty to communities at this time.
This is why we are calling on your support to demand urgent action from the government to support organisations like ours at this time and give us an equal share of its public health advertising spend.
We need this so that we can continue to bring you the valued and trusted news you have come to expect from us and rely on.
ICNN titles have joined forces to run this shared comment piece to demand equal treatment when it comes to these government campaigns. Please share this article with family and friends and on social media using the hashtag #saveindependentnews.
If you like what The Charlton Champion does, please support us with a monthly donation via PressPatron or Patreon. You can also buy a postcard or print. To those who already donate – thank you; your generosity is keeping this site running and helping us invest in journalism – not clickbait – at a time when our communities so desperately need it.
It goes without saying that this is a very tough time for local businesses. But what ones are helping you get through the coronavirus lockdown?
Now the situation has settled down a little, we’d like to compile a list of local shops and services that are staying open to serve their communities or SE London businesses that’ll deliver to Charlton. (After all, it’s a little frustrating finding “free delivery!” and then discovering it stops in SE10 or SE3…)
We’re looking for…
places in Charlton or within easy walking distance where you can pick up goods, or
places elsewhere in SE London offering delivery to SE7 – particularly ones that didn’t do that already and aren’t on the usual services
Please tell us about them in the comments below or email us and we’ll add them to the list. Thank you.
Here’s our list so far – updated on Tuesday 21 April – if you use them, tell them we sent you!
Groceries
💥CHARLTON CHAMPION DISCOUNT!💥 Little Sparrow Tea will do free local delivery and 20% off if you are in SE7, SE10 or SE18. Enter CharltonVIP at the checkout, and select “free local pick-up” – it’ll be delivered to you instead. Thanks to Adrian at Little Sparrow for arranging this for our readers. (website)
The Village Greengrocer in Charlton Village remains a staple – currently open Monday to Saturday 9am-3pm (check Twitter for updates)
There’s also Apple N’ Orange on Old Dover Road (Facebook page)
Brothers Bakery on Old Dover Road remains open (Facebook)
Very Green Grocer delivers across south-east London from Shooters Hill (website)(closed to new customers)
Paul Rhodes Bakery delivers within an eight-mile radius of Greenwich, so that’s us sorted (website)
Blackheath Pantry will deliver to SE7 – email jennifer[at]theblackheathpantry.co.uk for more details (Instagram)
Charlton Bakehouse will deliver bread to Charlton, Blackheath and Lee (website)
Tortoise Tom will deliver coffee all the way from Woolwich (website)
Drury Tea and Coffee will also deliver from Woolwich (website)
Spier’s Salads are delivering fruit, veg and meat staples boxes as well as coffee to SE postcodes (website)
Stickleback Fish will deliver to SE7, although its website hasn’t yet been updated to reflect that (website)
The Cheeseboard in Greenwich does free local deliveries in SE7 for orders over £35 (website)
Drings butchers in Greenwich does free local deliveries for the over-70s and isolated (website)
Salento Food and Wine, an Italian deli, will deliver free in SE7 if your order is over £30 (website)
Daun’s Deli in Catford will deliver in SE London on orders over £15 (website)
Mar de Olivos is offering free delivery of olive oil and more from Blackheath to SE3, SE7, SE9, SE10 and SE18 addresses (website)
Corner shops: It should go without saying, but your local corner shop can get you out of a pickle. We’ve had good reports of Victoria Food Stores on Inverine Road.
Children’s stuff
Ottie and the Bea at Blackheath Standard is delivering books and toys locally (see its website).
Charlton’s own The Big Red Bus Club is doing online storytelling at 1.30pm daily (website)
Singalong Sally is performing online for children live from Catford at 10am on weekdays (website)
Greenwich Libraries are offering Baby Rhyme Time sessions via Facebook
Beadoir in Greenwich Market is offering same-day delivery to SE7 (website)
Lots of children’s activities at Mycenae House have moved online (website)
Cakes
Dolce Idea Cake Design in Abbey Wood have been offering deliveries (Facebook)
Books and newspapers/ magazines
Greenwich Libraries offer e-books, audiobooks and online access to newspapers and magazines (website)
Southwark Libraries give access to a broader range of magazines and the wonder that is the Times Digital Archive (website – you can sign up for one month online)
Order books via hive.co.uk, which will give a portion of your money to Ottie and the Bea or any other independent bookshop of your choice – you choose at checkout.
Food
EaTurkish on Woolwich Road is open for takeaways from 4pm (website)
Alan’s Garden Centre in Halstow Road, Greenwich is “closed but open” – take a look at the website, send a text to check availability, and then make an appointment to pick up. (website)
PlantSavers will deliver plants from nurseries that would have gone to waste to SE postcodes (website)
Opticians
Page & Small on Charlton Road are still working from home: “We are still providing urgent and essential eyecare primarily by telephone and video but f2f if required / genuine emergency. We can offer repairs and replacement specs where needed. Contact lenses can still be ordered and will be delivered straight to home. We’re offering sunglasses style consultations via video calling for those we have seen before.” (website)
The Greenwich and Charlton delivery office on Horn Lane is now only open from 7am to 9am on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It is closed on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Booze
CHARLTON CHAMPION SPECIAL:Husk Brewing is across the river in the Royal Docks, and they’ll deliver fresh beer south of the river on Sundays between 2pm and 6pm (within three miles – easily includes Charlton). We asked and they offered to deliver south of the river, so order away! (Check for updates @HuskBrewing and order on their website – the day has now changed from when we first published this.)
The River Ale House in Woolwich Road, Greenwich is open for takeouts Mon-Fri 5-7pm, Sat-Sun 3-5pm (Facebook)
A little further afield, the Pelton Arms in Greenwich is doing drinks and food to take away (Twitter)
Villages Brewery, Deptford is doing free delivery of cans of fresh beer (website)
Common Rioters Brewery, Plumstead offers craft beer from all over the place and delivers free within Greenwich borough (website)
The Kentish Belle, a micropub in Bexleyheath, is delivering to SE7 on orders of £20 or more, including some cask ale (website)
Theatre of Wine in Greenwich is delivering (website)
Davy’s in Greenwich is offering free delivery of wine over £75 in SE7 (website)
Beerguideldn.com has details of other breweries and shops who may deliver.
The Rusty Bucket pub in Eltham is now delivering to surrounding areas including Charlton (website)
Cycling
Greenwich Cycle Workshop on Woolwich Road, Greenwich is still open (see website)
Local arts
Fiona Veacock Ceramics is running classes online – if you ever wanted to learn how to do things with clay, now’s the time to do it from home! (website)
Greenwich Theatre is running events online under the name Greenwich Connects
Trinity Laban‘s Self Isolation Creation programme includes a live stream or film from one of its students, staff members or alumni every weeknight at 8pm (website)
Equality Dance has been holding virtual dance classes on Saturdays (Facebook)
Kerry on Dancing, usually in Mycenae House, has moved to Zoom (website)
Lots of other arts classes and activities at Mycenae House have also moved online (website)
My Only Desire Records is a Plumstead reissue label that will deliver to you (website)
Deptford Northern Soul Club Records will also deliver (website)
Casbah Records in Greenwich will send records to you (website)
The How Does It Feel To Be Loved? club night, which used to have occasional nights at the Montague Arms in Peckham (and they’re mates of ours), will bring its indie pop and soul disco to your front room every Saturday night (website)
Happy Mondays Comedy, usually at the Amersham Arms in New Cross, has moved online with a show on Easter Monday (Facebook)
Dulwich Hamlet Comedy Club has also moved online, with its next show on Sunday 5 May (website)
Greenwich Council’s community hub is available if you are self-isolating and have not got a family member, friend or neighbour who can help. Volunteers can collect and deliver prescriptions, deliver essential food packages and connect you to local community services. Call 0800 470 4831 or email covid19support[at]royalgreenwich.gov.uk.
Alternatively, you can also contact Greenwich Covid-19 Mutual Aid which is run by local residents. Call 020 7183 7127, fill in the form, or email greenwichmutualaid[at]gmail.com. (Facebook)
If you know any more – please leave a comment or email us (it’s easier to keep track of than social media). Also, if you’re a business happy to expand your delivery options a tiny bit further to include SE7, or would like to offer our readers a discount, we’d love to hear from you!
The Charlton Champion 