Furzedown Community Network (FCN) Chair’s Report of 2021
This report covers the events and activities the FCN carried out during our second covid year. We again didn’t hold any face-to-face meetings and continued to hold our monthly committee meetings via Zoom.
Events
We ran events that were covid compliant with the government guidelines issued at the time.
We hosted the following events for our community;
Garden Time (Apr) – Henrietta Ogbonna gave a very insightful presentation on gardens, plants, flowers followed by an Q&A.
Cook along (Apr) – Ranji (tootingmama) hosted a cookery session whereby those attending learnt how to make a vegetarian Sri Lanka Curry in under 30 mins
Meeting with local Councillors (May) – online event chaired by Sarah Forester (FCN): there was a very useful discussion with our Councillors of various issues for Furzedown residents.
Scoot, walk and run – 3 May & 7 Nov 2021
We ran this event twice during 2021 – May and Nov around the same route. We handed out medals again. The May event was better supported than Nov. This is a great family friendly event which was covid friendly. A great way to raise awareness of the FCN within the community.
Yard Sales Map on FCN Website – 19 June & 11 December 2021
To help our community promote their own yard sales, we put a map on our website of those households who wanted to be part of the yard sales. We did this in June and December 2021.
Jazz on the Lawn (JOTL) – Sun 5 September 2021
In September 2021 (covid restrictions had been eased) we managed to have a face-to-face event and welcomed the South London Jazz Orchestra back to Streatham Park Bowling Club on a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon. The event was well supported by the community and the bowls club made us very welcome as usual.
Christmas Tree Light switch on and Carols – Weds 8 December 2021
A welcome return of the school choirs (Furzedown and Goldfinch Primary schools) and the Great Gustos for our Christmas tree light switch on event (Mitcham Lane/Thrale Road junction) on Weds 8 Dec. The choirs were all in fine voice and sang a fantastic array of carols. The FCN were delighted to sponsor the tree and OASIS also supported the event, which was broadcast live on Riverside Radio. The Mayor was in attendance to switch the lights on. The Living room acted as the fir cone decorating point, which was very popular with families and the Mayor who popped along and decorated a fir cone. St. Alban’s Church provided hot chocolate and mince pies.
We have supported the following groups and local activities in 2021:
In April, we funded the publication and printing of the booklet on the Furzedown Tree Trail produced by Caroline Holden of ‘1,000 Trees for Furzedown’. The booklet is a very interesting trail around Furzedown and the range of trees to be seen.
In May we donated towards the cost of a Covid memorial bench which is sited in the garden of discovery (Welham road/Penwortham Road), a lovely tribute to all those members of our community who lost their lives to Covid. The unveiling ceremony took place on Sun 5 Sept.
In Aug we provided hoodies for the Furzedown Outreach workers who work under Paul Rook Furzedown Youth Outreach and Youth Club leader. The hoodies easily identify the outreach workers as they go around our community helping our young people.
In August we made a donation to Lyndsay Hart, who maintains the excellent display of flowers on the Furzedown Drive roundabout, as a contribution to the costs of flowers and plants.
In July and Aug we provided the funding for a children’s entertainer as part of summer and winter activities* for the families and their children on the Faylands estate. *The winter event postponed due to covid.
In Dec we supported the Gift from Furzedown Christmas Stocking Appeal, who provided 250 Christmas stockings to the 3 local primary schools, 30 gifts for children at Faylands Family centre and 10 goody bags for the Furzedown Project (Moyser Road).
On behalf of the FCN, I would like to thank everyone involved in the activities mentioned above. It was our pleasure to support them.
Chatgroup
We currently have 1100 members. Many thanks to Suzanne and Vijay for being the moderators (and whose contribution was recognised in the Long Service Awards – see below). There has been plenty of discussion this year again.
Website/Social Media
David, who sadly is stepping down from the committee this year, has done an excellent job with keeping the website up to date and promoting our events again. He has also maintained our FB page as well.
Lynn our instagram guru and Steffi our Twitter guru. Thanks to you both for ensuring the FCN stays relevant and is using the social media to best effects to promote ourselves and our activities – who knows TikTok next?
During 2021 we had over 7000 visitors to the website, nearly a 1000 FB hits and 801 Instagram followers.
Membership
Many thanks to Angie who has done a sterling job as membership secretary. We currently have 165 members of which 59 of those are Life members.
Long Service Awards
During the year we (FCN) invited Furzedown to nominate people who have lived in the area over a period of time and made a valuable contribution to the Furzedown Community over the years.
We were very pleased to make Long Service Awards to all 16 people nominated. These are:
- Adrian Fisher
- Audrey Silkin
- Beryl Richards
- Caroline Holden
- Denise Broad
- Di Berry
- Jacquie Dredge
- John Farebrother
- Rev Professor June Boyce-Tillman
- Linda Lewis
- Rev Marc Richeux
- Roger Wates
- Sarah Armstrong
- Sarah Forester
- Suzanne Ellis
- Vijay Bhuchar
Congratulations and many thanks to each of these people for their contributions to the Furzedown community over the years! We have presented them with framed certificates, and with life membership of FCN. More information about the contribution they have made is at our website at furzedown.net/About/Local Community Awards.
Alongside, and as part of, these Long Service Awards, we also made a posthumous award to Colette Murnaghan, an artist, very active in the community, who sadly died in March.
I would like to thank the outgoing Committee members who have served the FCN and our community well over the last 12 months. It’s been my privilege to work with you all and you will be missed.
David Andrew – Committee member since 2013 with responsible for the website and Facebook
Sue Clarke – Committee member since 2010 who has been vice chair of the FCN
Tim Kahn – Committee member and founding member of the FCN since 2001, who has held a variety of roles over the course of the last 20 years.
Dawn Thomas
Chair, Furzedown Community Network