Working together to make West Ealing a better place for residents, businesses and visitors.
1.30pm today and the shelves at Luckhurst’s are almost empty. I managed to buy a couple more items for the freezer. A sad day for all us regular shoppers at Tony’s but we look forward to welcoming you back in a brand new shop in the autumn (fingers crossed there’s no slippage in building the new shop)
I dropped in just after noon for the official opening of this new charity shop in West Ealing and it was jam packed with people looking, buying and enjoying the free food for the launch. The dressing of the shop window, its design, lay out and feel make it a cut above the average charity shop. A lot of thought and effort has gone in to making it look and feel like a good quality commercial retail shop. It has two main offers – a picture framing service and good quality second hand clothes.
The shop is near the traffic lights at the Eccleston Road junction and is run by Accession, a local social enterprise, and one of its aims is to ‘offer skills training and employment pathways into the mainstream job market, supporting the economically inactive and marginalised parts of the population for whom traditional employment training programmes and routes into work may not have succeeded. Prominent amongst this group are people with severe learning difficulties, people with enduring mental health needs and people on the autistic spectrum. Accession will also work with long term unemployed people from outside these groups.’
On this showing, this Community Shop will be a very welcome addition to West Ealing and help attract more shoppers to this end of the high street.
When you’re getting ready for bed this coming Saturday night (8 June), spare a thought for 25 hardy cyclists pedalling through the night to raise funds for an Ealing-based development charity.
Uganda Development Services (UDS) is sending a team to take part in Nightrider, an annual overnight charity bike ride around the streets of London. The 100-kilometre route takes in the sights, including Piccadilly Circus, Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf. There are also a couple of challenging hills .. at Alexandra Palace to the north and Crystal Palace in the south.
UDS, based in The Lido, Mattock Lane, works to alleviate poverty in rural Uganda. It runs an education and training centre to provide local people with literacy and computer skills. It also offers farmers training in agricultural techniques, and supplies villagers with smokeless ovens and water tanks. Last year, with 17 riders, UDS managed to raise £20,000 towards its work. This year, with a team of 25, they’re aiming for £30,000.
If you’d like to give, you can sponsor one of the riders here: http://www.justgiving.com/HelenPNightrider2013
The good news is her employer matches your donations pound-for-pound.
If you’d like to cheer the team on, they’ll be setting off from Crystal Palace at 10.30pm on Saturday and returning around dawn on Sunday.
UDS is also taking part this year in Nightrider Paris, overnight 21-22 September, and still has some places available if you fancy a night-time ride around the City of Light to raise some money for a worthwhile cause.
Up near the junction with Eccleston Road this long-closed shop has been brought back to life as a community shop by a local social enterprise which works with marginalised long-term unemployed people. The shop is run by the social enterprise Accession and aims to give people the skills to help them gain employment. The shop will sell various quality donated goods, offer a picture framing service and more.
The launch is on Saturday 8th June from 12-2pm
The event will feature:
– fabulous fashion show
– local DJs
– customising clothes workshop
– children’s story telling
– yummy food & drink
– opportunity to browse the collections & shop
We hope to see you there to celebrate the opening of Accession’s second Community Shop!
St James Avenue neighbours are having a yard sale on their drive ways on Saturday 8th June, 9 am – 1pm. Lots of bargains to be picked up including children’s bikes, pushchairs, baby equipment, toys, and more. Portion of proceeds will be donated to charity. Please stop by our street and have a browse.
The weather was near almost summery and everyone semed to enjoy the first ever Big Picnic event in Dean Gardens. It may all have been a bit last minute but that didn’t matter. We had live music, circus skills acts and magic for children. Thanks to everyone who helped make it happen and I’m sure we’ll do it again next year and build on what was a very successful first such venture. Watch a very short video here
Watch out for our details of this year’s Family Day where we’re planning to have a food and music festival in Dean Gardens in addition to activities in St James Ave, Melbourne Ave and Leeland Road. It’s all due to happen on Saturday 21st September.
‘The Wish Tree’ where everyone was invited to leave their wish for what they want for West Ealing.