HNCC new official timetable
Our official timetable has been updated with a full list of all events and venues, and is available to download now.
hncp
Free introductory hands-on Art discovery for all
HNCC Reaching Communities Partnership launches its Creative Community Network with St Anne’s Church Highgate, Hargrave Hall, and Kentish Town Community Centre.
Led by the Network Artist In Residence, Angus Anderson. the programme is designed for all whether young or old, rediscovering an interest or exploring something really new a range of art and craft programmes are made available for all across the community. These include Sewing, Woodwork and a range of Visual Art.
But the most important thing is that the sessions really encourage everyone to have a go. There is no such thing as wrong. The only thing that matters is that people are encouraged find ways that suit them to express themselves visually. And the more they do the better they get, and especially the fun in participating in the wider creative community.
As part of our Creative Community Network Hargrave Hall is itself launching its Easter Holiday programme with free introductory classes for all.
Tuesday 9 April
1.30-4.30 Discover Drawing for adults
Come and get a solid basis of principles of drawing; We will get you drawing in an hour’
Wednesday 10 April
1.30-4.30 Discover Painting for adults
have fun with paint, how to use the material, enjoy colour, the 101 uses of a paint brush apart from stirring your tea
Thursday 11 April
10.30 – 12.30 Children’s Arts Holiday Club, for children 6-11 yrs
explore our environment and identity; If I was an animal I would like to be a ……
2.00 – 5.00 – Young People’s Arts Holiday Club, for young people 12 – 19 yrs
Imagine your future in the mural – “In Ten Years Time We Would Like To Be…”
Contact Angus Anderson angusanderson@andersongrounds.com or 07802 316703
Redevelopment going ahead
The Highgate Newtown Community Centre is pleased to announce that funding has been secured and planning approved, allowing our ambitious redevelopment project to proceed.
Friday Art group
Feeling creative? Join our free drop-in art course on Fridays at 1:30pm
Starting 1st Feb 2019 and running until the 5th April each 90 minute session requires no previous experience in the arts and is FREE OF CHARGE!
All adults welcome.
A community of communities
The Highgate Newtown Community Centre is pleased to announced that it has joined the Octopus Community Network.
Formed back in 1999, Octopus is a collaboration between the largest multi-purpose community centres primarily based in Islington.
To find out more visit the Octopus Community Network website.
HNCC Chair update
Robert Aitkin, Chair of the HNCC on the progress of the Bertran Street redevelopment project:
I am delighted to restate the primary purpose of our thriving community centre on the cusp of the exciting redevelopment of our Bertram Street site.
We aim to be a self sufficient community based organisation which provides welcoming, supportive, enriching activities and services within our community, with a special emphasis on young and elderly users.
On 14 February the current plans for redevelopment of the site go before Camden’s Planning Committee. The redevelopment will largely be paid for by Camden’s plan for 41 flats .
HNCC has already decanted to various places locally including Hargrave Hall near Archway for our under 5s service and local churches (United Reformed Church Pond Square Highgate and there are plans for St Anne’s and St Mary’s Dartmouth Park) and Holly Lodge for community lunches and older persons activities, art and shortly also woodwork.
Significant changes have been made to the plans as a result of the various stages in the consultation process. While there remain concerns about a range of issues, including overdevelopment, significant adjustments have been made to take account of some of these concerns. The inclusion of 7 units for Camden Living/social housing, strongly supported by HNCC, is a noteworthy adjustment achieved over the original plans.
The HNCC board are supporting Camden in its planning application as we believe this is a great opportunity to gain a first rate, fit for purpose, facility for the benefit of our community.
This temporarily dispersed operation will have its challenges but is also an opportunity to spread our community offering more widely. Once back in the redeveloped centre, currently planned towards the end of 2020, in addition to the activities planned from the new centre we hope to continue to provide some services also from other sites within the wider community, having gained good experience of this wider community offering during the redevelopment.
Do have a look at the rest of our website for full details of activities we undertake (go to the menu bar top left hand side and click on projects).
As always we are always on the look out for more local volunteers and indeed new trustees to improve further how and what we can offer. If interested in volunteering in relation to older persons services contact Larraine Revah (revah.larraine@outlook.com). Volunteers for other activities should contact the Director Andrew Sanalitro (andrewhncc@outlook.com). Those interested in a trustee role should contact me (rgsaitken@hotmail.com or 07986 836 288).
Robert Aitken
Chair HNCC
Housing Design Awards 2018 Winner
“A central courtyard provides an active and high-quality public space at the heart of the site, maintaining an outdoor focal point for community activity and encouraging interaction of passers-by, residents and community centre users.”
Care has also been taken to reduce impact on existing neighbours by setting back or recessing all private amenity and providing solid balustrade walls. A central courtyard provides an active and high-quality public space at the heart of the site, maintaining an outdoor focal point for community activity and encouraging interaction of passers-by, residents and community centre users. The central courtyard is connected to the north and south by a new public route that was identified through local consultation.
PLANNING HISTORY
The proposals for the site were developed with local planning and conservation officers over a year period. The team was committed to bringing as much of the community along on the journey as possible by designing in an open and responsive manner and feeding back at regular events and in a range of media. This resulted in a high number of design iterations that demonstrated the team had listened to local concerns. The scheme was granted planning consent in June 2017.
Happy 2019
A very Happy New Year to all the Highgate Newtown community and all our supporters.
We wish you all the very best for 2019 as we work together on our new build program launch.
Designs on HNCC redevelopment
We are pleased to announce that Designers Guild have agreed to design our ground floor area. This is a new partnership which will result in the creation of a fabulous hotel standard welcome. The space will also be fitted out by the Designers Guild team. Our redevelopment is on track!
Also note that in the spring a brochure will be produced with both halls timetables, along with brand new sessions for under 5s and 60 plus sessions
CNJ features dementia café
The following article appeared in the 22nd November 2018 issue of the Camden New Journal
Just their cup of tea First dementia café is ‘warm and friendly’
WHAT could be better than a delicious meal washed down with a nice cup of tea while enjoying a natter with friends?
Users and volunteers at the Dementia Café, launched this week at Highgate Newtown Community Centre, agree that such a recipe is a winner. They packed the Bertram Street centre on Tuesday to enjoy £2.50 lunches and a host of activities.
The café is the brainchild of Labour councillor Larraine Revah, who works at the centre. Her 90-year-old mother Sonia Greenwald is a regular visitor, and her experiences prompted Larraine to set up the café.
“My mum has dementia and she was really quite bored being at home all day,” Cllr Revah said. “She felt fed up because she found it hard to get out and about. She comes to the centre, does some art, joins in a quiz, has a sing-song. “We wanted to take this a step further and set up the first dementia café in Camden. We are going to have museums coming in to host memory sessions, and lots of arts and crafts and games – all over a nice cup of tea.”
Older people’s champion, Labour councillor Pat Callaghan, added: “We hope this will be the first of many. We hope people come from right across Camden to join us every week.”
Eddie Caveney brought his mother Jean, 90, to the café after reading about it in the New Journal. “You can just turn up and there is no need to pay anything. It is nice to come out with my mum to a place that feels warm and friendly.”
The Photograph features Highgate Councillor Anna Wright and Celia Mitchell