EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT TO ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
20 JANUARY 2003

1. This report covers the period from November 2001 until January 2003. From May 2002 Marcus Beale was Chairman of the Executive Committee, until May 2002 the Chairman was Peter Davis.

2. Public forums during the period have included:
2nd Nov 2001 - transport - part privatisation of London Underground
26th Nov 2001 - urban design - Nelson hospital workshop
5th Feb 2002- crime - Islamaphobia
15th Feb 2002 - transport - tramlink triumph
5th Mar 2002 - education - sixth form schools vs college
21st Mar 2002 - health - young people's health
14th May 2002 - crime - prisons today
24th May 2002 - transport - great car conundrum
13th Jun 2002 - health - dealing with an emergency
18th Jun 2002 - education - roles & responsibilities
21st Jun 2002 - urban design - public space
5th Sep 2002 - urban design - the london plan
2nd Oct 2002 - education - faith schools
11th Oct 2002 - what next for the district line?
7th Nov 2002 - health - mental health care
21st Nov 2002 - crime - burglary
29 - 30th Nov 2002 - urban design - Atkinson Morley planning for real

3. In addition to these public meetings, we have held regular meetings with the local authority, and supported a number of local initiatives including Griffiths Road community centre proposals, Raynes Park community trust, Nelson hospital reference group.

4. There have been a number of changes to the WCF during this time.

4.1. A new constitution was adopted in May 2002, creating a governing council, which is the policy making body of the forum with representation from residents associations, and other representative groups.

4.2. The Executive is a smaller committee, task based, responsible for ensuring the continuation of the forum activity, and the maintenance of the website and bulletins.

4.3. In August 2002 we moved offices to share with the Merton Chamber of Commerce.

4.4. In December 2002 our newly designed web site was launched, which is now attracting an average of 150 page requests per day.

4.5. In July 2002 Louise Rawlins stepped down as forum manager. We would like to express our thanks to her and Roz Blanchard for the hard work they put in to managing the forum at this early stage in our development. John Ellison has stepped down from the Executive Committee, and our special thanks to him for the effective media work and production of the bulletin. Other members of our group who have left include John Nelson Jones of the football task force, and Gene Saunders from LB Merton. Peter Davis has stepped down as Chairman and we owe a great debt of gratitude to him for the time and energy he has put into the forum in its formative years.

4.6. Welcome to Helen Clark Bell who was appointed the new manager in September 2002, and started in post in January 2003. Also welcome to Richard Martin, newly elected chair of the Governing Council and to Ken Wilshire on the Executive.

5. Our key tasks in the coming year are:

Expansion of the youth forum. Promote and support youth forums, schools citizenship courses, education and business links. Work with existing initiatives, agencies and individuals, help coordinate and focus the work. Support young peoples own initiatives.
Community participation in local government. Promote and support local area forums and business forums. Work with the local authority in promoting regional forums. Harness the creative involvement of local people in decision-making.
Regular forums on transport, health, crime, education, and urban design. Build on the programme of forums, 3 per year for each forum (we have found this more successful than quarterly.) Let the forums learn from each other and establish good practice. We have added urban design to our core forums.
Communications. Develop and improve the forum's busy web site at www.wimbledoncivicforum.org.uk publish results quickly and communicate on matters of community concern, openly and transparently. Explore the new possibilities of local democracy that e-communications makes possible and develop good practice. Continue to communicate in print, building on the bulletin series, and local media, speaking for all sectors of the community.

5.1. Regarding the youth forum - hot news following a meeting today with James Edleston from Timebank. In March/April Timebank will be launching their first scheme outside of their pilot and wanted to do this in West London. As a result of our meeting James is going to look at launching it in Wimbledon and we will be communicating about how we can best assist each other in our endeavours.

6. Finally, thanks to all the friends and volunteers who make the forum possible, keep supporting your forum and let us know the issues that matter to you so that we can make a difference. Future events include:

Friday 24th January 2003, Transport forum - Ken's plan - more chaos all round?
6.30 - 8.00 pm st. Mark's community hall, St. Mark's place/Compton Road SW19.

Sunday 26th January 2003, Holocaust Memorial day, Dundonald Park, Dundonald Road at 3pm.

Thursday 6th February 2003, Wimbledon Local Area Forum,
7.45- 9.15 pm. Olympic House (next to YMCA), 196 The Broadway, Wimbledon, SW19. A chance to meet councillors and council officers and discuss topical issues for the area. Chaired by leader of LB Merton council, Andrew Judge.

Wednesday 12th March 2003, Business Forum - Civic Pride.
6.30 to 8.00 pm. Drake House. How we can bring together the energies of local businesses to re-create a successful community for all. Led by Paul Windsor, of Windsor Stebbings Marsh, co-sponsored by Merton Chamber of Commerce and Kingston and Merton Education Business Partnership. Chaired by MP for Wimbledon, Roger Casale.

Monday 17 March, Atkinson Morley - planning for real
8.00-9.30 pm. King's College school, dining hall. Speakers include Tony Drakeford and Richard Millward on the natural and historic aspects of the site, Ged Lawrenson and Chris Mountford from LB Merton, and students from University of Kingston landscape, media, and urban studies units displaying their work with the community.

Tuesday 18th March 2003 'string of pearls' workshop - the Nelson Hospital.
6.30 to 8.00 pm. Rutlish school. Watery Lane SW20. Within 500 metres of the hospital redevelopment are Wimbledon School of Art, Rutlish School (whose art department became WSA), Wimbledon Chase School, and the John Innes Park - home of compost and genetics. Bringing together local institutions and community organisations for regeneration around the hospital redevelopment.

Thursday 27th March 2003 Licensing Forum.
6.30 -8.00 pm, St. Mark's church. St. Mark's Place SW19. The government's controversial new licensing proposals raise a number of issues for the community - about drinking and also live music and entertainment. Have your say in a meeting whose results will be fed back to the government.

Marcus Beale
20 January 2003

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