York Gardens Library
Something special is happening at York Gardens Library. Each Saturday from 10am more than a dozen teenagers from the local estates receive free one-on-one tuition to help with their GCSE Maths and English.
This support is provided by volunteers – and it makes a real difference. “The free tutoring came at just the right time and helped me pass the subjects I was struggling in,” says local teenager Una. Her mother was delighted that Una could go on to a good college after tutoring improved her Maths grade to a C.
This fantastic scheme is just what we hoped for when a community campaign saved York Gardens Library from closure last year.
Last week there was more good news: Lloyds Banking Group’s Community Fund awarded £5,000 to the Library, following a public vote.
Unfortunately, just a few yards away from the library the scene is grim. What was the local Adventure Playground is now a muddy pile of wooden poles.
Local parents opposed Wandsworth’s decision to demolish the playground, and their children have plenty to say too:
- “Stop ruining children’s fun” says Sophia, age 13.
- “This is my favourite playground by far and I have loved it ever since I was a kid”, says Lily, age 14.
- “Booo! Jerks!” says Ariane, age 11.
More diggers will soon be on York Gardens: Thames Water looks set to insist on three years of disruptive work to build their 9m-wide ‘Super Sewer’ shaft right between the library and the playground. This will mean a peak of 10 trucks a day driving within a few yards of the library’s Community Centre, which is used by the pensioners of the wonderful Lavender Bridge Club.
So our Library faces a turbulent few years, but we can all help. To continue running it must earn £75,000 a year in rental bookings. Please consider the library’s four rooms (capacity from 4 up to 75) if you are planning a birthday or wedding, or if a local club needs a new home.
York Gardens Library and Community Centre will stay open as long as there are people willing to support it.
The scene of destruction at York Gardens Adventure Playground, Saturday October 6
Simon Hogg blogs 
I presume you have seen the super-sewer coverage in the Observer on 10-11 Nov? It’s a financial scam designed to drain one thing: our wallets. There is another way which has been demonstrated to work in enlightened cities such as Philadelphia, Chicago, Hamburg with others such as New York and Dublin following suit. Green Infrastructure would also mitigate a raft of other critical issues associated with rainwater (this is what the sewer is really about) such as floods and drought; both clear and present issues. You can read much more about in on our website (below).
Please consider signing the petition: http://bit.ly/stopSS