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
A senior manager of the parent company behind a new 24-hour slot machine arcade in Palmers Green has has said that he is sure that visitors to the 'entertainment centre' will be as excited as he is about the new venue. However, many local residents are less than enthusiastic about the opening, which followed a widely supported but ultimately unsuccessful campaign for the withdrawal of the arcade's operating licence.
A group comprising parents of children at Hazelwood School and nearby residents are asking the public to sign a petition to Enfield Council in support of the Hazelwood Lane Project, which was launched this week to coincide with Walk to School Week.It proposes major improvements to pavements, road crossings and public spaces between Green Lanes and Hazelwood School, all of which are currently in a very poor state. The objective is to encourage sustainable and active travel, reduce the number of car drop-offs outside the school and make it easier for children to travel to school independently.
The official transport decarbonisation plan - a vital part of the government's climate plan - says that 50 per cent of journeys in towns and cities must be walked or cycled by 2030 - only eight years away. How can we make this big change in our travel habits quickly enough? What can the council and individuals do? An online event run by Better Streets for Enfield will address these questions.
In the run-up to the end of the current consultation phase for the Enfield Local Plan (the deadline is Monday 13th September), the Enfield Society has published its response to Enfield Council's draft document. While welcoming some aspects, the Society completely rejects the idea of housing or other types of development being built on all but a very few small parts of the borough's Green Belt land. Another newly published response, from Enfield Climate Action Forum, voices similar criticisms from a primarily environmental sustainability perspective.
Friends of Firs Farm Wetlands have launched a campaign against a proposal by Enfield Council to build a crematorium on land at Firs Farm where the Friends have been planning to build a community hub.
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
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.
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?