We could hardly believe our eyes when the cars arrived with the donations! The amazing staff and pupils of Coopers Lane Primary School collected over 1800 cans and packets for the ChART Community Food Project at their recent "We Scare Hunger" dress up day.
That's enough donations for food parcels to support 55 families for 2.5 weeks - That is A LOT of scaring hunger - thank you so much!
Our friendly English Classes welcome all local adults who need to learn or improve.
We meet via Zoom on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
For more information or to register contact And Vodeva: 07786 266398
Our online Yoga classes are continuing to run during January.
Both classes "meet" via Zoom (a free video conferencing system) - you need to register following the links below and then Geny will send you the logins needed for each class. If you've got any questions about the classes just pop Geny a message and she's happy to discuss them with you: geny@cheyoga.co.uk
ChART Community Food Project
Thank you so much to our wonderful community for continuing to support the ChART Food Project! Costcutter and Brook Pharmacy (both on Chinbrook Road) are now donation points for us- you are able to purchase donations from them which they will keep ready for our team to collect and distribute as part of our fortnightly food parcels to local households.
The ChART Food Project is open for the collection of Pre-packed bags on Wednesdays 12noon - 1pm. Collections are made from the Courtyard of The WG Grace Community Centre.
Please note that the Food Project will be closed on Wednesday 30th December - reopening on Wednesday 6th January. Two weeks worth of supplies will be available for collection on the 23rd December to cover the closure.
For more information about ChART projects please email info@chartbiglocal.org.uk or leave us a message on 020 8851 0174 and one of the team will get back to you as soon as we can.
ChART Garden Competition - The Winners
We had a second great year of our garden competition. The judges visited some very different growing spaces, from small balconies to larger community gardens. It was wonderful to hear the passion people had for growing and caring for their outdoor space and the sharing of advice, seeds and plants that went on between neighbours.
We were especially pleased to have a children’s category this year and our winners John John (4) and Melody (9) both impressed the judges with their ...growing skills, both winning £25 vouchers. The judges thought Melody's delightful planter was made even more attractive by the use of the hat as planter in preference to a plastic pot. We thought the plants, which looked so good together, would have been very popular with bees and other insects too. John John was our youngest entrant and it was clear to see his enthusiasm for all the vegetables and fruit he has grown this year. He has grown carrots, peas, beetroot, rhubarb, strawberries and tomatoes, all in a small area. His carrots looked amazing!
This years' winners in the adults class (each winning a £50 voucher) were:
Jon & Pia: They have nurtured a blank canvas of garden space into a series of interesting areas around the house. Each area works well with interesting planting. They have installed a watering system which uses water with care as needed. The judges particularly enjoyed the contrasting textures and leaf shapes and the winding stony path area leading round one side of the house.
Patricia: Patricia has a small well cared for balcony. It was a delight to hear her talk with such enthusiasm about her plants. She is relatively new to gardening and admits to not knowing much about plant names but is picking up tips and plants from neighbours and is justly proud of what she has created – a beautiful and colourful display.
Philip & Derek: This community space has been brought to life over many years. From short grass all over (maintained by council) Derek has created beds and built fruit cages and raised beds using recycled timber. Most of the work is done by Derek and Philip and they both have areas that they concentrate on. Philip showed us a photo album showing the changes over the years. There is a small greenhouse too. There was a great selection of tomato plants and some colourful bedding. The judges liked the use of old toilets gleaned from a skip which were transformed into jazzy planters.
What's On:
Chair Yoga - Wednesdays 12:30 - 1pm register here
ChART Saturday Yoga 10am - 11am Join Yoga Instructor Geny for these friendly community classes at 10am - to access these classes you need to pregister via the Eventbrite page. Registrations close at 9am on Saturday, you can register for mulitple weeks in one go!
Our Thursday Walking group is currently suspended u in line with National Lockdown Guidelines
email: victoria@chartbiglocal.org.uk for more information and to register if you'd like to join us when we are able to restart. Pre-registration is essential. 
Grove Park Connections Virtual Coffee Morning
Grove Park Connections Face to Face Thursday Group is cancelled until further notice but we are still meeting online! Contact francis@vslonline.org.uk for details of how to join our our friendly Zoom group. We "meet" every Thursday 11:30am - 12:30pm, enjoy a chat, some quizzes and games, and reguklarly have guest speakers and activities. Staying Home? You can still stay connected!
Do you want to do something for your local community?
Volunteer with ChART and help make our little corner of the world an even better place.
Even half an hour can make a big difference. For more information e-mail: info@chartbiglocal.org.uk
Employment, Skills and Training
If you need employment support please contact Suzannah: suzannah@chartbiglocal.org.uk / 07450 555942
You can also try these useful resources (Please note ChART is not responsible for any content on external websites or services delivered by these organisations):
JOB CENTRE
Your local Job Centre Plus is in Woolwich but check the website for information on benefits and jobs: https://www.gov.uk/contact-jobcentre-plus
JOBS
Looking for a Job? Have you tried these websites:
http://www.careerexperts.co.uk
National Careers Service - www.directgov.uk Tel: 0800 100 900 @PG_CareersLond
The National Careers Service provides information, advice and guidance on learning, training, career choice, career development, job search and the labour market, delivered by qualified, impartial careers advisers. It can be accessed online, by telephone and face-to-face (for people aged 19 and over)
Remember many of these websites have some really good advice and tips and also help you with skills such as building your CV.
SKILLS AND TRAINING
Don’t forget to consider re-training – there are lots of opportunities and some free courses. Have a look at your local providers:
ChART – English Classes (ESOL). For speakers of other languages/people who need to improve their English. Currently these classes meet online, but we will return to the WG Grace Community Centre when it is safe.
Call Ana Vodeva on 07786 266398 to join.
Lewisham College - Main site: Lewisham Way London SE4 1UT Bus -136 or train from Grove Park Station (Second campus in Deptford) https://www.lewisham.ac.uk
Free basic courses for the unemployed:
https://www.lewisham.ac.uk/free-courses-for-job-seekers
Adult Learning Lewisham (Centres in Grove Park, Brockley, Granville Park SE13)
Has a range of courses, some free of charge. https://lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/education/adult
Bromley College of Further and Higher Education
Rookery Lane, Bromley BR2 8HE Bus – 261
https://www.lsec.ac.uk/locations/bromley
And remember Council Websites have local jobs, apprenticeships and advice:
Lewisham Council
https://lewisham.gov.uk/mayorandcouncil/counciljobs
Bromley Council
https://www.bromley.gov.uk/info/100008/jobs_and_careers
Greenwich Council
https://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/info/200149/jobs_training_and_volunteering