While we admire and support the Christmas campaigns that we see pop up in December, we also know that help is urgently needed all year round, each and every year. As some people pack away after the festive break, we are still here.
Our support is not limited to a food package, but it leaps beyond - we form connections, we listen and respond to everyone who steps through our doors. We open up a warm, safe, environment which aims to feel like a home away from home.
For us to continue to thrive and grow, and keep supporting as many people as possible, we are asking you to become a Friend of Cooking Champions. Even a donation of just £5-10 per month can make a HUGE impact on the lives of those who come through our doors.
Pop to our People's Fundraising page to donate, and we promise to keep you updated with how your support is making a difference. Thank you, we appreciate you! Team Cooking Champions
News, comment and features
Articles are shown in publication date order - most recent first.
Broomfield Conservatory has now reopened to the public. Visiting hours are 2.30 to 4.30 on Wednesdays and Sundays. On Sunday 5th September there will be a sale of house plants to raise funds for the upkeep of the Conservatory.
Sustainable cinema comes to Enfield at the end of the month, when Stow Film Lounge sets up its projectors in three outdoor venues to bring us a timeless Hollywood blockbuster, a classic London comedy and a thoroughly modern British comedy drama. There'll be discounts for people arriving by bike or other environmentallly friendly means.
Haringey Council has published its detailed proposals for three low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), including one in the Bounds Green/Bowes Park area immediately adjacent to Enfield Council's Bowes Primary LTN. The other two both extend between Green Lanes and Tottenham High Road - the Bruce Grove/West Green LTN to the north of West Green Road and the St Ann's LTN to the south of West Green Road
A few weeks ago Francis Sealey of GlobalNet21 and Enfield Voices uploaded an interview with Sarah Cotton about the Palmers Greenery community café in Broomfield Park. The interview is packed with information and ideas and I've picked out just a few of the points. Watching the interview, if you weren't aware of it already, you'll soon realise that, in Sarah's words, the Greenery is 'so much more than a park café'.
If you live on the Lakes Estate or in another local conservation area, you may find yourself uncertain about how the planning system works. The Friends of the Lakes Estate Conservation Area are happy to share the knowledge they've built up and are offering short online courses.
The London Assembly member for Enfield & Haringey is urging Govia Thameslink Railway to restore the frequencies of train services running through Palmers Green to their pre-February 2021 levels sooner than the currently proposed date of May 2022. She is also keen for the train operating company to eventually deliver the full 'turn-up-and-go' service (six trains an hour off-peak) that was promised five years ago.
This news clip from 7th August is one of the clearest expositions yet of how rapidly human-caused climate change is progressing, transforming planet Earth from somewhere where the a large percentage of the human population can live very or fairly comfortably into a hostile environment. Climate scientists have been issuing dire warnings for decades, but even they are shocked at recent weather events, such as those shown here.
In line with the recommendations of the government's National Planning Policy Framework, Enfield Council has drawn up a draft Planning Enforcement Plan, which is currently out for consultation until 17th September. The plan will specify how the council will deal with breaches of planning regulations, developments that do not meet national and local polices, or a failure to comply with enforcement action taken by the council.
This week's newsletter was almost ready to be 'put to bed' when some exciting news arrived, sent by Liz from the Palmers Green Action Team and 'hot from the oven'.
The publication last week of Gear Change: One Year On, along with news of additional funding and updated guidance for local authorities, is a clear sign that the government expects councils to continue introducing new active travel schemes - cycle lanes, low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) and school streets - in order to encourage people to walk and cycle more and drive less. What does this mean for the future of such schemes in Enfield?