Neighbourhood news, features, and comment
On Thursday night 22-year-old Mo Maynard cycled through London for 12 hours from 8pm until 8am Friday, raised money for charity, and created a piece of digital art at the same time. Mo Maynard pausing on one of the Thames bridges during her overnight cycle ride. As she rode through the streets her cycle computer …
The Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Centre, which will be closing in June, was a product of its time and was one of several community advice centres being established across Camden and other inner London boroughs in the 1970s. The opportunity arose as a result of funding provided by the Home Office to tackle inner city problems. This …
Continue reading "The life and changing times of the Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Centre"
The Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Centre will close its doors in June for the last time after five decades of delivering a housing and welfare advice service and numerous community projects from the Tottenham Street building. Camden Council, which owns the site and needs to carry out repairs and plans to redevelop the listed Georgian building, has …
Continue reading "The final days of Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Centre"
A Fitzrovia pub is hosting an all day comedy medley this Saturday with performers raising money for a cancer charity. "We will have 42 comedians -- no one famous I'm afraid -- from the London open mic scene performing over eight hours," says Jack Wheeler who is organising the event. "We have eight one hour …
Continue reading "All day comedy at Fitzrovia pub in aid of cancer charity"
A small charity serving free food and handing out warm clothing for the homeless and those living in poverty has seen an increase in demand for its service this winter but is struggling to cover its own running costs. The Soup Kitchen at the rear of the American International Church in Tottenham Court Road is open for two hours, five …
The Fitzrovia Community Centre in Foley Street is to reopen this autumn under a new name after a rethink by staff and trustees who want to bring more appeal to the building. Funded by Camden Council and with income from room hire the Fitzrovia Community Centre was opened in 2012 by Sarah Hayward, the leader …
Community groups in Fitzrovia have again won a share of grants offered by one of the neighbourhood's largest and most active property developers. In an announcement last week Derwent London made grants totalling £66,230 shared among six charities to deliver local community projects and raise its profile of corporate responsibility in the face of local criticism. The …
Continue reading "FTSE 250 property developer raises its profile of corporate responsibility"
Fitzrovia Festival 2015 opens tonight with an exhibition and a silent auction of artworks created as part of a series of community development projects spanning more than 20 years. The handmade quilts, wall hangings, panels and decorative textile craftworks will be on display at the Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Centre in Tottenham Street. All the items were made …
Continue reading "Fitzrovia Festival 2015 opens with art exhibition and silent auction"
This summer the Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Association (FNA) is celebrating 40 years since opening the Neighbourhood Centre, with an exhibition, sale of art and craftwork, and historical talks and walks. Despite its proud history and valued services the FNA faces a difficult time competing for grant funding as the community faces threats from over-development and spiralling …
Young people brightened up Warren Street and Whitfield Street today with plants and flowers as part of a community planting day, aided by some corporate sponsorship. Local charity Fitzrovia Youth in Action (FYA) were awarded a £1,000 grant from the Mayor’s Fund for London and the Santander Foundation which enabled them to bring local residents and …
Continue reading "Fitzrovia youth join neighbours in greening the streets"
Plans by a local charity to create a new youth club for hundreds of young people were given a boost this month with a £100,000 grant. Fitzrovia Youth in Action (FYA) were awarded the money by LandAid, the property industry charity. In making the grant LandAid recognised the need to fund youth activities because, despite the neighbourhood …
Continue reading "Local charity is awarded £100,000 towards new youth club"
A short film has been released describing the organisation and activities that led up to the Community Christmas Dinner at the Indian YMCA in December. Made by the On Road Films project at Fitzrovia Youth in Action the short documentary is presented by Eden Steenkamp. Steenkamp visits the Surma Community Centre in Robert Street, Regent's …
Continue reading "Film tells story behind Community Christmas Dinner 2014"
A London charity, The Food Chain, is looking for office workers in Fitzrovia to support their new initiative to help people living with HIV in London. They recently launched the Spring Office Picnic campaign, which runs during March until the end of May 2014. Paul from The Food Chain told Fitzrovia News: "We’re asking London businesses to hold …
Continue reading "Office picnics to support Londoners living with HIV"
By News Reporters This time of year always shows up the division between those who have plenty and people in need. There are a number of charities in Fitzrovia working to help people to have better lives and provide relief for the poor. We pick three charities you may like to make a donation to …
Continue reading "Three charities to give to this festive season"
By News Reporters Local traders MPL Maintenance had a busy coffee morning at their shop in Goodge Place in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Across the UK on Friday 27 September people took part in what is dubbed the "world's biggest coffee morning". James from MPL in Goodge Place said they had lots of people come …
Continue reading "Coffee, cakes and plumbing at Goodge Place"
By News Reporters Derwent London has named the Fitzrovia community organisations who will be recipients of a package of grant aid. The announcement in August came shortly before CEO John Burns announced their interim results and described the company's timetable for delivering a number of major development projects in Fitzrovia. Fitzrovia Community Centre in Foley …
Continue reading "Derwent London names grant recipients and announces major projects timetable"
By News Reporters Something must have pricked Derwent London's corporate conscience, for the real estate investment trust have announced a financial package of £250,000 towards community projects in Fitzrovia, an area where they hold a large amount of property. The announcement this week comes ahead of the start of one of their most controversial construction …
Encounter: Artbox London Spring 2013 Exhibition By News Reporters Nati Gallery in Warren Street is hosting an exhibition and sale of works by artists with learning difficulties on Tuesday 14 May. The artists are supported by the charity Artbox London. Encounter promises to be an evening of fun and laughter with art inspired by the two …
Continue reading "Artists with learning disabilities exhibit at Fitzrovia gallery"
By News Reporters Fitzrovia has a thriving voluntary sector but it is threatened by a lack of new people to continue the work of an increasingly older generation of volunteers, cuts to funding, rising costs, and a town hall that considers residents a nuisance, according to some of the speakers at an event on Monday …
By News Reporters The construction firm building Fitzroy Place on Mortimer Street has teamed up with a local charity to provide Christmas hampers for pensioners living in Fitzrovia. Sir Robert McAlpine has paid for 150 hampers which are being distributed by the Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Association to elderly residents. The hampers contain a selection of basic groceries …
