Well Done to the Healthy Streets Everyday Car Free Day School Mural Competition Winners!

27th September 2021 / Posted by Fiona Coull

Well done to Cayley Primary School, William Tyndale Primary School and Middle Park Primary School for winning CRP’s Healthy Streets Everyday Car Free Day (CFD) School Mural Competition!

This year to support CFD 2021, CRP’s Healthy Streets Everyday Programme held a School Mural competition to raise awareness and engage school children on the topics of air pollution and active travel. Winners were announced on Wednesday 22nd September via CRP’s Instagram!

As part of the competition, pupils were asked to design a mural based on the question “What do you think a future with clean air looks like?”. This included:

  • Walking, cycling and scooting to school
  • Streets without cars
  • Tree planting and nature
  • Using renewable energy sources
  • Links between air pollution and health

Schools had the chance to win £5k of funding to create a mural, helping to incorporate more art into our streets and support local artists that have been particularly impacted
by the pandemic.

We had over 150 mural submissions as part of the competition, however the winning school murals were designed by:

Congratulations to our winners and well done to everyone who entered the competition – it was great to see so many brilliant entries!

For further information about the HSE Programme, please contact CRP Project Manager Fiona Coull.

Cross River Partnership Board Meeting

27th September 2021 / Posted by Susannah Wilks

CRP’s next twice-yearly Board meeting will take place online on Thursday 30th September 2021, 10am. We look forward to welcoming all of our public, private and voluntary sector CRP partners there!

We would like to thank outgoing CRP Board Co-Chair Wendy Hyde for all of her work supporting the partnership over the last five years. We will also be welcoming the City of London Corporation’s Keith Bottomley as the incoming CRP Board Co-Chair, alongside our Co-Chair Simon Pitkeathley of Camden Town Unlimited and Euston Town BID.

CRP will be asking the Board to approve all of the expenditure and outputs delivered with partners over the last six months, following all of our accountable body Westminster City Council’s procedures.

We will also be seeking Board approval to submit a £1,000,000 collaborative funding bid to Defra’s latest Air Quality grant, building on the success of CRP’s Clean Air Villages 4 programme.

For further information, please contact CRP’s Director Susannah Wilks.

This week’s Lunchtime Launch Event. Climate Effects: The Benefits of Greening

27th September 2021 / Posted by CRP Team

Join us from 1:15pm – 2:00pm, Thursday 30th September, for the ninth Lunchtime Launch event in the series, Climate Effects: The Benefits of Greening.

The aim of this session is to equip you with further knowledge of climate adaptation and its effects, as well as share CRP’s new report which look towards a greener future for London, including case study examples.

Sign up here!

CRP Project Manager Fiona Coull will be presenting CRP’s brand-new guidance document “Greening Out the Grey”: The value of Green Infrastructure for People and Places, launched as part of the Mayor of London-funded Healthy Streets Everyday programme. Greening can contribute to healthier, more pleasant streets, whilst also providing significant environmental, social, economic and cultural benefits at a relatively low cost.

We will also be joined by Lauren Racusin, Bloomberg Associates, who is presenting on a series of London-wide climate risk maps created with the Greater London Authority (GLA) to analyse climate exposure and vulnerability across Greater London. Ben Connor, Greater London Authority, will be presenting on the Grow Back Greener Fund and how the GLA prioritise projects that are in areas of the city with poor access to open space, and high climate risk, especially where these are also areas of deprivation.

The main learning points from this session include:

  • How mapping in London can present areas most susceptible to the effects of climate change, and how these areas are related to demographics
  • The benefits and importance of greening in cities
  • How London-based organisations can combat climate issues through public realm interventions

For more information, please contact CRP Communications Project Manager Rachael Aldridge.

International Youth Day

17th August 2021 / Posted by Susannah Wilks

The United Nations’ International Youth Day was on 12th August 2021.

In the words of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres: “Young people are on the frontlines of the struggle to build a better future for all. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the dire need for the kind of transformational change they seek – and young people must be full partners in that effort.” 

Here at CRP, we’re doing our own bit and supporting young people in schools to create their own mural designs on how they would like their local streets to look and feel. Get involved! 

For more mural information please visit CRP’s Instagram and Twitter accounts. We look forward to receiving your submissions!

For further information about CRP’s Mayor’s Air Quality-Funded Healthy Streets Everyday Mural Competition, please contact CRP Project Manager Fiona Coull.

Shop Local this month

17th August 2021 / Posted by Susannah Wilks

This month we’re reminded of the government’s #ShopLocalWeek promotional campaign that took place in August last year. During and since, many of CRP’s Business Improvement District (BID) partners have spearhead amazing interventions to support local High Streets.

In the words of Mike Cherry, the National Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses“It’s vital now more than ever that we do what we can to support our local small businesses. The past few months have been among the most difficult that businesses have ever had and as we slowly reopen, the public can help by supporting their local businesses. Whether it’s your local grocer, decorators or florist, they all need the support of their communities in order to survive this crisis and thrive.” 

Many of CRP’s Business Improvement District (BID) partners are spearheading amazing interventions to support local High Streets.

CRP worked with them recently to produce a Town Centre Futures report, funded by Transport for London, that made recommendations on how Town Centres and High Streets can take action to grow financially, sustainably and in-tune with local community needs.

Check out the environmental sustainability credentials of businesses in your local area using CRP’s Clean Air Villages Directory, funded by central government department Defra.

CRP is also supporting local retail outlets via Click Collect Clean Air. Put in your postcode to find shops local to your house where you can pick up delivery parcels, free of charge! You might pick up one or two extras from the shop while you’re there, plus the exercise you get walking there will mean less local miles driven by vans.

For any further communications support on #ShopLocal, please contact CRP Project Officer Rachael Aldridge.

What are your favourite stretches of the Thames Path?

17th August 2021 / Posted by CRP Team

Thames Path Partnership are looking for a few words and a photo of any of the areas of the Thames Path that you would like to share with a wider audience. This could be a favourite section or one you feel passionate about!

These will be included on the Thames Path National Trail history page and on Twitter and Facebook throughout the year under #ThamesPath25, for the 25th anniversary of the inauguration of the Thames Path National Trail, which was opened at the Thames Barrier on 24th July 1996.

Get snapping your favourite parts of the river today!

Recommendations for Building Back Stronger

17th August 2021 / Posted by Susannah Wilks

The British Chambers of Commerce have released a new report – Rebuild: Recommendations for Building Back Stronger. The recommendations cover opportunities for businesses to make a strong recovery from the pandemic, as well as tackle long-standing issues such as skills shortages, rising costs, and the climate emergency.

The top line recommendations are:

  • Manage the virus response in a way that helps businesses survive and thrive
  • Economic health and investment
  • Build an ambitious global trade strategy
  • Skills for the jobs of today and tomorrow
  • Invest in the places where we live, work, study and play

CRP’s own Town Centre Futures report, released in March 2021, complements the recovery recommendations outlined above, to support businesses and communities in building back better.

Shepherd’s Bush goes Electric!

17th August 2021 / Posted by CRP Team

Are you located in Shepherd’s Bush? Interested in using an electric van for your businesses pickups and deliveries?

Help your business save costs and reduce emissions whilst contributing to better air quality. The free shared electric van is available this summer in collaboration with London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, Zipcar and CRP!

For more information on the scheme, please contact CRP Senior Project Officer Laura Jacklin.

Free Deliveries in Northbank!

17th August 2021 / Posted by Fiona Coull

As part of CRP’s Clean Air Village 3 and 4 Programmes, the Northbank BID is offering a FREE cargo bike courier service to enable businesses to carry out zero emission deliveries. Not only is this better for the environment, it also saves businesses time and money, improves customer satisfaction and takes vehicles off the road helping to reduce congestion.

Any business that delivers within 5 miles of the Northbank BID can sign up for the service, which is available Monday to Friday from 9am to 7pm and Saturday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm. Bookings need to be arranged 24 hours in advance and any goods being delivered need to be less than 120kg to fit into the cargo bike.

The cargo bike service, which is provided by ecofleet, was showcased as part of Westminster City Council’s Clean Air Day activities in June. Councillor Heather Acton (pictured with the cargo-bike) said “We are making it easier for residents and visitors to choose sustainable transport options, taking action to improve the air that we all breathe, and working together to achieve our carbon neutral ambitions.

If you’re interested in learning more or would like to use the free cargo bike delivery service, sign up here.

For more information, please contact CRP Project Manager Fiona Coull.

CRP’s Spotlight On: Vauxhall One

17th August 2021 / Posted by CRP Team

Vauxhall One is the Business Improvement District (BID) for Vauxhall, established by local businesses to improve Vauxhall as a place to live, work and visit. With only two weeks left in August, we spoke to the BID about their exciting upcoming events for summer 2021.

Today is our final Summer Screen and we’ve kept the best till last. Grab a ticket to watch Black Panther and celebrate what’s been a cracking 4 weeks of free cinema in Vauxhall! And how good was Bearpit Karaoke on Saturday 14th August? Probably the best one yet, right? Our next event is just around the corner and tickets are flying – book now to avoid disappointment!

On Saturday 21st August, join us for what’s shaping up to be a gorgeous day as we celebrate the incredible talent our community has to offer. Vauxhall Variety takes inspiration from the lockdown street concerts on Richborne Terrace but on a larger stage in the Pleasure Gardens! Catch Neon Performing Arts, Boury Academy, The Brixton Chamber Orchestra, Real Voices and plenty more!

Or if you’re looking for a different way to spend your bank holiday weekend, why not take you and yours to our Victorian funfair, Victorian Vauxhall, happening in the original home of fun, Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. Discover circus acts, live music from Ze Trio and The Lollipops and a Victorian Fortune Teller.

Remember our Art in the Arches is still live so go and check out the incredible work featured by some of the UK’s leading graphic artists!

#LoveDifferent #LoveVauxhall