Quick look busy! - Merton Council

Ravensbury Park
new play area opens
In November pupils from Cranmer
Primary School and the Mayor
officially opened the new play area
at Ravensbury Park. A BIG Lottery
cash injection of £20,000 has
helped fund the play area, meaning
better value for money for the
council tax payer. The park now
includes a stage, a slide, climbing
boulders, swings, and a wheelchair
accessible roundabout. The play area
is fully accessible so children with
disabilities and special needs will
also be able to enjoy it too.
The refurbishment was
recommended in the Free Play
Strategy 2007-12 developed by the
council and Merton’s voluntary and
community sector in consultation
with children, young people and
their families.
Ravensbury Park has also been
shortlisted for funding in the London
Mayor’s ‘Help a London Park’
competition.
Find out more
If you haven’t voted please do
so before 30 January 2009 at
www.london.gov.uk/parksvote/
vote/?park=ravensbury
Pollards Hill library update
Construction is well underway at Pollards Hill library but
until the newly refurbished library is ready, an alternative
book borrowing service is available at the New Horizons
Day Centre. The centre also offers a homework club for
school children. The library’s Open Learning Centre is still
open but is operating from the nearby Red Hut Children’s
Centre, offering a drop in service for computer users, IT
training sessions and European Computer Driving Licence
(ECDL) classes.
With the library central to the community of Pollards
Hill, the £1 million lottery funding is expected to lead to
improved local educational opportunities, resulting in better
employment prospects and a healthier community.
Find out more
www.merton.gov.uk/libraries
Merton is number one
Merton’s dazzling winter fl oat won fi rst prize in the New Year’s Day
Parade winning £7,500 for the mayoral charities.
A team effort from Merton schoolchildren, councillors and the
Wimbledon Guild proved a winning combination to beat off the
competition from over 20 other London boroughs.
Mayor of Merton Councillor Martin Whelton said: “We are delighted
with our success in the parade. So much time and effort went into the
fl oat, it created a huge visual impact.”
Merton Active Plus holiday
courses 2009 open for bookings
Bookings are now open for Merton Active Plus, the revamped
holiday activities scheme run by Merton Council, which offers
great value for money health and social opportunities for young
people in the borough. This year the well-attended courses are
running in half-term holidays as well as the Easter and summer
holidays. Other changes include the arts courses, ‘Creating fun’, which
have a new range of schemes on offer. February half-term will see a number of
taster courses being run to allow people the opportunity to try out the schemes
before committing to a whole week at Easter or in the summer.
The popular watersports courses are once again on offer this year in
Wimbledon Park so book now for the Easter, May, Summer and October
holidays. Other courses include horse riding and athletics.
Find out more
www.merton.gov.uk/activeplus
Contact leisure@merton.gov.uk at 020 8545 3664
FEBRUARY – MARCH 2009 • NEWS
R E S P E C T –
fi nd out what it
means to you
Young residents at the
Respect launch
Merton Council has signed
up to the national ‘Respect
Standard for Housing
Management’ which tackles
issues surrounding anti-social
behaviour (ASB) by teaching
and encouraging people
acceptance and tolerance of
others. As part of this standard
to help reduce ASB on estates
in Merton, the council has
committed to being responsible
for six core elements
including prevention and early
intervention, empowering
and supporting victims and
witnesses, enforcement
and continuing to work in
partnership with the police and
other partners.
Find out more
www.merton.gov.uk/respect
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