School's out - Islington Council

www.islington.gov.uk Issue 21, August 2004
School’s out
From the reading rollercoaster to dancing in the
street, football to chess, there’s a lot do when
school’s out for summer. The programme
of activities in Islington for the next six
weeks is great news for youngsters
and their parents.
18,000 Islington schoolchildren have been given their
copies of Islington’s own summer guide and 10,000
more are available in libraries and leisure centres.
Find out more about ‘school’s out’ on pages 6 and 7.
Improving
Islington
Almost a third of Islington residents
say their council is performing
better than three years ago,
compared to 18% across the UK.
And in every area they were asked about,
local people believe Islington Council is
improving. SEE page 8 for details...
Look inside for more about what’s happening in and around Islington…
Shopwatch New park day centre School’s out
Rugby world cup
Young eyes

Welcome
Welcome to
Issue 21
of Islington
From Helen Bailey,
Chief Executive
A1 – not just a road
To produce a list of
priorities for
improving the A1
from the Archway to
the Angel and beyond
the council and its
partners got together to
discuss ideas for a safer,
brighter borough.
And it wasn’t just a talking shop. The ideas
presented at the meeting will be passed on
to architects and planners so that they
can be turned into plans which will
benefit all those who live, work,
study and play in the area.
Look out for a full report in the
next issue.
Community groups, residents’
associations, local business people,
the police and many other public bodies
got together to see how they and the
council can work together to address key
issues such as crime and the environment. A
unifying theme was transforming the A1 and
surrounding areas into safe, clean, green and
pleasant areas for the community.
✆Contact Karen
Sullivan on
020 7527 2730,
email
karen.sullivan@islington.
gov.uk to find out more.
Islington is a great place to be and it’s
full of great things to do. Islington gives
you a taste of what’s happening in and
around the borough as well as telling
you about some of the things that
make Islington a place we can all be
proud of. Have a look out at pages 6
and 7, they’re packed with plenty of
ideas for both children and parents.
And look out for ‘school’s out’.
We are quietly confident that Islington
Council’s services are improving and
now a residents’ survey by
independent pollsters MORI tells us
that you think so too, read about this
on page 8. However, the council is not
complacent, we know that there is still
a great deal of work to be done so that
all our services are as good as they
can be but it’s good to know that many
of you think we’re heading in the right
direction.
Please continue to let me know what
you think about living in Islington – see
‘Your Views’ on the opposite page.
Great news, Islington will soon be
home to a new reuse and recycling
centre – see page 3 for more details.
And have a look at the energy saving
tips on page 4.
Whatever your age, whatever the
weather, have a great summer and
enjoy all that Islington has to offer.
left to right is Simon Tarr, general manager
of After Noah, Christine Lovett and
Inspector Bryan Spence
Shopwatch scheme keeps
an eye on shop crime
Shops and shoppers are safer thanks
to Shopwatch. This new scheme at the
Angel is making it safer for residents,
shoppers and shopkeepers by cutting
the crime that happens around shops.
Run in partnership by Islington Council, Angel
Islington Town Centre Management Group
(AITCMG) and Islington Police, shops joining
Shopwatch have a direct radio link to the
police and to each other via the scheme’s
ARCAngel radios. If they are robbed,
attacked, the victim of credit card fraud or see
someone shoplifting, they can call for help
immediately or warn other local shops through
the inter-store radio links. The borough’s new
community police officers assigned to the
Angel area carry one of the radios at all times
and will respond instantly.
“Working with the council and the police has
made shops, particularly smaller retailers, feel
safer that help is at hand,” says Matthew
Crawford who owns furniture store After Noah
and is a member of ATCMG.
“The photographs of known and convicted
shoplifters given to us by the police at
Shopwatch meetings are very helpful in
alerting us to trouble before it starts – smaller
shops with maybe only one or two staff
working feel a lot safer.”
✆To join the scheme or find out
more call Angel Islington town
centre manager Christine
Lovett on 020 7288 4377 or
click on www.angeltowncentre.com
2

Your Shout
Below are some of your letters, emails and phone calls we received in response to the last issue
Recycling @
In response to your request for feedback I
would like to ask why you don’t ask
residents to recycle their plastic containers.
They do this in the USA and I’m wondering
why we can’t do this here. Plastic is full of
chemicals and does great harm to the
environment.
“It’s not rubbish, it’s useful”. We do
encourage people to reuse carrier bags
(whether they are plastic or paper)
wherever possible, or use cloth or
other reusable carrier bags. Larger
supermarkets offer a durable ‘bag for
life’ which can be re-used many times.
The bags cost a nominal amount (10p
to 51p) and are replaced for free when
worn out.
Islington Council will begin
collecting plastic bottles for
recycling in August following the
opening of the new Hornsey Street,
N7, Reuse and Recycling Centre.
We also plan to collect them in the
green box recycling scheme, and also
to add cardboard to the scheme. Until
the centre opens there are no facilities
to ‘bulk’ the plastics for onward
transport – and this is very important:
as plastics are very light in weight, the
emissions created in transporting them
to the re-processor can negate the
benefit of recycling. Plastic does not
break down in landfill, so it does not
contribute to greenhouse gas
emissions as paper and other
degradable products such as food do.
There is more everyone can do to
minimise and recycle waste. Keep your
eyes and ears open for news about the
opening of the centre. And, please visit
website www.islington.gov.uk for more
ideas on how to minimise waste.
School’s out @
I have been trying without success to find
out what might be available this summer
for a 13 year old boy – he would be
especially interested in stuff like sound
engineering, but other stuff too. I know
there were courses available somewhere
last year, but I applied too late. We live in
N5. We have no car but are well served by
buses. I would be very grateful for any help
you can give.
The brochure was sent out (have a look
at pages 6 and 7) and here’s the result.
Just to say thank you so much for the
brochure. Both my sons have signed up
for two courses each. All the courses
sound terrific – makes you glad to pay
council tax. Seriously.
Traffic calming @
I sympathise with the writer of the letter
headed “A Bumpy Ride” in the latest edition
of “Islington”, and am intrigued by the
editor’s response.
You say, “It is a fact that speed cushions
have contributed to a 30% cut in child
injuries on the borough’s roads.” This bold
claim prompts two thoughts, two questions.
1) The proliferation of speed cushions didn’t
occur until Summer 2003 so, presumably,
you have observed the dramatic
improvement in (child) pedestrian safety
over the past 9-10 months. Could you send
me the relevant statistics?
2) You employ the word “contributed”. This
is a slippery word that sets the alarm bells
ringing. How have you measured, weighed,
contribution?
The London Accident Unit produce the
statistics showing those killed or
seriously injured on London’s roads. It
takes time to put them together. In the
case of the figure showing the number
of people killed, it may take several
months before the person actually dies
as a result of their injuries. It will not be
until 2005 before the data completely
reflects the impact of the humps.
Currently the figures for London do
show a significant drop. In Islington, we
are on target to get the reduction in
those killed or seriously injured down to
the required level by 2010.
Other road safety measures, such as
training and safety awareness in school,
have had an impact on the reduction of
child road accidents. It is impossible to
say that speed humps alone were
responsible for the reduction in the
numbers killed or seriously injured.
Dogs and their owners @
I thought I’d write to you about the
extremely anti-social behaviour of many
dog owners. As a regular user of Highbury
Fields, I’m always amazed at the number
Your Views…
Do you think we are doing the
right things?
Is there anything you think we
have done well?
How could we improve our service
to you?
What do you want to see in this
newsletter?
We want to hear what you have to say.
So, if you want to make a comment
about any aspect or the services we
provide, please:
Phone: 020 7527 3416
Email: residents.news@islington.gov.uk
Write to: Helen Bailey, Chief Executive,
Islington Council, Town Hall,
Upper Street, N1 2UD
Tell us what you think. After all, if you
don’t tell us something is wrong we can’t
do anything about it…
We look forward to your feedback.
of seemingly ‘normal’ people who still let
their dogs foul this very lovely public
space. This is unbelievably selfish of them.
It makes my skin crawl to see people
picnicking and children playing on the
same grass that probably harbours hidden
dog faeces. Everyone has a right to use
the fields. But certainly not as a toilet.
Islington Council takes the issue of dog
fouling seriously and is tackling it on
several fronts. We have installed a
great many dog waste bins and at
several problem sites the Greenspace
Rangers have run dog awareness days.
More and more people are picking up
after their dogs as a result of this and
other educational activities. Both the
Greenspace Rangers and other staff
who work on the fields have a duty to
ask owners to clear up after their dogs
where they witness it not happening.
3

We can all do our bit
Energy saving tips
Tips that don’t cost a penny but
could help you save pounds, energy,
and the environment
✔ Turning your central heating down
by 1°C could reduce your bills by
up to 10%
✔ Setting your hot water thermostat to
60°C could save up to £10 per year
✔ Always turn lights off when you
leave a room
✔ Avoid filling the kettle more than you
need to
✔ Don’t leave the TV, video or
computer on standby, this uses up
to 80% of electricity as if left on
✔ Take a shower rather than a bath –
an ordinary shower uses only twofifths
of the water needed for a bath
The ECI area emits 109,629 tonnes of
carbon dioxide each year – enough to fill
623,288 double decker buses! Carbon
dioxide emissions are a leading
contributor to climate change.
We can all do something about this. CARRA
(Carbon Assessment and Reduction in
Regeneration Areas), a project led by Islington
Council, demonstrates that we can all have an
impact.
Estimates show that 44% of carbon dioxide
emitted in London comes from energy we use
in the home. CARRA links climate change to
everyday energy use and shows residents how
saving energy will not only help save money but
could also save the planet.
Last year CARRA initiated several projects to
promote energy efficiency in the EC1 area
including, ordaining four local residents as
energy ambassadors to champion the energy
saving cause, work with the Peabody Trust to
turn Roscoe Towers into a model of energy
efficiency and work with local schools to develop
an education programme on climate change.
Islington Energy Centre has been instrumental
in the CARRA project providing many of the
resources, such as free energy efficient light
bulbs and home energy checks. They can also
provide residents with a wealth of free energy
saving tips, from ways to reduce your power bill
to discount schemes for heating and
installation.
✆
Contact the Energy
Centre 0800 512 012 for
more information, or look
on the council’s website
www.islington.gov.uk
Seeing new
horizons in books
A unique reading scheme aimed at
getting people living on Islington’s
estates interested in books has
been so successful in getting people
reading again that the government
has funded it for another two years.
Islington Council’s New Horizons project
which has brought mini libraries to
people’s doorsteps on the borough’s six
largest estates, is so popular that almost
900 residents have joined in the first year
and over 7,000 books have been taken
out.
Memorial mural
A stunning 20 feet-long mural was
recently unveiled in Finsbury.
social and educational arts projects including
a mural of the River Thames.
Says one older local resident who lives on
the Packington Estate: “Going to the
library is the highlight of my week – it’s on
the doorstep, I enjoy talking to the staff
and sometimes it’s the only time I get out
of the flat.”
The unique tableau, which depicts scenes
from the Clerkenwell district during the
Second World War, is a product of weekly
painting sessions by older people from St
Luke’s Day Centre in Central Street and led
by local artist Shanti Thomas. Shanti is an
artist in residency for British Airways at
Gatwick Airport and has worked on various
The finished mural is transforming Finsbury
Library until the end of August. Why not take
a look?
The mural was commissioned by Islington
Council and is supported by EC1 New Deal
and the Barbican Arts Trust.
4

STOP PRESS
Following a major review into how to
improve street cleaning and waste
services an extra £1million will go into
new dedicated clean teams tackling all
aspects of fly-tipping, fly-posting and
graffiti, more litter bins and extra
street cleaning teams.
New Park
Centre
reopens
An extravaganza with live music from
three bands celebrated more than half
a million pounds worth of
improvements to the centre that
provides day care and activities for the
borough’s older people with physical
disabilities.
Groundbreaking
A 1940’s corner shop, museum, garden,
conservatory, cafe and computer room are
just a few of the groundbreaking changes
older people using the centre in Highbury New
Park will enjoy. They will be the museum’s
curators and serve in the shop.
It was a double celebration for centre
manager Maureen Collins who recently
received a civic award in recognition of her
loyalty and services to the community.
Maureen has managed the centre since it
opened in 1981 and is Islington Council’s
social services department’s longest serving
employee.
“New Park has brightened up the lives of
elderly people like me,” says 71-year-old Alf
Smith who has been going to New Park for
five years while his wife who cares for him
gets a break.
“Staff are welcoming and kind and
friendly – and there’s always something
good to get involved in. We are looking
forward to taking many trips down
memory lane as the artefacts in the
museum get people talking about their
lives. It’s a grand idea.”
‘Live long and prosper’
The centre offers personal care and leisure
and educational facilities to enable its users to
lead as independent, interesting and
stimulating lives as possible. Currently used by
45 older people a day, the service is being
expanded to cater for 60. The centre is being
shared for the next 18 months with 18 people
who use the day centre at 127 Highbury New
Park while their premises are refurbished.
The improvements are part of Islington
Council’s rolling programme to improve
all its facilities for older people. Over
the next three years they will be
investing nearly two million pounds in
their day centre services to
help older people get the
best possible care
locally.
London
parking fines
Letter to the Daily Telegraph
7 July 2004
Sirs,
There is an easy way for motorists
to avoid receiving parking fines –
and that is to obey the parking
restrictions.
Parking regulations are there to help
traffic flow across the capital as easily as
possible and to help protect the safety of
all road users. They are put in place
because people like drivers, residents
and local businesses have called for
them, and not at the whim of a local
council.
By law local authorities cannot set fines
‘to make money’. They can only be set
as a deterrent to make people think twice
before breaking the law. Any money
collected through fines must be put into
transport-related schemes. In London this
has included concessionary fares, local
cycle paths, and Hungerford Bridge.
Anyone receiving a fine they feel is unfair
should appeal against it. The appeals
process is free and easy to use with
independent adjudicators overseeing
each case.
Boroughs are striving to make the parking
enforcement service as fair as possible.
This is highlighted by the fact that in
2002/03 of the tickets issued in London,
only 0.8 per cent of them were appealed
against.
No one, including motorists, has the right
to break the law. It is a simple choice,
follow the regulations – or break the law
and get a fine.
Philip Portwood
Chair of the Association of London
Government’s Transport and Environment
Committee
5

School’s
out
School’s out once again and even if the weather is
up to its usual tricks, there is plenty for both
parents and children to do in and around Islington.
All the information is in ‘School’s Out’, available
from libraries and leisure centres and also on the
council’s website www.islington.gov.uk
Here’s just a taste of what’s on in Islington
this summer...
Libraries
There are loads of fun activities for
children of all ages in Islington’s libraries.
Enjoy story tellers, music and crafts as
well as the great new Summer Reading
Challenge – the ‘Reading Rollercoaster’ –
which is the perfect way to relax in the
sun or see off a rainy day. A great many
activities are provided in partnership with
Sure Start around the borough.
To find out where your nearest library is
call Contact Islington 020 7527 2000
or visit the council’s website
www.islington.gov.uk
Football courses
Still hungry for football after Euro 2004? Want
to prepare for the upcoming season? Or
improve your ability and understanding of the
game? ‘Gunners in Islington’ has the course for
you. The course uses qualified coaches who
will help you enhance your enjoyment of the
game. The cost ranges from £35 to £44 and
there are concessions for Izz card holders.
Contact Michael MacNeill on 020 7686 8810
email michael.macneill@aquaterra.org
6

Islington school term
dates 2004/5
Autumn Term
Wednesday 1 September, 2004 –
Friday 17 December, 2004
Half term 25-29 October, 2004
Spring Term
Tuesday 4 January, 2005 – Friday 18
March, 2005
Half term 14-18 February, 2005
Good Friday – 25 March, 2005
Easter Monday – 28 March, 2005
Summer Term
Monday 4 April, 2005 – Thursday 21
July, 2005
Half term 30 May – 3 June 2005
May Day Bank Holiday 2 May, 2005
Inset Days (5)
Wednesday 1 September, 2004 –
common inset day for all Islington
schools.
The remaining 4 days to be determined
by headteachers after consultation with
their governing bodies.
Leisure centres
Summer
University
From 26 July to 27 August, 10 to 19 year olds
will be taking part in Islington’s sixth Summer
University. This very popular programme of free
classes and workshops offers courses as
varied as art, cookery, maths, science and
languages.
Hotline 020 7527 5558
Email summeruniversity@islington.gov.uk
From badminton to street dance, basketball to
soft play, bouncy castle to trampolining,
Islington’s leisure centres have it all. Find out
more by looking at www.aquaterra.org or
calling the leisure centres directly:
Islington Tennis Centre: 020 7700 1370
Finsbury Leisure Centre: 020 7253 2346
Sobell Leisure Centre: 020 7609 2166
Archway Leisure Centre:
020 7281 4105
Highbury Pool: 020 7704 2312
Cally Pool: 020 7278 1890
Ironmonger Row Baths:
020 7253 4011
Our
greenspaces
‘School’s Out’ has vouchers giving
money off trips to Islington’s pools and
other leisure activities. Find it in libraries
and leisure centres and on the council’s
website www.islington.gov.uk
There’s lots to do in your parks this
summer-organised play, creative
photography, chess tournaments – why
not call the greenspace rangers on
020 7700 4785 to find out more.
There’s a summer play scheme based at
the ecology centre – 020 7354 5162
email islingtonecologycentre@btopen
world.com
7

Moving in the
right direction
Islington is bucking the national
trend in the latest set of
customer satisfaction surveys
which measure what people
think of local services such as
sports and cultural facilities,
libraries, parks and waste
disposal and keeping them
informed. The council is
pleased with these results but
not complacent. There is still a
great deal to do before all
services are as good as they
can be.
This independent survey carried out
by MORI shows that in the three
years since the last government
survey, the number of people..
● happy with Islington’s libraries has
increased by 13%, compared to
the national average which is
down by 3%
● satisfied with local parks and open
spaces has risen by 14%,
compared to the national average
of 8%
● satisfied with waste disposal has
increased by 23%, compared to
the national average of 4%
● happy with household waste
collection has risen by 13%,
compared to the national average
which has decreased by 2%
● happy with waste recycling has
risen by 8%, compared to the
national average of 2%
● satisfied with the way complaints
are dealt with has increased by
9%, compared to a national
average which has dropped
by 7%.
On a national level, 10% of residents
think their local councils are getting
worse, and in London, overall
satisfaction with local councils is
down.
Serve and volley
Construction works
So far 25 people have got a job, 45
people have had training and 24
schoolchildren have been on work
experience. 65 people are due to start
training in the near future.
And 17 year old Amanda Hooey and 19 year
old Kevin Screen were among the 45 trainees
celebrating at the Arsenal thanks to
Construction Works, an innovative project led
by Islington Council.
“I wanted to do something in the construction
industry and this scheme has given me the
chance to do just that. I’ve really enjoyed
doing it and without Construction Works I
probably wouldn't be on the way to becoming
Tennis stars of the future showed off
their talent at the Play Tennis Day on
Highbury Fields marking the start of
Islington Education Week from 26 June
to 2 July. Young and old took part in
coaching sessions, mini tournaments
and a speed gun test! And the
Panthers, Islington’s only basketball
club, gave dribbling and shooting
lessons.
This year’s week long celebration of education
in the borough focused on sport, healthy living
and international relations and it gave
everyone the chance to celebrate Islington’s
achievements and successes.
Look out for a full round up of a fantastic
week in the next issue.
To find out more about
what’s going on in
Islington’s Tennis Centre, ✆call 020 7700 1370
a bricklayer,” says Amanda, one of the only
girls training to be a bricklayer.
The trainees, aged 17 to 36, have gained
qualifications in carpentry, bricklaying and
painting and decorating for NVQ levels 1 and
2, as well as Basic Skills and Health & Safety
training. On site experience was provided by
Caxton Islington, Laings Training and the
Young Builders Trust.
✆If you’re interested in
working in the construction
industry and want to find
out how Construction Works can help
you, call Albena Karamaros on
020 7527 3027 or email
albena.karamaros@islington.gov.uk
The latest survey also highlights the
need for all councils to communicate
better with their residents and in this
area Islington again is performing well
with over half of people living in the
borough saying the council keeps
them very or fairly well informed
about what’s going on.
For more information go
✆to www.bvpi.gov.uk
8

Finding local facilities
using online maps
Islington Council has introduced an
online facility to call up a map
which will highlight a range of
nearby services to people’s homes.
Rugby World Cup
comes to Islington
Access is through the website
www.islington.gov.uk click on maps
and then GIS (Geographic Information
Systems). GIS is the jargon used to
describe the way information is given
using maps. There are currently three
facilities:
● Where’s My Nearest – entering a
postcode or address into the property
search will pull out a map of the
nearest service such as recycling points
or libraries.
● Online reporting of abandoned
vehicles.
● A search for any major roadworks in
the borough.
England Rugby hero Richard Hill brought
the Rugby World Cup to Islington’s tag
rugby festival that saw Montem school
reign supreme after beating St. Mary’s in
a closely fought match. Ashmount and
St. Jude’s were joint third and are set to
hold a rematch very soon.
“It’s great to see so many youngsters out
enjoying their rugby. It was a terrific event,” says
Richard Hill who also presented children from
Samuel Rhodes and The Bridge special schools
with medals after they took part in coaching
sessions from Rugby Football Union staff.
Islington was the only London borough to host
the Rugby World Cup. For the last couple of
years the council has been working in
partnership to develop a rugby club in the
borough, which would be the first of its kind in
north London inner-city boroughs.
✆For more information about
sports and activities in the
borough go the council’s
website:
www.islington.gov.uk/whatson
For more information contact
✆keri.niven@islington.gov.uk
You can make a difference in your borough
There is a way of making a difference
and affecting decisions the council
makes about where you live – and
that’s by getting involved in area
committees.
along and making their views heard at South
Area Committee when the plan was under
discussion and in consultation.
Changes made to the development after local
people expressed their concerns include a
larger and improved play area, more green
space, moving boat moorings away from new
homes, and the setting up of a Friends of
Graham Street Park organisation by the
council’s Greenspace team.
The changes made to the City Road plans are
a good example of how the area committee
can steer a line between the needs of private
developers and those of the local community.
The next round of area committees in the
autumn are
● East 16 September 7.30pm
Highbury Grove School, Highbury New
Park, N5
● North 16 September 7.30pm
Hilldrop Community Centre,
Communtiy Lane, Hilldrop Road, N7
● West 28 September 7.30pm
Barnsbury Complex, Offord Road, N1
● South 30 September 7.30pm
Walter Sickert Community Centre,
Canonbury Crescent, N1
Residents in the south of the borough asked
for – and got – more open public green space
incorporated into the masterplan for
developments at City Road Basin after going
If you are interested in finding out more about your local area committee,
contact Colin Stubbs on 020 7527 3308 or click on
✆www.islington.gov.uk/democracy
9

Aquaterra Leisure is a charity that runs the seven leisure centres
in Islington with financial assistance from Islington Council.
✆
Visit
the website
www.aquaterra.org or
call 020 7253 5365
for more information
Learn to be a
lifeguard at your
local pool
Happy EverActive
advice and programmes. Look out for all the
other discounted activities.
This is the ideal way to start a career
in the leisure industry or earn some
money over the holidays. All the
pools managed by Aquaterra Leisure
are approved training centres and
Aquaterra offer a range of ways to
qualify for the National Pool
Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ), the
full premier lifeguard traiing award.
You can spread your course over a number
of weeks or a lesser number of weekends.
Aquaterra also offer a one week intensive
for people planning to get qualified quickly
before the summer holidays.
The new summer edition of EverActive
magazine is full of activities for older
people.
Tina Krämer, health projects coordinator for
Aquaterra said: “EverActive is hugely
successful, proving that exercise is not just for
the young. More and more older people are
requesting copies of the new issue of
EverActive and we continually receive positive
feedback from those who have benefited from
the activities.”
EverActive is produced by Aquaterra Leisure in
partnership with Islington Council and is now
available in libraries and leisure centres in
Islington.
To be eligible for the course, you must be
over 16 years of age and a competent
swimmer with the ability to swim 400
metres in either front crawl or breast stroke.
✆
For further details, phone
Cally pool on 020 7278
1890, Highbury pool on
020 7704 2312 or
Archway leisure centre on
020 7281 4105.
EverActive offers a comprehensive guide to
stepping up your healthy lifestyle, meeting new
people of the same age or just unwinding. It
provides information about transport, disability
access and discounted activities so there is no
excuse for not making the most of your local
leisure and community centres.
Islington’s leisure centres offer a huge array of
activities for older people including Tai Chi,
water aerobics and tennis. All the gyms at the
centres offer free membership to the over
sixties. Workouts are £1 per visit including
✆
020
For more information
contact Tina Krämer at
Aquaterra Leisure on
7686 8814.
Premier One, 1 year old and going strong
To book your place on the
Premier One Programme,
contact your local leisure
centre visit
✆www.aquaterra.org
10
The Premier One Programme is a free
service for customers run exclusively
by Aquaterra Leisure which involves
four one-to-one gym sessions with a
fully qualified instructor.
A whopping 100% of people asked said
Premier One had helped them achieve their
goals and 94% said they thought the service
was excellent. The benefits of Premier One
are cumulative and include a personalised
training programme – specifically tuned to
meet your needs and motivate you to help
you achieve your fitness goals and exercise
regularly.
Marc Jones, of Aquaterra says: “The survey
showed that people were given all the
knowledge, tools and motivation they needed
to help them achieve their own specific goals
– for example losing weight. Once you’ve
tried Premier One, there are no excuses for
not attending the gym all year round.”
And our customers say: “The thing I liked most
was that the programme actually worked. It
was done in a way that helped me to enjoy
exercising for the first time.”
“I don’t think there is anything that could be
improved as the instructors are always
available for help and I feel that I was given
some great advice and encouragement without
being intrusive.”

King’s Cross – let your
voice be heard
King’s Cross is changing forever and
you have the chance to shape its
future, not only for yourself, but also
for your children and your children’s
children. Developers Argent St George,
London Continental Railways and Exel
plc have submitted exciting
applications to Islington and Camden
Councils outlining how this currently
neglected area could become the new
urban quarter of London.
They want to know what everyone in the
borough thinks about the proposals. So have
your say. Islington’s King’s Cross Team is also
available to come and talk directly to your
community group.
The development known as King’s Cross
Central features two key sites; the triangle site
which lies in both the boroughs of Islington
and Camden and the main site, which lies
solely in Camden.
King’s Cross Central will deliver new homes,
A group of budding modern artists have
created huge photographic images that
adorn Islington’s Rosebowl youth club
on the Marquess Estate.
Six young men – Safraz Pivano, Aaron
Serieux, Stuart Meekes, Korah Cook, Simeon
John and La Shaun John aged between 11
and 17 – who regularly use the youth club
worked with local artists Donna Travis and
Deborah Neville and Innercity Films to create
the eye catching ‘Bigger Picture of London.’
The Bigger Picture of London depicts what
London means to young people. The young
offices, shops, bars, restaurants, educational
facilities and green spaces to an area that has
long awaited such development.
Get involved now if you want the opportunity
to help shape a world-class development.
The consultation on the outline applications is
running until the 24 September 2004.
✆
For more information
www.islington.gov.uk/
kingscrossteam
or call 020 7527 2297/3505
Did you know?
More than 2,800 people a day now
visit Islington Council’s website, making
a total of almost 100,000 visits a
month. The most looked at pages are
those advertising jobs.
London through young eyes
men chose iconic images that say something
about the interests of young people from
shopping to music, architecture and history
and friendship to football! The project aimed to
highlight how diverse our city is and to
encourage young people to access the many
resources available to them.
Aaron Serieux one of the young artists who
really enjoyed being part of the project said: “It
was a great experience and it feels really good
to see my artwork displayed for all to see.”
See pages 6 and 7 for activities for
young people over the summer holidays.
Handy contacts
in this issue
For anything you want to know about
Islington Council, first call Contact
Islington on 020 7527 2000.
This telephone and face to face
customer service centre is on the
ground floor of 222 Upper Street N1.
The 020 7527 2000 service is open for
business longer than usual so residents
can deal with the council on the way to, or
from, home and work.
The telephone contact centre is open
Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm and
the service centre is open from
8.30am to 6pm Monday to Friday and will
also open from 9am – 1pm on the last
Saturday in the month – more, if it’s
popular. A resource room also offers
internet access to all public services, a
quiet area for form-filling and space for
checking planning applications.
Aquaterra
020 7253 5365
www.aquaterra.org
Archway leisure centre
020 7281 4105
Cally pool
020 7278 1890
Education week
020 7527 5563
Energy centre
0800 512 012
Finsbury leisure centre
020 7253 2346
Gunners in Islington
020 7686 8810
michael.macneill@aquaterra.org
Greenspace rangers
020 7700 4785
islingtonecologycentre@btopenworld.com
Highbury pool
020 7704 2312
Ironmonger Row baths
020 7253 4011
Islington Tennis centre
020 7700 1370
King’s Cross team
020 7527 2297/3505
www.islington.gov.uk/kingscrossteam
Shopwatch scheme
020 7288 4377
www.angeltowncentre.com
Sobell leisure centre
020 7609 2166
Your Views
020 7527 3416
residents.news@islington.gov.uk
11

Domestic violence is a crime that is often hidden behind
closed doors – yet over one quarter of all violent crime
reported to police in Islington is domestic violence