Culture Strategy - have your say!
We want to hear your thoughts and ideas on culture in the Borough to help inform the new Culture Strategy. The Culture Strategy Project Team will have a stand at the summer festivals and would like to invite you to pop along to let them know what you think.
» More on the Culture strategy and how you can have your say
Free swimming for under 16s and over 60s
London Borough of Waltham Forest will offer free swimming at its leisure centres for all children and young people 16 and under and all over 60s from 1 April 2009.
» More on free swimming
Panathlon Challenge success
A team from Waltham Forest is celebrating after winning the North London Panathlon Challenge competition.
The Panathlon Challenge is a sporting event for children aged 10-18 with severe learning difficulties. Teams compete in five events: boccia, table cricket, polybat, kurling and athletics.
The Waltham Forest team included pupils from the borough’s four special schools; Brookfield House, Joseph Clarke, Whitefield and William Morris.
The team competed against four other London boroughs at the event, which was held on 19 March.
The team will now progress to the London Panathlon Final, which will be held at Westway Sports Centre in West London on Thursday 25 June.
It is the second time that Waltham Forest’s team has reached the London final, and they are hoping to improve on last year’s third place.
Congratulations to everyone who took part and achieved such a fantastic result.
William Morris Gallery receives heritage lottery funding
Waltham Forest Council has successfully bid for Heritage Lottery Funding (HLF) to help further develop the William Morris Gallery.
The HLF grant process takes place over two stages. Organisations can bid for first stage funding to develop a project and then proceed to a second stage bid for funding to deliver the actual project. The Council applied for £80,000 first stage funding in November 2008.
The HLF funding will contribute to total project development costs of £289,000, to help develop a proposal to make the gallery more accessible, build an extension to house an education and exhibition space and provide high quality visitor facilities.
The developments would enable the gallery to attract a more diverse audience, help accommodate school and group visits and further develop its programme of heritage-based workshops and events.
The Council will apply for £1.32 million second stage funding in spring 2010.
Cllr Geraldine Reardon, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Arts and Culture said:
“Being awarded Heritage Lottery Funding is good news for the William Morris Gallery.
"The Council wants to improve the gallery and its collection, and to increase the number of people who visit it every year.
"Any changes made to the gallery thanks to HLF funding would compliment the work we have already done to improve the learning and outreach programme, and develop the exhibitions and activities programme.
"Extending the gallery will allow us to attract more visitors, and ensure many more generations of people can enjoy the groundbreaking work of William Morris in his home borough."
Opening hours for the William Morris Gallery and Vestry House Museum
William Morris Gallery is open Wednesday-Sunday 10am-5pm. Admission is free.
Pre booked groups and school visits also welcome on Tuesdays.
Vestry House Museum is open Wednesday-Sunday 10am-5pm. Admission is free.
Pre booked groups and school visits also welcome on Tuesdays.
The Beckham trail
David Beckham was born on 2 May 1975 at Whipps Cross Hospital and lived as a young boy in a terraced house in nearby Leytonstone, E10. To find out more, follow the Beckham trail.
» More on the Beckham trail