ISSUE 3 AUTUMN 2022 SIDCUP BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT MAGAZINE SIDCUP Spotlight
By the time you read this, we hope the Fringe Festival that took place in Lamorbey Park on 3rd September will be remembered with a great sense of satisfaction. A full summary and photographs from the Fringe will be available in the next Weedition.have been working in collaboration with a range of partners to hold the first Sidcup business connect event, to be hosted in the Footscray and Sidcup United Services Club. It will be a business-to- business event and exhibition. Further information is available on our web site.
WelcomeVoice of Westminster 3 News 4 Sidcup SNT 5 Community 6-7 Environment 8 London Borough of Bexley 9 Events 10-11 Hospitality 12 Remembering when... 13 Charity 14 History 15
In this introduction to the Autumn Spotlight magazine, I will highlight some of the projects we have been working on over the last few months. The summer planting scheme in early July was rather later than planned as our supplier had issues with low staffing levels. This was disappointing, however once the hanging baskets and troughs were in place the town looked brighter. Additional watering had to be organised as the temperatures soared. Incongruous as it may seem, at the same time as dealing with summer flowers and the extreme heatwave, we were meeting contractors and getting quotes for our Christmas Lights scheme. The lights are now all ordered so at least we can tick that off the to do list. We are always working on our events programme so our attention can now turn to planning for Halloween and the Christmas extravaganza.
Student safety Other matters that have occupied us during the summer include liaising with staff and students at Rose Bruford College. Concerns had been raised by students who felt unsafe walking through Lamorbey Park late in the evening after rehearsals. We met with council officers from the community safety team and the Design Out Crime Officer from the Metropolitan Police. We now have an action plan in place and hope that some of the simple steps suggested will help give students reassurance as the darker nights draw in. There are some aspects of the plan that will take longer to deliver but we are confident in time they will be. We continue to deal with more mundane issues such as fly tipping and problems caused by irresponsible waste containment. An increase in graffiti around the town centre is a persistent problem which we continue to monitor and rectify as soon as we can. We are looking forward to the opening of the new library and cinema and we have some exciting ideas on how we can best use these facilities. Watch this space!
SIDCUP Spotlight2 ENQUIRIES Sidcup Partners I Elm Parade, Main Road, Sidcup DA14 5NF Tel: 0208 302 Mediahttps://sidcuppartners.co.ukcheryl@sidcuppartners.co.uk4970No.1999PublishedSeptember2022© Benham Publishing PUBLISHER Ian BenhamFletcherPublishing Limited Aintree Building, Aintree Way, Aintree Business Park, Liverpool L9 5AQ Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: admin@benhampublishing.com Web: www.benhampublishing.com FEATURES Karen Hall Tel: 07801 788 880 Email: karen@benhampublishing.com EDITOR David Burrows Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: david@benhampublishing.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Peter Wilkinson Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: peter@benhampublishing.com DISCLAIMER Sidcup Spotlight is published for Sidcup Partners. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in this magazine, Benham Publishing and its agents can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributions in advertising or editorial content. Benham Publishing and its agents cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in web or email links supplied to us.. CONTENTS
The Government has recently deployed Bexley’s own Len Goodman from Strictly Come Dancing fame to help promote its Pension Credit awareness campaign, with an estimated 850,000 pensioners across the UK missing out on £3,300 per year in unclaimed benefits.
My focus remains on helping people and businesses with these challenges, and I am doing all I can to ensure local people are aware of the financial support available to them, especially pensioners who are missing out on benefits such as pension credit for those on lower incomes.
If you are unsure whether you or a friend could be entitled to pension credit or support, please do contact my office for advice. We are in the process of organising a free Older Persons Advice Fair to be held in Sidcup this Autumn.
“The cost-of-living situation is a worry for everyone. We were already facing global economic challenges following the Covid pandemic, but the ongoing war in Ukraine has made many of these challenges much tougher, including the impact of higher energy prices and disruption to food supply.
As we approach what is expected to be a tough winter, linked to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the impact this is having on global energy and food prices, our local MP Louie French highlights in this edition the package of support available to help local people with the cost of living.
VOICE FROM WESTMINSTER SIDCUP Spotlight 3 GLOBAL AND LOCAL ECONOMIC CHALLENGES
There is also a cost-of-living package of support being rolled out for all households in Sidcup from October. At the time of writing, the Government has announced an unprecedented £37 billion package of support, which will see all households receive non-repayable grants of £400 off their energy bills, with additional help for more than 8 million lower income households of £650 and a one-off £300 pensioner cost of living payment to help those receiving Winter Fuel Payments.
On a more positive note, there are many local good news stories to be aware of that you can read more about by subscribing to my monthly newsletter via www.louiefrench.org.
Weuk/newsletterarepleased that Sidcup will soon have its second Post Office branch opening at Sidcup Local Express in late September. This is welcome news and follows many months of lobbying by the BID, Councillors, the late James Brokenshire, and me. I am also pleased to see new businesses opening in Sidcup and like many people in the community, I am excited that Sidcup’s new modern cinema and library will soon open, bringing a further boost to the high street and our community. Those looking for a quieter time can also visit the Sidcup Place Community Garden, which recently received a Green Flag Award thanks to the incredible efforts of local Deliveringvolunteers.forour area will always be my top priority and having already helped secure new trains on the Sidcup line and additional funding for a number of our schools, my number one goal is to deliver further investment in Queen Mary’s Hospital and local health services. After months of hard work, I am pleased that our hospital has been shortlisted as one of the sites looking to establish a new community diagnostics hub, which would bring more frontline services to Sidcup. The decision on the business case will shortly be made by NHS England and we will be keeping everything crossed for a positive outcome!”
However, please note that the levels of financial support might change by the time you are reading this. Again, please do contact my office directly for advice and support.
SIDCUP Spotlight4 NEWS
Back in 1997 Mike Hopley of Crayford Rotary Club took up the Rotary challenge to run a Young Musician of the Year Awards scheme for the Borough of Bexley and asked the Bexley, Erith, Danson and Sidcup clubs to get involved.
2023 THE YOUNGBEXLEYMUSICIAN
It’s as exciting today as it was then and shows the best of local musical talent, enabling young musicians to perform in front of experienced, professional judges who will also provide vital critical analysis of their skills. This exciting project offers a brilliant showcase to talented young musicians in the borough. Long may it continue.
The Awards are one of a series of projects for young people promoted by Rotary up and down the country. This particular event is organised jointly by three of the Rotary clubs in the London Borough of Bexley and culminates in a biennial Awards Concert History of Bexley Young Musician
Andy ChairmanBruceBYMYA Committee OF THE AWARDSYEAR
The first concert was held on the 20 September 1998 at the Rose Theatre, Rose Bruford College, and subsequent events have been staged every two years, switching to the Townley Theatre in 2008. Over 20 years later the Awards continues to be run by Rotarians.
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We hope you have all been enjoying the warm weather. We’ve certainly enjoyed meeting new people and catching up with familiar faces at some of the community events held over the past few months, The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the Emergency Services Roadshow where we teamed up with the London Fore Brigade for a week at various places around the borough and more recently Lark in the Park. It was lovely to be able to join in at Lark in the Park again after the pandemic and this year was particularly good as thanks to Sergeant Catlow liaising with local businesses (Land Rover, Porsche, B&Q, Homebase, Halfords & Bookers to name a few) we were able to secure some nice prizes donated by the businesses for our speed run competition. We hope the lucky winners enjoyed their prizes! The team have been busy making enquiries into a spate of commercial burglaries which occurred in June at several businesses in the High Street and Station Road. We have some good CCTV images of suspects and are hoping it won’t be too long before we can identify the culprit! Unfortunately, with the nice weather this year we have seen an increase in anti-social behaviour. We have been trying to work with local businesses in the High Street to identify members of a particular group responsible for a lot of the anti-social behaviour in the area. We have been successful in identifying some and some have been referred to the local council for breaching the public spaces protection order. We are in the process of trying to progress this further with the more persistent offenders, including two young males who decided to light a fire in the middle of the field at Sidcup Place. Thankfully the fire was put out quickly before it spread. Over the next few weeks, the team will be focusing our attention on our Safer Summer patrols which includes patrolling hotspots suffering from anti-social behaviour and open spaces. We would like to remind everyone, or educate those who are not aware, that Bexley Council has a public spaces protection order in place until October 2024 for which anyone caught behaving in an anti-social manner who is over the age of 18 will be given a £100 fine by the council and anyone under 18 will be referred to the council’s anti-social behaviour department. Persistent offenders will be dealt with by means of a community protection notice or behaviour contract prohibiting them from attending certain areas or engaging in certain behaviour. This is enforceable by both Council and Police.
SUMMER POLICING
Since 2012, Sweet P The Florist has been providing exquisite handmade flower arrangements for all occasions - including weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, christenings, funerals and corporate events.
As a thank you to girls who work at Sweet P, Portia sent them off to the local LAB salon for an hourlong beauty treatment. The treats didn’t stop there after Sweet P closed for the day the staff and friends enjoyed cocktails at Ninety – Six Cocktail bar, followed by a curry at Moghuls. All of which went down a treat.
Portia (the P in Sweet P), wanted to mark the 10-year anniversary in style so invited the public into the shop were celebratory drinks were the order of the day. Lots of regular customers came along to wish Sweet P well and were welcomed with free alcoholic drinks. Many neighbouring businesses popped by to offer congratulations too - including Rich at Resknow who designed Sweet P’s website, Kelly at opticians Wright Eyewear; Ina from the hairdressers Zone, and Sue from the estate agent Your move. The Sweet P shop, located in the heart of the town on Sidcup High Street, was very busy all day. Children and families were all welcome to join the fun with free gift packs including discount vouchers, chocolates, ladybug logo stick ons, a pack of seeds, 150 biscuits, 60 cleansers worth £28, 100 walking balloons for the kids. There was also a kids tombola at 10p a go and everyone won prizes worth between 50p and £5. Commenting on the achievements of the business over the last decade Portia pointed to 10 years of hard graft from a dedicated and happy team.
Sweet P The Florist Visit www.sweetptheflorist.com OFSMELLSWEETSUCCESS FOR FLORISTSIDCUP
SIDCUP Spotlight6 COMMUNITY THE
Portia wanted to mention the constant support from the local undertakers including Udens and Co-op. And Francis Chappell & Sons and FA Albin & Sons. Also monthly contracts from local businesses including, Beadles , Porsche, Sidcup nursing home. Baugh House, BexleyCo Homes, Queensgate apartments and many more.
“We have found our absolute A team. Every day is a good day, and every day is fun, yet professional”.
“Without the support from the public and local businesses, we wouldn’t still be here! It means the world.”
Q The Trolley Wise App works but I suspect not many are aware of the service. What measures are Morrisons taking to let Sidcup residents (not just shoppers) know they can report abandoned trolleys though the App?
A Thank you for the feedback in this area. That is always a tricky one as the coin system was originally taken off due to complaints as they didn’t always have a pound to get one and with less people carrying cash the problem got worse. I will pass this feedback on to Head Office and be in touch. You can contact Ana and Jennifer as below Anashua (Ana) Davies , Secretary Old Bexley & Sidcup Labour Party contact@obslabour.london Jennifer Maguire, Community Champion Morrisons Sidcup Sidcup morrisonsplc.co.uksidcup.champion@
COMMUNITY
A few weeks ago, I was delighted to be introduced to Jennifer Macguire the Sidcup Morrisons Community Champion at the Sidcup Bid AGM and she kindly agreed to answer a few questions for me.
In June 2016, I featured in the Newshopper under the headline ‘Frustrated woman battling with Morrisons to remove abandoned trolleys from Sidcup Streets’. Whilst my family laughed at the ‘frustrated’ tag, it was a bit of an obsession with me because Sidcup is otherwise so well presented. I was spotting abandoned trolleys almost daily in parks, alleyways and in the doorways of flat. Sidcup’s leafy streets are being blighted by these hunks of metal and plastic. Abandoned trolleys are being retrieved from as far away as Sidcup train station and beyond. The only recourse was to call Morrisons Sidcup to have trolleys collected.
A We will ensure we have the Trolley Wise app visible in as many places as we can, i.e. customer service, notice board, trolley bays etc. We will also advertise on our social media platforms
A Residents who cannot access technology can either report them in store to customer service or call the store on 0208 309 4780
SIDCUP Spotlight 7
I now use the Trolley Wise App to upload a photo and a location to report trolleys and since downloading, my effort means there are 72 fewer trolleys on Sidcup streets thus freeing up staff time and saving Morisons money (and customers’ money) in replacing them.
I am a long-time resident of Sidcup and have lived in the Carlton Road area since 2008. It is such a great location, close to our thriving High Street and particularly the Morrisons supermarket. I am enjoying the return to in-store from enforced online shopping during Covid, but I was also hoping to see some changes this year to the way abandoned trolleys are managed.
Morrisons head office were of a view that customers were too inconvenienced when asked to use a coin system. After many conversations between myself, staff, and head office, Morrisons have since commissioned the ‘Trolley Wise’ Man with a Van to collect trolleys that people report.
(Facebook: Morrisons Sidcup Community Champion and Instagram: @morrisonssidcup) and of course we can now advertise it in this magazine which will reach many more residents in our community.
Q The current solution still allows trolleys to be wheeled off site. Wouldn’t it be easier to reintroduce the coin system or a wheel locking system so that trolleys can never be taken or abandoned in the first instance?
Q What about other residents who do not have access to App technology?
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Crew members from the McDonald’s restaurant in Sidcup teamed up with volunteers from the local council to clean up the area. Notable attendees included Louie French MP for Sidcup and Old Bexley, Deputy Mayor Rags Sandhu, Sue Petty BID Chairman/ Director and Cheryl Curr Sidcup Partners BID Manager.
An impressive 30 bags of litter were collected as part of McDonald’s Keep Up the Clean Up campaign, which will see teams of McDonald’s volunteers all around the country take to the streets this year to tackle litter in their local McDonald’scommunities.Operations Manager Kieren Perera who and operates the restaurants in Sidcup, said:
SIDCUP Spotlight8 ENVIRONMENT
MCDONALD’S FORCES WITH LOCAL MP, MAYOR, AND COUNCILLORS TO CLEAN UP SIDCUP
“McDonald’s has been collecting litter in our communities for nearly 40 years and it’s more important than ever we continue in the fight against litter. I’d like to thank my team for giving their time to do their bit for our local community and ensure Sidcup is an enjoyable place to live, work and visit. We are really happy with the difference we made. As a local businessman I appreciate the importance of being a good neighbour and at McDonalds we are committed to improve our local area through our litter events”
McDonald’s is tackling litter in local communities, both by litter picking and reducing the amount of waste its restaurants produce. The brand was the first restaurant company to introduce litter patrols in the UK in 1982, and its franchisees and employees have cleaned up irresponsibly discarded litter dropped in towns and cities across the country for nearly 40 years. Crews across the UK cover a total of 5,000 miles each week on litter patrols, collecting all litter, not just McDonald’s packaging. This equates to 260,000 miles, or the distance from Earth to the Moon
JOIN
It’s been over a decade since the old Blockbusters shop closed, and for 7 years the site sat empty, unused, becoming an eyesore at a prominent location, where everyone coming to Sidcup passes.
Of course having the idea is one thing, turning it into a reality is something different - but as residents can see for themselves, construction work is reaching the end, and in the coming months we will be able to open the doors.
Rather than sitting by and waiting for something to happen, the Council came up with an idea - buy the site, and turn it into a new home for the library and a new cinema.
All regeneration projects take a while to deliver in full, and it is not always plain sailing, especially when the covid pandemic brought everything to a sudden halt. But I won’t forget the enthusiasm that my Cabinet colleagues, Cllrs Linda Bailey and Peter Craske, showed when they first discussed the plans, championing it as a key way to rejuvenate that part of the town, as the impact the cinema will have in attracting people into the town centre in the evening will transform the nighttime economy and bring something new to Sidcup and give the library a high quality home, designed for 2022 and beyond.
We bought the site in 2017, and then the hard work began. Sadly, Linda passed away earlier this year, but I know how proud she was of this project and of all the work to create the BID and the campaign to bring Waitrose to the town which Linda worked hard to bring about.
Cllr BEXLEYBOROUGHTHELEADERO’NEILLTERESAOBE,OFLONDONOF
#MakingBexleyEvenBetter SIDCUP Spotlight 9 LONDON BOROUGH OF BEXLEY
Cllr Craske has been joined by Cllr Cafer Munur as Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Growth and both, as Sidcup residents, believe the cinema will be hugely popular, especially as it will offer something different to the multiplexes nearby, and that the library will flourish in its new home at a pivotal location, showcasing what libraries can offer local people. We have already welcomed over 5,000 new Library members in the last few months, so this number should increase further once the new site opens. This has been a long term project with a long term vision, one that will increase footfall across Sidcup, and it’s one that in years to come people will be able to see what a transformative impact it has had.
Saturday 4th June
We were pleased to recently light the Sidcup beacon for the Queens Jubilee. The event was hosted by The United Serviceman’s Club and it was wonderful to see so many local businesses and the community attend this celebratory event. The beacon was lit by our chairperson Sue Petty and MP Louie French.
Past events
SIDCUP Spotlight10 EVENTS
Thursday 2nd June
We recently celebrated the Queens Jubilee with live entertainment, free activities, arts and crafts and a jubilee trail throughout Sidcup. We received fantastic feedback for the event
THE QUEENS PLATINUM JUBILEE BEACONS
QUEENS JUBILEE FAMILY FUN DAY!
ofDiaryevents For more information on each activity please keep checking our website www.sidcuppartners.co.uk Facebook Twitter and Instagram SIDCUP Spotlight 11 EVENTS HALLOWEEN TRAIL Monday 31st October High Street and Station Road dressing up competition and pumpkin trail. EXTRAVAGANZACHRISTMAS Saturday 26th November EVENTNETWORKINGBUSINESS Recently we held a networking event at Coast Bar & Grill in Sidcup. It was a well-attended evening with local levy payers and businesses attending and was great to be together after postponing previous events due to Covid-19 restrictions. We plan to hold more in the upcoming months. If you have a local business and would like to host a networking event with us, please contact us at hello@sidcuppartners.co.uk
“Sidcup BID has been helpful here in sharing details of what is happening at The Alma, the benefit here is that their social media has an audience with a wider age range, so we are appealing to new people,” Mat says.
The couple pride themselves on excellent service and building a rapport with customers. They insist that creating a soulful, welcoming environment makes all the difference and will help them not only return to the numbers they saw back in 2019 – but exceed them.
The Alma is not short on attractions to bring in new regulars – quiz nights, traditional pie & mash from Manzes, curry nights, vinyl DJ nights, live music at the weekend and a recently trialled karaoke, stand as testimony to this. And if there is a national or local celebration in the diary, you can guarantee the bunting will be out in force!
As Ronnie explains the Alma went from a business that was doing exceptionally well and with no debt; to a pub that, with an exception of a two month rent free period, had to take out a Bounce Back Loan in order to survive. The business also had to make PAYE and NI contributions for staff that were furloughed.
RAISE YOUR GLASSES TO RONNIE AND MAT AT THE ALMA!
And they are grateful from the support from locals and the community in general. Remote quizzes during lockdown helped lift spirits and kept them in touch with regulars; while Sidcup Partners helped Ronnie and Mat apply for grants.
Fortunately, Ronnie and Mat are masters at encouraging people to come out and mingle in their local.
SIDCUP Spotlight12 HOSPITALITY
Imagine you take over the pub you have been a regular in for 13 years. Trade is going well and you have made giant steps in improving the business – and then Covid strikes. You are forced to close the doors for an indefinite period and business grinds to a halt. This is exactly what happened to Ronnie & Mat who run the Alma, the free house in Sidcup. The couple took over the pub in 2018 after having initially said over a few drinks that if the pub ever became available, they would buy it. It did come up for sale and they were as good as their word. Both Ronnie and Mat have a wealth of experience in the hospitality sector; the latter with bars and restaurants; and the former with nightclubs. It is fair to say that they went into the venture with their eyes wide open and a year after taking over things were looking good. The pub which had been quite maleorientated was far more inclusive and was attracting a wider audience. But as Mat explains watching the news in March 2020 as Covid cases soared and being told ‘you are closing from tonight’ was a huge blow. “We’d just had a big (beer) delivery the day before and then we are told you have to close. Beer has a shelf life and we had to dispose of it as the lockdown carried on”. He adds: “It was a tough time, especially as we are a free house and not owned by a big brewery or corporation – it is just us on our own”.
A combination of thepromotionsrecommendationsword-of-mouthandsocialmediaarehelpingtobuildAlma’sburgeoningreputation.
Life after lockdown Lockdown did allow Ronnie and Mat time to completely redesign and replant the pub garden – and the stunning results can be seen on the pub’s website, facebook and Instagram. A bit of redecorating was also carried out when the pub doors were closed so the place was in tip-top shape when the place finally re-opened without restrictions.
Despite the financial challenges, Ronnie insists at no time did they think of packing it in.
“The lengthy documents we were sent to apply for support grants were like War & Peace. A massive thanks goes to Cheryl Curr and Sue Petty at Sidcup BID, they were really helpful in looking into and chasing grants for us,” Ronnie explains. That said, the way in which the grants were apportioned to some businesses was not fair leaving some venues way more out of pocket than others.
So how is business now? “Things are a lot better”, says Mat. “It is great to be open again but we are not back to 2019 levels yet. I think it is due to people being able to go abroad again without restrictions which is negatively affecting local pubs and bars. I think the rising cost of living is also having an impact, with people going out once a week now rather than three times.”
. FAMOUS PEOPLE OF SIDCUP : ROSE BRUFORD AND DOREEN BIRD
Sidcup is the home of not one but two innovative providers of professional training in the performing arts. Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance nestles in the grounds of Lamorbey Park, and Bird College Conservatoire of dance and musical theatre resides in Alma Road. But who were the two women responsible for founding them, Rose Bruford and Doreen Bird? Rose Elizabeth Bruford was born in north London in 1904. She became a teacher of speech and drama. She had little money, but she began preparing to start her own school. From 1950, she rented part of Lamorbey House from Kent Education Committee for £5 annually and this is where her College operated. Rose lived at 79 Burnt Oak Lane and later at 19 Crescent Road. She retired as Principal of the College in 1970 and left a legacy to Sidcup in the highly successful college that bears her name. She died in 1983. Doreen Joan Bird was born in south London in 1928. She moved with her parents to 42 Braundton Avenue, Sidcup. It was in their living room aged just 17 that she first started teaching students. Her School of Dance was based at various premises including Studio House on the corner of Crescent Road/Station Road and an old school in Birkbeck Road. Doreen lived with her American husband, Frank Cook, in Chislehurst. When she retired as Principal in 1998, her college had achieved its place as a centre of excellence. She died in These2004.remarkable women are just two of our ‘Famous People of Sidcup’, a project by Lamorbey and Sidcup Local History Society to celebrate the national achievements and local contributions of people who have lived in our district in the past. You can see the banners on lamp posts in Sidcup High Street and Station Road. Accompanying leaflets can be seen at www.lam-sid-lhs.co.uk
REMEMBERING WHEN… SIDCUP Spotlight 13
SIDCUP Spotlight14
Anger; illustrating how it can cause so much damage and get out of control so responsibilityForgivenessquickly.andpersonalshowinghow, no matter the situation, you have the power to take control Spreading the message nationally What started as one talk in a local school became talks in schools nationally and the charity, which is now known as the Mizen Foundation, was soon up and running.
CHARITY
ACHIEVING POSITIVES OUT OF TRAGEDY
He adds: “People aren’t born troublemakers but there is often correlation to what has happened in their lives. My Dad suggests three questions that they need to ask themselves: ‘Do you matter?’ Are you valued? Are you loved?’
As Danny explains the focus is on early intervention; to communicate with those who have anger issues as well as those who feel threatened and vulnerable.
Dannyunderstanding.Mizen,Jimmy’s older brother, explains how the family realised the best way to improve the society we live in. “After Jimmy’s death in 2008 my parents were asked to speak at a local school about him and the sort of person he was. Their story was not one of retribution but of hope”. Barry and Margaret Mizen, still share Jimmy’s story in schools, pupil referral units, youth groups, churches and businesses. They speak with a gentle and calm demeanour using matter-of-fact language using Jimmy’s story to highlight a number of key issues.
Most of us will remember the tragic death of Jimmy Mizen in 2008, the teenager from south London who lost his life after an unprovoked attack in a local bakery. The story made the national headlines at the time and shocked the country. The Mizen family had to come to terms with the death of 16-yearold Jimmy and they did so without letting feelings of anger and retribution dominate their lives. Instead, they took the view that issues of confrontation and violence in our communities would not be altered by harsher punishment and retributive action but by better communication and
“We often talk to a year group – then follow this with a Q&A. We then stay and make ourselves available for a one-to-one conversation where teenagers can speak individually and confidentially”.
“People open up and speak freely. We talk in prisons too and often people don’t realise that a violent attack didn’t happen on a whim but was building over some time”. Danny argues that in this country authorities tend to be obsessed more with outcomes and longer prison terms rather than early intervention. Longer sentences are handed out and yet violent crime rates increase just the Engagementsame.and communication are what the Mizen Foundation is all about. The charity has worked with local shops to provide ‘safe havens’ where kids can talk to local proprietors and get to know them and build up trust. The charity has introduced the Sparkle Award, a national accolade given to a young person who shows positive values in how they live and conduct themselves – it is not linked at all to academic Andachievement.morerecently the Mizen Foundation set up the Rugby for Change project at Sidcup Rugby Club where Jimmy once played and where Danny coaches. Once again, the onus is on inclusivity, community building and breaking down barriers and prejudices. The charity stages regular events to raise money for the cause and potential fundraisers can contact the foundation at mizenfoundation.org
Consequences of actions; getting young people to think about how they respond to situations.
These issues include bullyingJimmy’s murderer had a history of bullying and anti-social behaviour, escalating as he got older resulting in more and more violent acts
TALES FROM THE TASKFALKLANDSFORCE
SIDCUP Spotlight 15 HISTORY
Peter became an international coach driver after leaving the Navy. He then worked with failing pubs and clubs to help turn them around. Peter and his late wife, whom he sadly lost in 2021, fostered 13 children, many of whom he’s still in touch with. He described Diane his wife his best friend and keeps her memory alive through his Navy family: “There were 174 sailors at my wedding,” he said. As for his Navy service, Peter has few regrets. “It was 11 years of my life that I would do again in an instant. “
HMS Coventry and HMS Sheffield were also sunk by Exocets. “I lost friends on those ships,” he said. “At first, we didn’t know what was going on but our Sea King helicopters were being continually sent out to rescue survivors, so we knew something awful had happened. I found out about my mates through the ship’s daily bulletin, which was read out to us.”
Peter Hucker is president of the Sidcup & Foots Cray United Services Club and vice-president of Sidcup and Foots Cray Royal British Legion. Image by jorono from Pixabay
In 1982 Peter was at Royal Naval Air Service station in Culdrose, Cornwall. Easter had arrived and he was setting off for home when his leave was stopped. The Argentinians had invaded the Falklands and the UK was sending a task force to the south Atlantic.
Peter was sent to HMS Hermes, an aircraft carrier where he and his colleagues had six days to stock the ship with everything it needed. “We frantically stored the ship, 24-hours a day in shifts. Not only were there stores for the crew and ship, we had to take on spares and everything else needed for four squadrons of aircraft.” Hermes was placed inside the exclusion zone around the Falklands set out by the UK. Danger was ever-present and an Exocet missile, meant for Hermes, hit and sank the supply ship Atlantic Conveyor instead.
By David Eckhoff Sidcup & Foots Cray Royal British Legion people who have served in our armed forces. Peter Hucker, Leading Steward, Royal Navy At 17 Peter was working for Black & Edgington, the marquee manufacturer in Edgington Way, Sidcup. He gave it a go but wanted something much more challenging and worthwhile. That something ‘worthwhile’ was joining the Navy, like his grandfather before him. In the Navy With his medical and interviews passed, Peter attended the Navy’s HMS Raleigh training school in Cornwall to become a steward. This role involved looking after catering, pay, stores and administration. But in the Navy, everyone has more than one job, so he also trained to handle fires and to isolate and provide temporary fixes for damaged electrical systems. He then went to Chatham and Portland for further training. “And then I was assigned to my first ship, HMS Ark Royal!” says Peter. “We flew out to join her in Jacksonville, Florida, on her ‘goodbye cruise’ around the world. We sailed to the north of Scotland where Ark Royal’s patron, the Queen Mother, visited us and then we went down to the Mediterranean, visiting 11 countries.”
Peter talks about camaraderie, particularly on his next ship, HMS Blake: “It seems like yesterday, it was such a great atmosphere, and we recreate it the moment we meet up again, even after all these years.”
Falklands
Homeward bound After the Argentinian surrender, it took just over two weeks to get back to Portsmouth. “On reflection, I can’t say I enjoyed being in a combat operation, but I was glad I’d been there.”
(ActingPropertyCommercialLeasesforLandlordsorTenants) Are you looking for a local commercial Property lawyer who can help you with your rent and rent reviews as well as so much more? • Commercial lease covenants (insolvency, disclaimer, surrender and merger) • Authorised guarantee agreements • Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (Part II)Security of tenure • Assignment of commercial property leaseslandlord consent/licence to assign • Standard commercial property conditions • Commercial property standard enquiries Selling and buying existing Commercial premises • Standard commercial property conditions • Commercial property standard enquiries • SDLT considerations • VAT considerations - Option to Tax or transfer of business as a going concern (TOGC) Legacy Check A free review of how to protect your assets. Find out why a Lasting Power of Attorney and a Will can help you sleep better during the night. They are like car insurance you have it but you hope that you will never have to use it. Probate & Wills We pride ourselves on being experts in all things probate. If you want a job done well don’t do it yourself, get a professional to do it. • Probate and tax implications we can handle • Grant of probate • Administration of the estate • All questions and concerns answered ConveyancingResidential • You get a 28 Day exchange new build expert • As little as two weeks for a re-mortgage • Lease extension specialists • Buying or selling a property you will get excellent communication. • A dedicated case manager and their direct dial Why RG • You get a £10 discount on our fees • Over 1400 Trust Pilot reviews • Online and mobile case tracker *Quote LB10 to get your £10 discount Call 0208 269 9901 to claim your discount
