Abstract Tree workshops 

This May Little Art Forms will be running creative workshops for children and adults at Gently in Crofton Park to raise money towards the planting of Lewisham street trees through Street Trees for Living.

Little Art Forms is a creative platform that has recently moved to the area. The project was originally set up in Camden Town, North London, by Artist and Art Therapist, Grace Thompson, to bring a sense of community and creativity to carers, adults, children, and babies.

In these playful workshops, metaphorical tree sculptures will be created using geometric shapes, brilliant colour, and tactile ingredients. During the workshops, participants are invited to create abstract tree ornaments using a selection of wood, paint and a range of materials.

To book please go to  http://www.littleartforms.com/abstract-tree-workshop 

All proceeds go towards planting street trees in the local area.

Further info 

Children’s Workshop

10:00am - 11:00am

Sunday 19th May 2019

£15

All ages welcome - 

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Adult’s Workshop

8:00pm - 9:30pm

Thursday 23rd May 2019

£20 

Additional info

..There is the opportunity for people to donate an amount of their choice towards raising money for street trees, follow the link on Little Art Forms (workshop page), for anyone interested but who cannot attend.

Workshop Address:

Gently 405 Brockley Rd, London SE4 2PH

Update from Forest Hill ward

STREET TREES ARE GOOD FOR US

At the Dartmouth Road Street Party a year ago I met Stuart Checkley who was representing Street Trees for Living, a Brockley Society project which has worked with Lewisham Council since 2012 on a public street-tree funding scheme. The scheme had been rolled out on the Tewkesbury Lodge Estate in Forest Hill, and in other parts of the borough, so there was an established precedent for what I then did with Stuart's support.

Knowing that we had lost several trees in our section of Thorpewood Avenue I began to talk to neighbours and gauge interest in the scheme. I knocked on doors over the Easter holiday period and spoke to as many people as I could. From the twenty-four houses I canvassed fifteen replied positively with pledges of between £10 to £275 (the cost of a tree). I was told we might expect to receive Assembly funding to supplement the money raised.

By the end of May we had identified possible locations and residents were approached to give consent to a tree outside their house. We knew we could fund four trees, and Stuart had given me the names of some suitable varieties that were available. We decided to opt for the same tree in all four sites to give cohesion to the scheme. Himalayan Birch (Betula Utilis Jacquemontii) was chosen for its attractive white bark and delicate canopy. In the Autumn council workmen dug holes and planted stakes and one day in November our trees arrived!

To celebrate their arrival we held a small street party on 1^st December with tree dressing, a custom recently revived countrywide, to express our thanks to the trees and build community spirit (see commonground.org.uk/tree-dressing-day). At this event I was pleased to announce that we had raised £1340, enough to fund an extra tree, and this will be put aside for next year. Two other schemes were run concurrently in the immediate area, resulting in the planting of five other trees - another birch, two pear trees (Pyrus Calleryana 'Chanticleer') and two hawthorn trees (Crataegus Laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet').

It is a testament to the enthusiasm of residents that this scheme has succeeded and our area is the richer for it.

Sue Grindlay

Community engagement in Ladywell

We are very pleased to link up with local activist and blogger Tony Major whose site Ladywell Live is now up and running.

He's very kindly given us a lovely landing page plug here.

The blog contains a wealth of information about initiatives and community building in Ladywell Ward and we'd highly recommend a visit.

STfL in the national press

Our work at STfL was given prominent coverage in a hugely supportive double page article in the Sunday Times on 10th March. 

Our very own Xanthe Mosley was quoted widely, as too our friends at Trees for Cities, author and blogger (The Street Tree) Paul Wood ("London is a Forest" is published in May) and the Bristol TREEspect project. 

Here's the article in full. Click on the image for a larger magnification: