The police's Safer Neighbourhoods Team for Blackheath now have an email address they'd like you to use if you want to contact them:

Blackheath.SNT@Met.Police.Uk

There will be a meeting of the Blackheath Safer Neighbourhood panel tomorrow evening.  The substantive agenda items will be:

You've got until tomorrow to vote for Grounwork in GMTV's People's Millions.  Of course you don't have to but if you do then Lewisham will get some of the £1.5 million being given out by the Big Lottery Fund.

Groundwork's bid is around a Safe & Sound initiative which would:

help make people feel better about where they live by providing new outdoor facilities in areas where they are lacking and making it possible through a process that helps young and old understand and appreciate each other's point of view.

In Lewisham this would particularly benefit Downham and Bellingham.  The Groundwork website has this to say:

Over the last few years this part of South East London has benefited from the creation of a number of community gardens.  However, many of these facilities are basic and remain locked due to the threat of anti-social behaviour.  Groundwork will help local young people plan and carry out improvements with residents as well as introducing new features such as artworks.

So, go on, don't delay, give Groundwork your vote and help improve community spaces in part of our borough!

Just for the avoidance of doubt I am a Director of Groundwork South East London.

I'm pleased to be able to say that I am a candidate for the local elections on 4th May. 

I'll be standing with Rachael Maskell and Gavin Moore.  Here's a bit more background about them:

Rachael works for a trades union, where she leads campaigns for charity workers - pursuading the government and employers to provide better conditions for people who work in the third sector.

When she's not doing that she runs a kids' club through her church, and provides family support and she tells me is learning sign language.

Gavin has been a Blackheath councillor for nearly twenty years, ensuring residents have received a fair hearing from Lewisham Council.  He is currently the Deputy Mayor.

He previously worked as a housing researcher and a cost of living analyst, before spending ten years as a manager supporting schools for children with special needs. Gavin is married with a two year old son.

As for me; I've worked for charities for the last 6 years, and am currently managing a national project on drug education for children and young people.  I've lived in Lewisham since 1994, when I moved here to live with my partner.  We now have two children; both boys! 

You can find out more about the pledges we're making in the election and what we stand for at our website.

The Blackheath and Greenwich Branch of the United Nations Association is organizing a hustings meeting on Wednesday 26th April, in the run up to the local Council elections on  Thursday May 4th.  The meeting will start at 8.00 pm, and end at around 9.30 pm.  

Neville Grant, who is organising the meeting, says:

It is a  tradition for our branch to organize these hustings meetings, as we are keen to  support the democratic process. In the past the meetings  have been well-advertised, very successful, well-attended, and good-humored.  The venue will be Age Exchange's Old Bakehouse Theatre in Blackheath Village, Bennett Park (opposite Blackheath Station).