Modernise, repair and redecorate the sports changing rooms
Improve the playground
Help create the wildlife meadow
Various repairs: footpaths, benches, bins, the boundary wall, repainting gates and railings
New signage at the car park entrance
Marked and measured route markers
The Friends of Charlton Park is asking for your views on where the money should be spent. The group says: “Green spaces should be for everyone, so let us know what would tempt you outside! For example, better lighting in winter may help people who are concerned about safety to feel comfortable spending time outside even after it gets dark around 4pm.”
When the council asked for suggestions last year, the suggestions for Charlton Park included additional toilets and maintenance as well as picnic area improvements, more bins and floodlights in the skatepark.
The Valley is hosting lateral flow testing this weekend
Local residents who are not showing coronavirus symptoms can now book fast, free tests at The Valley this weekend to see if they have Covid-19.
The tests are being made available as part of a borough-wide community testing programme and are also available at locations in Greenwich and Eltham. Results will be sent to you within 45 minutes.
A testing station was set up at The Valley last weekend to test school students and staff, but there are slots available for all without symptoms this weekend. So to save you making an unnecessary journey to the Old Royal Naval College, you can book a test at The Valley at the Greenwich Council website. Results will be sent by text within 30 minutes.
If you have symptoms, don’t use this service – go straight to the standard testing service instead at gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test, or call 119.
Many people with the virus don’t show symptoms, so the fast lateral flow tests are useful at picking up these cases. If you get a positive test, you should always act on it – but don’t be reassured by a negative test, because analysis shows lateral flow tests only pick up half the active infections. It’s better than nothing – if people self-isolate as a result of taking these tests, then they have done their job – but not fool-proof.
If you need to self-isolate but need help with shopping or other services, get in touch with Greenwich Council’s community hub or call 0800 470 4831. If you cannot claim sick-pay from your employer and are a low income household, a one-off £500 payment may be available from the government to support you and your family. Find out if you are eligible to apply for this payment or call 0800 470 4831.
The cafe was unable to open for Christmas, but scores of people helped anyway
More than 120 customers of the Old Cottage Coffee Shop in Charlton Park rallied round to help 24 elderly people have a happy Christmas, writing cards and helping to deliver food.
The cafe usually invites older people round for Christmas dinner – but with that not possible this year, it asked customers – including readers of The Charlton Champion – to help with donations of gifts, food and money, and to help drive the parcels to the recipients’ homes.
Thank you very much for your huge support and help this challenging this Christmas. The community spirit was unbelievable. Donation was £1619.50 we still can donate to the Greenwich and Bexlay hospice. You helped many people. Thank you very very much 🙇🏻 pic.twitter.com/RG1vnl2mdQ
As well as the gifts and food, 280 cards were written, and a total of £1,619 was raised – meaning £1,031 can be given to the Greenwich and Bexley Community Hospice.
Help came from as far away as St Thomas a Becket primary school in Abbey Wood, whose pupils sent cards, while the Co-op in Charlton Village, Tesco in Woolwich and Hachi Sushi Grill, also in Woolwich, helped out too.
An update from Greenwich Council’s public health team on the developing coronavirus situation…
As of yesterday, there were 1,188 confirmed new cases of coronavirus in Greenwich borough. Cases are increasing rapidly across London and the South East, and this is happening in Greenwich too. We need to tackle this increase by following the guidance explained in this update.
87 people are in hospital right now in Greenwich because of coronavirus. Although this may seem a relatively low number, to have to go to hospital because of coronavirus means your case is very serious. We need to make sure that this number doesn’t rise, and eventually ends up at 0 by following the guidance in this update and supporting each other.
As you will be aware, the situation has developed significantly in the past week. Coronavirus cases have continued to accelerate very quickly, a new strain of the virus has emerged, and the government has placed much of the country, including Greenwich, in the highest Tier 4 restrictions.
Everyone needs to stay at home, except for essential activities.
For those who were planning to celebrate Christmas, Tier 4 changes mean you will probably not be celebrating the way you had intended. We hope that for those celebrating, and those not, there is an opportunity to at least get some rest over the next couple of weeks.
Thank you for all your involvement and hard work over the past few months – we could not have made the progress we have without you, and we thank you for helping to keep our communities safe at this difficult time. Here’s hoping for a happier 2021! Take care and stay safe, and we look forward to continuing to do lots of good work together in January.
Mental health support
Whether or not Christmas is part of your life, your mental health might be affected by it happening around you. It’s a time of year that often puts extra pressure on us, and can affect our mental health in lots of different ways. This year especially may be even harder due to the effects of coronavirus.
Mind has some great information specifically around coping with mental health at Christmas, and also specifically around Coronavirus and Christmas: mind.org.uk
Live Well Greenwich also has lots of local support, advice and information if you, or someone you love, are struggling at this time of year. Visit the Look After You hub for local support, ranging from top tips and self-help to support if you’re struggling to cope with difficult feelings or behaviours. livewellgreenwich.org.uk
You can also call 0800 470 4831 to talk to a friendly, local advisor. Open every day 8.30am – 6pm, but closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Sunday 27th December, New Year’s Day and Sunday 3rd January.
Getting tested for coronavirus
If you have coronavirus symptoms: (a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, a loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste), even if they’re only mild, it’s important to get a test and stay at home until you get your result. Please go to gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test. If you have problems using the online service, cal 119. Lines are open 7am to 11pm.
Testing is not available at the Emergency Department at the hospital or at your GP practice, so please do not attend here trying to get a test.
Support if you test positive and have to self-isolate
If your test result is positive, you and your household will need to stay at home and self-isolate for 10 days. (This has changed from 14 days.) This is important to stop the virus spreading and to keep your community safe.
This can be stressful and worrying when you need to go to work. If you are unable to claim sick-pay from your employer and are a low income household, a one-off £500 payment may be available from the government to support you and your family during these 14 days. Find out if you are eligible to apply for this payment or call 0800 470 4831.
Training available
If you’re interested in helping your community through volunteering, a short training programme is available to introduce and prepare volunteers for the role of Neighbourhood Champion. This is an opportunity to learn, ask questions, share information and practice.
For more information, please email victoria.smith[at]royalgreenwich.gov.uk.
Thameslink is back on the Tube map, bringing Charlton with it
Thameslink will be temporarily added to the Tube map to give customers more options during the pandemic – putting Charlton on the map for the first time.
Services within Zone 1 and Zone 6, as well as Dartford and Swanley, will be reintroduced to Tube maps from next month to aid social distancing on public transport and reduce the number of car journeys in the capital, Transport for London confirmed this morning.
The service will also provide alternatives during the planned closure of the Bank branch of the Northern Line during 2021 while upgrades are completed.
The two SE London Thameslink routes (to Rainham and Orpington/Sevenoaks) appear
Julie Dixon, Head of Customer Information and Partnerships at TfL, said: “In light of the continuing coronavirus pandemic, and next year’s Northern line closures required to complete the Bank Upgrade works, Thameslink services have been temporarily included on the Tube map to help customers move around the city.
“This has been a complicated addition to make to the map, but one that we feel will benefit Londoners as part of our work to promote safe, clean and reliable public transport use across the city.”
The temporary change is expected to be in place until December 2021, but there are already calls to make the change permanent given the step-free access availability at many stations on the service.
Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon said there would be “long term benefits” to showing Thameslink services on the Tube map.
Pidgeon said: “At peak times Thameslink’s frequency is set to reach 24 trains an hour, offering a similar service to most London Underground lines. The stations, with the exception of Elephant and Castle, are also fully accessible for disabled people throughout central London.”
Alison Moore, chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, echoed this sentiment, calling the change an “essential addition” to the Tube map.
Moore said: “The Transport Committee recommended that Thameslink be added to the Tube map to help Londoners with disabilities because these trains are designed for accessibility first and foremost. It is time for TfL to keep Thameslink on the map permanently for better accessibility across the city.”
Although the updated Tube map will provide more options for travelling around London, people are still being advised to only travel when necessary, given the rise in Covid-19 infections and London’s move into Tier 3 restrictions.
Both TfL and Thameslink are reminding customers to plan ahead and travel at quiet times when possible.
Joe Talora is the Local Democracy Reporter for City Hall. The Local Democracy Reporter Service is a BBC-funded initiative to ensure councils are covered properly in local media. See more about how The Charlton Champion uses LDRS content.
Can you help the Old Cottage Coffee Shop this Christmas?
The Old Cottage Coffee Shop in Charlton Park is one of the area’s local gems. Earlier this year, its owners Michael and Mimi were delivering food to the vulnerable during the spring lockdown. And every Christmas Day, it has hosted festive dinners for the elderly.
Things are different this year – so they are making 24 boxes to deliver to older people on Christmas Day. And Michael and Mimi are asking for your help.
Can you write a Christmas card for each person? Michael and Mimi will send you a name and you can write a personal message.
Can you donate presents and snacks for nine men and 15 women?
Can you help deliver on Christmas Day between 11am and noon?
…or could you donate cash to help the project?
If you can help, drop in at the cafe (open Wed-Sun, 9am-4pm), text 07737 922 792 or email m.speak9[at]icloud.co.uk.
We’ve not been sent any information about this (engagement, eh?), all we’ve seen is a little-noticed tweet from Greenwich Council, but it’s worth flagging up – TfL is holding an online event on Monday 14 December to explain and discuss its plans to create a cycle route between Greenwich and Woolwich.
The first section, which begins at Old Woolwich Road and stops at Farmdale Road, right where Greenwich becomes Charlton, is due to be finished by next week after being delayed for about two months. A second section, through Charlton to Anchor & Hope Lane, is due to follow soon after. A third section, to the Woolwich Ferry roundabout, is currently being covered by wider bus lanes until funding can be found for cycle lanes – which have led to some traffic problems as drivers adjust to only having one lane rather than two.
The cycle route is part of a wider plan to create a continuous cycle route between Tower Bridge and Woolwich.
TfL analysis showed that Charlton and Woolwich would benefit most from low-traffic neighbourhoods (darker scores are higher, see the full details)
The wider Streetspace scheme also includes the blocks on through traffic in west Greenwich and new proposals for streets around Maze Hill. There is nothing for side streets in Charlton, despite rat-running problems here, and TfL advice that suggests that streets between the A102 and Woolwich town centre would benefit most from measures to to block rat-running – advice based on factors including traffic and casualty levels, cycling potential, schools, population density, deprivation and low car ownership.
Here’s chuck-out time at Fossdene school – hardly a conducive and friendly environment for walking and cycling, with pedestrians penned in and cars dominating what should be a residential road.
Plenty, then, to discuss. You can sign up using this form for the meeting, which runs from 6pm to 7.30pm.
Joe Talora is the Local Democracy Reporter for City Hall. The Local Democracy Reporter Service is a BBC-funded initiative to ensure councils are covered properly in local media.
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