Agenda item

• Centre of excellence – Older people’s centre; Ray Boyce, Head Of Older People Services

• Citizens’ Advice Bureau service in Surrey Docks

The chair made the following announcements:

• Attendance Monitoring Forms – The chair informed the meeting that community engagement officers were collecting information to check how well the attendance at community councils reflected the local community. He encouraged people to fill in the forms.

• Annual Resident Satisfaction Survey – the council was currently conducting its 2012 Tenant and Leaseholder Satisfaction survey and sending out questionnaires to over 15,000 residents across the borough. The information would be used to improve council services to leaseholders. For further information, contact Brian Kasule on 020 7525 0863 or at brian.kasule@southwark.gov.uk.

• Community Restoration Fund (CRF) – Supporting Young People: In this one-off fund, the same amount was set aside for each ward, which for the Bermondsey & Rotherhithe community council area amounted to £26,190. It was designed to restore local community pride following the disturbances last August, and to deliver longer-term solutions to support business and young people in Southwark. The youth community council would make recommendations to the cabinet member for Children's Services, who would make the formal decision about funding. 

The chair went on to announce the following other events:

• Sunday 11 November at 11am – Annual Remembrance Services at West Lane and at the old Southwark Town Hall on Walworth Road.

• Tuesday 13 November at 2.30pm - HRH Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex will be visiting Kings Stairs Gardens to unveil the Diamond Jubilee inscription on the Jubilee Stone. All welcome.

• Friday 23 November to Sunday 25 November - Scandinavian Christmas Fair in Albion Street

At this point, Councillor Mark Gettleson joined the meeting.

Sally Causer, Development Manager at Southwark Citizens’ Advice Bureau (CAB),informed the meeting that outreach advice sessions by the CAB had started at the Canada Water Library every Wednesday from 10am to 12noon. There was also a special advice session around energy and fuel bills on 24 October 2012 from 11am to 3pm. Another event for council leaseholders would be held in Camberwell on 7 November 2012 in the evening. This event would provide advice around leaseholder and major repairs charges and other leasehold related issues. More information would be sent out with the council’s quarterly service charge statements.

Ray Boyce, Head of Older People Services, informed the meeting that a consultation was underway looking at the council’s provision of day services for people with dementia. There were currently two day centres - in Southwark Park and Dulwich - both of which did not meet the needs of service users and their carers. The council was looking into launching a new service in a centre of excellence. Ray offered to send more information to any residents who left their contact details with the Constitutional Officer.

Claire Sexton, from London Bubble, told the meeting about the “Docks to Desktops” intergenerational project. The project included collecting local people’s stories about working in the factories and docks which had previously been in the area. The stories would be made into a performance piece. She encouraged people to submit their stories or pictures, or to volunteer for interviewing, transcribing and researching.  Responding to a question from the floor, Claire said that the stories and pictures collated would be archived and displayed on a website, as this was part of the stipulations by one of the funders, the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Gary Glover informed the meeting that the Alfred Salter statue project was progressing well, that a website was up and running. People would also be able to pledge money on a ‘JustGiving’ webpage soon. The money raised in this way would be matched by Southwark council. He said the project was going to work with the artist who had made the original statues. The group would also be meeting on Sunday 13 Jan 2013 4pm at St Peter’s, Paradise Street to discuss options.