Where are kids supposed to play?
The new Fisher ground was a popular place for the local kids before the new ground was built, it was left open and the kids thought they could play on it.
If 50 people played on it for hours Southwark Council should bear in mind that local kids need a place to play football that’s free.
Kids playing football is better then kids getting in to trouble.
The new park has houses and flats next to it, so the kids will be allowed to play football on it.
Mrs Heather, Rotherhithe
Walk to school
Living Streets’ Walk to School Week is over for another year and we’d like to thank everyone in Southwark who contributed to making it a massive success.
Over 2,000 pupils from over 70 classrooms in Southwark joined in with pupils across the UK to enjoy the many benefits of walking to school.
We know that schools become healthier and happier places when children walk to school. The Chief Medical Officer recommends that children are active for 60 minutes a day and walking to school is a free, accessible and easy way for children to contribute to this target.
Teachers tells us that pupils who walk to school are more alert and ready to learn than those who are driven, plus when children walk to school there is less congestion and pollution on local roads, making school gates a safer place.
Despite these benefits, the number of children walking to school is in decline with just 46 per cent of children making the journey on foot. At Living Streets, we are committed to reversing this decline and preventing the problems associated with inactivity, including childhood obesity. Walk to School Week is a great way to start so we’re really happy that so many pupils in Southwark joined in.
Just because the week of celebration is over, it doesn’t mean families have to stop. We’re thrilled that schools across Southwark already take part in WOW – our year-round walk to school challenge, so they can continue to experience the benefits of walking to school all year-round.
Once again, a huge thank you and congratulations to everyone who took part in this year’s Walk to School Week – with your help we’ll get more children experiencing a healthy and happy walk to school.
Joe Irvin, Chief Executive of Living Streets
Well deserved Sam
I wish to offer my congratulations to Sam King MBE, World War II veteran and Southwark’s first black Mayor, who was awarded the Freedom of the Borough last week.
Prior to being elected as Mayor of Southwark in 1983, the only serving black Mayor in London at the time, Sam made many invaluable contributions to our borough and country. He served in the Royal Air Force for seven years from 1944 to 1951 and was one of the driving forces behind the emergence of the first Notting Hill Carnival.
We have been campaigning for Mr King to be recognised with the Freedom of the Borough for the last three years, so I wish to extend my thanks to Cllr Peter John, former Southwark Mayor Cllr Dora Dixon-Fyle and Southwark Council for bestowing Sam with the recognition he truly deserves.
I encourage Southwark Council not to rest on its laurels and continue to recognise those individuals of the same calibre as Mr King from across the whole borough and all communities in Southwark every year. The Council should go one step further by publishing their criteria for a Freedom of the Borough Award on their website so more residents can nominate worthy individuals like Sam King for the borough’s highest civil honour.
Prem Goyal OBE JP, All People’s Party