A Family Classified section in SF?

[sfhyouthforum]

As someone who works with youth but is not a parent, a town cafe is more democratic. Why can't we keep a cafe and have an extra family section? Is it a space issue?

[poppy]

Considering over 1300 people have viewed this thread since it began is enough to prove a Family section would be a good idea!

Yes, some people haven't voted but not everyone can be bothered to - look at the general election turnouts!

Come on Admin, listen to the people of Sydenham (someone has to), their fingers, if nothing else, have done the talking.

[hazy]

do families really need to become a sub-section? are we not part of the community?

[admin]

I ran the poll run to see how much support there would be for 'Town Creche'. The result is awkward. Sufficient to show support for such a sub-forum but probably insufficient to support the turnover of posts to make it attractive.

Hence I think the best way forward is to re-word the description of this sub-forum to make it more family-centric and be a little more active in moving some other posts to Town Pub & Town Hall.

Underlying this is my bias to keep the number of sub-forums to a minimum. So wherever you go there are plenty of new recent posts to read. Having too many sub-forums makes for dead areas or ones just inhabited by two or three posters.

Maria (et al) would you be unhappy if I went ahead with this re-profiling?

Admin

[BingBong]

The Families magazine and website are a good start for local info (http://www.familiesse.co.uk) - paper magazine available from the library & Kirkdale Bookshop (free). For example, here's their listing of Halloween events for our little darlings: http://bit.ly/vNYetT. They've got local firework listings too.

[KM]

Hello Admin
Re-profiling...do you mean calling the Town Cafe something else then?
Thanks
Kate

[admin]

The current profile is: Friendly chat, questions, reviews, find old friends, ancestors or anything else related to Sydenham

I was thinking along the lines of something like: Family discussion and resources for the young and old in Sydenham

I'm sure someone can come up with something better. Whether we continue to call it Town Cafe or change to Town Creche is secondary. But again I would appreciate any input.

Admin

[Duncan491]

Sounds like a good idea. I have seen the Dulwich family room; it is popular, informative and well used. Sydenham would benefit from a similar section.

[Mazzer]

I am getting desperate for somewhere I can get advice and tips and reviews on family-related stuff in Sydenham. I've lived here for two months now, I'm pregnant and have a 2-year-old daughter. I am struggling with working out which GP is good for kids/pregnancy etc, I am really struggling with finding local drop-in playgroups etc and child/baby friendly cafes, I'd love to know about classes for pregnant women, and nobody (GPs I mean) seems to be able to tell me how I should be getting in touch with a health visitor in the area. I've posted before stating my support but right now I'd LOVE a specific area on this forum where I can explore other parent's tips etc. Every day I think "I bet there's some really good stuff going on/great places I could be going that I just don't know about". In the past I've even been active in very lively forums which are solely about cloth nappy advice/swaps/buying/selling, even that sort of thing could be discussed in a family section.

I agree that if there is a specific area it should be opened up for all family issues - older people, adolescents, schools info etc so maybe 'creche' isn't the right term. I'm no expert on how this should be designed but Admin - I'm sure you know how best this could be done.

Thanks!

[KM]

Worth giving it a try...!

[KM]

Every day I think "I bet there's some really good stuff going on/great places I could be going that I just don't know about":D

/...which is why I think changing this forum /re-profiling is a great idea!

I'm back at work full time now so I unfortunately don't use any playgroups etc in the week now, but I'm sure your 2 year old would love the 1 o'clock club in Crystal Palace Park; everyday - look it up on Bromley's website, painting, dressing up, games and outdoor space - it's by the St John Ambulance site at the junction of Sydenham Ave. It's £3.80 I think a session, which I begrudge paying, (that's Bromley for you) but it's a nice place and lots of sydenham parents use it.
Have you tried looking on Lewisham's website for Surestart activities? You may have to ring if you can't find it. Mind you, lots were axed over the summer so they might not publish a list anymore - more the reason the share the knowledge.
Soft Play at Rascals in Bellingham and the Buzz Zone in Beckenham.
NCT is a good place to search for playgroups too - there is something in Penge I think.

AND...NCT sale TOMORROW - Crofton Park; http://www.se23.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4509

Kate

[NatashaM]

Mazzer,

Off the top of my head these are the things for mums and toddlers in Sydenham/Forest Hill:

Monday 9.30 - 11.30 NCT playgroup (term time only) at the Forest Hill Methodist Church & Centre, Normanton Street, SE23 2DS, (off Perry Vale.) £2

Tuesday morning - Rhyme Time at Forest Hill library - 10 - 10.30 Free

Wednesday term time only - 10-11.30 Baby Gym (soft play stuff) at Sydenham Hill Community Hall - £1

Thursday 10.30 storytime at Sydenham Library (free) or there's also a parent/toddler singing group and stay and play session at Eliot Bank children's centre - 50p also another Rhyme Time at the library from 2 - 2.30

Thursday PM at Eliot Bank they have Messy Play but not sure what time.

Friday 1.30 - 3.30 toddler group at the Grove Centre (bottom end of Jew's walk) think it is about 75p

Also the One O'clock Club at Crystal Palace park is open every week day for a morning and an afternoon session. I think it costs £4.70 for a child over one (under ones are free). http://www.bromleymytime.org.uk/buzz-on ... -club.html

The Horniman Museum has free storytime on Wednesday and Friday - there are three sessions 10.30, 11.15 and 12.00. For the first two sessions you need to get there at 10 and queue for a free ticket and for the midday session you need to queue from 11.

[Maria]

Admin: any objection to call it Town Community and actually add it as a new section of the Forum - rather than scrapping Cafe altogether? This would give it a higher profile as well as avoid curbing so many useful threads currently included in the cafe, do you think?

I have by now "visited" a lot of south London Forums and am most impressed with the clarity and neatness of ours; one more section would not make the board too cumbersome, don't you think? If this is going to take off, then I feel it needs to stand out: I still think that in time it will prove vastly successful in Sydenham. I talk to a lot of local women (parents/carers) and am disappointed to hear so many say they never visit the forum as it has nothing to offer them... who knows, perhaps the added advantage of such an extension would be to attract loads of people who would end up enriching our Forum in general.

I rather like to way you are proposing to describe it, by the way. Short, clear, and succint. Cannot fail (says she hopefully). Many thanks

[Mazzer]

Thanks so much Kate and Natasha for your very informative messages, it will keep us busy working our way through those groups! Your posts were well timed because I went along to the sing-a-long group at Sydenham Library on Tuesday morning which was a pretty depressing experience so I was beginning to lose hope. Plenty more to check out now though . x

[fanillier]

Hi Maria!

We met today at Kelvin Grove's messy play. I thought I'd check this forum out whilst the boys are asleep (crashed as soon as we got back haha) and lo and behold it is accessible (very easily, kudos admin!!) From my mobile.

Anyhow, a subsection in the town cafe is not going to do any harm so just give it a go and if it dive bombs just take it off. It's only the internet and coded pixels yeah!

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Annie]

I only read the Town Hall - The Town Cafe and the wanted sections Don't have the time to read the rest,adding other items to the Town Cafe will make it time consuming to flick through,I'd rather you had your own seperate section personally.

[poppy]

Maria, there are also some good toddler groups on the Penge/Beckenham/Sydenham borders:

St John's Church, every Monday, from 9.30 to 11.30am. Junction of St John's and Penge High Street, just behind Penge East Station. About £1.

Holy Trinity Church, Lennard Road, I think is on a Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon.

Christ Central, junction of Parish Lane and Green Lane, is every Wednesday I think from 9.30/10am.

Every other Thursday morning from about 10am, Venner Road (Central Sydenham) Community Centre. Baby and toddler singing group. You would have to turn up one Thursday and see if it is on unfortunately and keep up with the dates from then. £1 or £1.50.

Crystal Palace Sports Centre has lots of quite reasonably priced swimming lessons for toddlers throughout the day and is a lovely building, with great teachers.

Hope this helps a bit.

[Mazzer]

Oooh that's some brilliant info, particularly as I'm just a few minutes from Venner Road, St John's Church and Holy Trinity Church. Fantastic, thanks!

[poppy]

I also know a really good pregnancy yoga teacher who used to run brilliant classes at Holy Trinity Church, Lennard Road.

If you are interested PM me and I will send you her email address.

P

[Mazzer]

Thanks Poppy - I saw a different post recommending the same classes I think and I'm starting this week! x