Stem4 launch new app ‘Clear Fear’

stem4, the award winning teenage mental health charity has launched their new app Clear Fear aimed to help children and young people manage anxiety. It is available to download free from the App Store and Google Play.  Clear Fear joins the stem4 Calm Harm app, which has been downloaded nearly 900,000 times worldwide to date and continues to receive excellent reviews on the App Store and Google Play, currently rated 4.5/5 on both.  It has also won many prestigious awards and has met the standards required to be included in the NHS Digital Apps Library and has been featured in the London Design Museum.

Clear Fear provides a range of ways to help children and young people manage anxiety and is recommended for young people aged 11-19 but can be used by a younger group with the support of a parent or carer.  Developed by the CEO and founder of stem4, Dr Nihara Krause, who is a renowned clinical psychologist, with feedback from young people, Clear Fear uses a Cognitive Behavioural framework to help change anxious thoughts and emotions, alter anxious behaviour and calm fear responses. Anxiety is a natural response to fear, threat and apprehension.  However when anxiety is extreme or goes on for a long time, or the response to a threat is disproportionately large and affects a person negatively, it may become an anxiety disorder.  Anxiety disorders are the most common form of emotional disorder and respond very well to psychological treatment. Clear Fear is an aid to treatment but does not replace face-to-face assessment and intervention by a mental health professional.

stem4 is grateful for the Tech for Good Grant from Comic Relief and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation as well as several fundraisers who have supported the development of Clear Fear.

stem4 is a Wimbledon based, award winning charity that supports teenage mental health through mental health promotion, provides evidence based mental health education, builds resilience, enhances motivation to change and signposts to early intervention. stem4 focuses on commonly occurring mental health issues in teenagers including eating disorders, anxiety, depression, self-harm and addiction. stem4 works with students, parents and teachers in secondary schools as well as health professionals including GPs and school nurses through their conferences programme and Head-Ed, their digitally delivered workshops suitable for PHSE in schools and is included in the Royal College of GP toolkit.

For information please visit www.stem4.org.uk the new Clear Fear website www.clearfear.co.uk.

Local Plan for Merton – FAQ

Local Plan for Merton – FAQ

Wimbledon Town Centre key documents

01 What is a local Plan?

  • It is created by the Borough Council (Merton)
  • It is a development plan and is part of the governments planning system
  • It sets out the strategic planning framework for 15 years in Merton
  • It covers subjects such as new homes, healthy streets, transport, air quality, climate change, retail, office and industrial development
  • Once adopted it supersedes all planning documents

 

02 Why should we care?

The plans consultation closes on January 28 2019. A public enquiry should happen in Winter 2019 and adoption of the strategy in 2020. THE OUTPUTS FROM THE DOCUMENT WILL BE IN PLACE FOR FIFTEEN YEARS.

The plan sets out a vision, strategy and a lot of planning detail.

The aim for Wimbledon Town Centre is:

To ensure Wimbledon continues to be a thriving destination for businesses, local residents and visitors. The policy N3.6 outlines the detail including site specific information  (if you are a BID business, this is the one to read) and the ten points that have come through Future Wimbledon workshops.

 

03 What are the visions / aims?

Vision for Wimbledon Town Centre:

By 2036 The overall quality of Wimbledon town centre will more closely match the attractive residential areas that surround it.

2040s. A plan for the future of over-station development, greater access across the tracks, public space at the heart of Wimbledon Bridge and the future of Dundonald Yards will be implemented

 

Vision for all town centres in Merton (including Wimbledon)

Town Centres Document is here at the end of the Economy document.
Sections of importance:

Tc7.6 – Location and scale of development in Merton’s town centres and neighbourhood parades

Tc7.7 – Protection of shopping facilities within designated shopping frontages

Tc7.10 – Food and drink / leisure / entertainment uses

Tc7.11 – Culture, arts and tourism development

 

04 What are the overall borough objectives?

These can be found within Merton Councils document ‘Strategic Vision and Objectives’, but top line they are:

1 Healthy Places

To make Merton a healthier place for all.

2 Place

To promote a high quality urban and suburban environment in Merton where development is well designed and contributes to the function and character of the borough.

3 Housing

To provide new homes and infrastructure within Merton’s town centres and residential areas, through physical regeneration and effective use of space.

4 Environment

To make Merton an exemplary borough in mitigating and adapting to climate change, reducing pollution, developing a low carbon economy, consuming fewer resources and using them more effectively.

5 Infrastructure

To make Merton a well-connected and accessible place where walking, cycling and public transport are the modes of choice when planning all journeys.

6 Economy (this document is particularly useful for BID businesses)

To make Merton, a prosperous borough, with a strong, sustainable and thriving economy.

 

05 How do I comment?

You can email or write to Merton Council, quoting the policy or site number that you are commenting on:

Email: future.merton@merton.gov.uk

Post: FutureMerton team

London Borough of Merton

London Road

Morden SM4 5DX

 

All the documents are on Merton’s website HERE if you would like to read anything in more detail.

Wimbledon Pub in Parliamentary Spotlight

The Alexandra, Wimbledon is starting the New Year in pride of place as the regional winner and national finalist in the inaugural Parliamentary Pub of the Year competition, which sees the overall champion announced on 15th January at the House of Commons, Westminster.

Launched in the summer of 2018 by Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Pub Group, Toby Perkins, MP, the competition seeks to recognise the important role pubs play in British life and the value they add to the local communities and local economy.

Following nomination by their local MP, each pub had to submit a short video portraying the character of the pub (watch The Alexandra’s video) and their engagement with their customers and local community. Videos were then viewed by a panel of judges and regional finalists selected, with the overall winner being revealed on the night of the 15th.

The Alexandra has become well known within its community for the work it does to help relieve loneliness over Christmas with free Christmas dinners for those on their own and throughout the year with their Meet Up Monday events.  Licensee Mick Dore said: “We bring together so many people from within our community who feel isolated or lonely, forging friendships and a sense of belonging,  with our pub being the real hub of our community.”

Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Pub Group, Toby Perkins, MP, said: “We are thrilled at the quality of entries for the inaugural Parliamentary Pub of the Year competition. The 14 finalists’ video entries show the diverse range of pubs out there, and I know that it will be incredibly difficult to choose the winners from these entries.

“Pubs play a crucial and much-loved role in our daily life and the enthusiasm that MPs have shown in promoting the claim of their locals to this title shows the pride that our communities take in our pubs.

“We look forward to saluting all our finalists on the 15th and crowning our champion.”

The finalists include:

East Midlands              Chesterfield Arms, Chesterfield

East                                Kings Arms, South West Norfolk

London                          Alexandra, Wimbledon

North East                     Stapylton Arms, Easington

North West                   Kash 22, Weaver Vale (Runner up: Victoria, Bury)

Scotland                        The Brass and Granite, Kilmarnoch (Runner up: The Criterion, North East Fife)

South East                     The Crown, Hastings

South West                   The Westbrook, Devizes

Wales                             The Four Elms, Cardiff (Runner up: Fat Boar, Wrexham)

West Midlands             The Robin Hood, Willenhall

Yorks                              The Grayston Unity, Halifax

 

The 14 finalists were picked from over 100 nominations made from MP’s across the country.

Follow the competition on @ParliPubOTY.

To all at The Alexandra, best of luck for the announcement on 15 January, we will have our fingers and toes crossed for you.

Villeroy & Boch Opens in Centre Court

A warm Wimbledon welcome to Villeroy & Boch who have opened their new store in Centre Court Shopping Centre.

Villeroy & Boch is a stylish and elegant tableware brand with a longstanding heritage. Born over 270 years ago in Germany, we are proud of our high quality porcelain, crystal and stainless steel accessories which makes every meal a special occasion and every special occasion an exceptional experience.

‘We are very excited to open our brand new store in the heart of Wimbledon and to continue to serve our customers with our implacable, high standard service. We are welcoming our guests with special discount, up to 50% off from recommended retail prices and a fully stocked store, including our very special Christmas range.’

 

Find them on the Upper Mall, Unit 225.

 

Old £5 note to be withdrawn from circulation on 5 May

The old paper £5 note will be withdrawn from circulation on Friday 5 May 2017.

The only £5 note that will be legal tender after this date is the new polymer £5 featuring Sir Winston Churchill, which was introduced in September 2016. After 5 May old paper £5 notes will need to be exchanged at the Bank of England in person or by post.

Read the Guidance for Retailers regarding the new £5 note.

For more information please visit the Bank of England.

New Wimbledon Theatre revitalised with recent renovations

New Wimbeldon Theatre has always been a welcoming venue and the management team are always looking to enhance the patron experience.

On and off since August 2016 the in house team have been meticulously attending to the plasterwork and paint in the main foyer, installing new directional signage and carrying out refurbishment works to the foyer bar.  The foyer bar is the first area all patrons to the venue see and in May the works will be completed with a total rebuild of the main bar serving area.  The bar will be open post-show for patrons to continue their evening’s entertainment.

The Studio Theatre, accessed by a small door off The Broadway is undergoing a complete refurbishment.  New seating, carpets, paintwork, signage and a digital cinema with Dolby surround sound will present live broadcast theatre experiences from around the world, and be available for private hire experiences. The studio theatre bar will be overhauled in the summer to incorporate a new, intimate gallery space.

New Wimbledon Theatre currently hosts a Lunchtime Choir, and runs topical workshops throughout the year including the upcoming Shakespeare in a Day: Macbeth and Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoe Workshop during the Easter holidays.

Gina Conway celebrating Earth Month this April

To celebrate Earth Month in April, staff at Gina Conway in Wimbledon will be fundraising for WaterAid and the Global Greengrants Fund.

They will volunteer their time, offering haircuts and facials for just £50 and blowdries for £30 including a free Earth Month candle. They will also be holding a cake sale and a mufti day raffle with prizes donated by local businesses. The salon’s Assistant Manager, Dom will be shaving off his beard.

Staff will also be taking part in a static bike ride to India, aiming to cover 4,500 miles and Gina Conway herself will be taking part in the London 100 bike ride this summer as part of the WaterAid team.

Keep up to date with their progress via our Twitter and Facebook feeds.

Time & Leisure Food & Drink Awards 2017

Now in their seventh year, the Time & Leisure Food & Drinks Awards (FADAs) are firmly established as one of the most important annual events for the food and drink industry in south London and North Surrey.

The awards celebrate the high quality and diversity of local restaurants, pubs, cafés and retailers and are all ‘people’s choice’ awards, which ensure the winners are chosen independently by the public. So if you want to celebrate, support or thank your favourite place, do so by voting and help them make the winners’ list.

Restaurants, bars, cafés, delis, producers and suppliers of all shapes and sizes can enter themselves or be nominated across 12 categories open to public vote, listed below. Any member of the public is entitled to one vote in each category.

Best Family Friendly Restaurant
Best Cocktail Venue
Best Wine Retailer
Best Service
Best Coffee/Tea House
Best Food Retailer
Best Pub
Best Takeaway/Delivery
Best Newcomer
Best Eating Experience – Wimbledon Town Centre
Local Restaurant of the Year
Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year

Voting is open NOW and will close at midnight on Wednesday 19 July. For more information please visit Time & Leisure Food & Drink Awards 2017.

Dementia Friendly Merton

A new campaign has been launched calling on residents and businesses to help make Merton a Dementia Friendly borough by 2020. It is estimated that more than 2,000 people are likely to be living with dementia in Merton by that time.

Dementia Friendly Merton is supported by Merton Council, Merton Clinical Commissioning Group and the Alzheimer’s Society. Love Wimbledon is encouraging Wimbledon businesses and organisations to get involved and learn more about how to help people with dementia in Wimbledon Town Centre. Those interested in getting involved should email Love Wimbledon’s Chief Executive, Helen Clark Bell: helencb@lovewimbledon.org

Merton residents can also sign up for a free 45-minute training course, which promotes understanding of dementia and the small ways which can make a difference to people with dementia. For more information on Dementia Friendly Merton, please visit the Merton Council website.

BAFTA for Curzon’s Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema

The Curzon Group has been awarded this year’s BAFTA for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema.

Dame Pippa Harris, chair of Bafta’s Film Committee, said: “I am thrilled that Bafta is honouring Curzon with the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award. For over 80 years, Curzon has provided the British public with unforgettable cinema experiences, while championing independent, art house and foreign language film-making. I would like to thank everyone at Curzon for their extraordinary contribution to our industry, and for their unwavering commitment to bringing the very best in film to audiences across the UK.”

Philip Knatchbull, Curzon’s chief executive, said he was “delighted” at the award.

“Curzon has a long and proud history in the British film industry and many talented and passionate people have contributed to its success story over the years. We think of ourselves as champions of bold and visionary film-making from around the world supported by our growing network of cinemas and home cinema digital platforms.”

Founded by Harold Wingate, Curzon’s first cinema opened in Mayfair in 1934. The Group imported unknown films during the post-war period and evolved successfully over the ensuing decades,  meeting the changing demands of audiences and the challenges of a dynamic film industry. Curzon is known as a place to discover other worlds and cultures and to see from a different perspective, with films that spark conversations and provoke reflection.

HMV Curzon Wimbledon is at 23 The Broadway, SW19 1RE. Click here to see their current screenings.