This month, BBC Radio 4 created a radio portrait of Sybil Phoenix, the first Black woman to receive an MBE, in 1972, and a key figure in the Black community in London during challenging times.
Sybil is mentor, colleague and friend to our CEO and Founder Yvonne Field OBE. They worked closely together for several years as the co-chairs of the ‘Friends of Marsha Phoenix’ – the fundraising arm of The Marsha Phoenix Memorial Trust.
You can listen to Sybil’s incredible story here.
The Wake by Khaleb Brooks will be London’s new Memorial to Victims of Transatlantic Slavery. Announced on the UNESCO International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, the new memorial will feature a nearly seven-metre-high bronze cowrie shell. Cowrie shells hold cultural and spiritual significance, but became a stark symbol of slavery and the exploitation of human life as currency. The Wake acknowledges that dark past but also reclaims the cowrie shell as a symbol of resilience, creating a space for contemplation and reflection.
You can read more about the memorial piece here.
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London has announced the return of Winter Wishes, a free and accessible experience for charities, hospitals and underserved schools.
Taking place on Wednesday 27st November, the event will once again close its doors to the public and offer 6,000 guests the opportunity to enjoy free entry to 100+ rides, and attractions at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland with a reduced capacity and in a lower sensory environment. The event programming will include a free 1pm performance of Zippos Christmas Circus, which will have an expanded seating area for wheelchair users, as well as the chance to meet Father Christmas in Santa’s Grotto and enjoy surprise entertainment throughout the day. A dedicated customer service team will be on hand to assist throughout the event, with trained access champions available to any Winter Wishes guests. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
The ISDN Switch Off may seem complicated, but it’s simpler than you think. When you work with Lily, we’ll answer all your questions and solve any worries.
For now, we’ve responded to your top 5 questions that’ll clear some confusion and prepare you for the digital transformation.
- What is the ISDN Switch Off?
The ISDN Switch Off refers to BT Openreach’s nationwide phase out of ISDN and PSTN services. Residential and business properties will use newer technology, including hosted phone systems and fibre broadband.
- What is the PSTN and ISDN?
The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is a communication network that uses copper lines to support phone calls. The Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) is a digital communications system that transfers speech and data over the PSTN.
- Why is the ISDN Switch Off happening?
The ISDN and PSTN infrastructure has become obsolete and difficult to maintain. It no longer supports our digital world and lacks the flexibility, cost-savings and efficiency a fibre network provides.
- What is the meaning of stop sell?
Stop sell refers to areas that can no longer buy or sell Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) products. These include analogue or ISDN phone lines. The final stop sell ended in September 2023. Businesses can continue to use WLR products until they’re withdrawn in 2025.
- What is the best replacement for my current phone system?
A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone system allows you to make calls over the internet. A hosted phone system offers a range of modern features that’ll boost productivity, cost savings and flexibility in the workplace.
Need Help? Contact Lily Today
As ISDN and PSTN lines become history, future-proof your business communications with Lily. We’ve helped hundreds of businesses switch to fibre broadband and hosted phone systems. Contact the team today to learn more.
Thursday 26 September, 2pm to 3.30pm.
Irish Cultural Centre, Black’s Road, Hammersmith, W6 9DT.
The building is accessible and has a lift.
The event is free and refreshments will be provided.
To register or for more information please:
➢
Email on info@futurebrightsolutions.co.uk
➢
Or call on 07860 104223 (between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday)
To download a flyer with more information click here
Welcome to the Autumn 2024 Think CO e-newsletter from the Gas Safe Charity. Autumn certainly seems to have arrived early this year and may have taken people by surprise. Many boilers and gas appliances may not have yet had their annual service; chimneys and flues may not have yet been swept – all of which increases the risks of CO. Read on
The Agents of Change Team would love to invite you to join us to celebrate the past, present and future of the Agents of Change programme!
We’ve had the privilege of seeing four amazing cohorts of women graduate from the Agents of Change Women’s Leadership Programme since it began in 2018. This year the Agents of Change team has taken the time to listen to your feedback about the programme and we deeply appreciate all of the Agents who took part in our feedback sessions and interviews. We are incredibly grateful for the personal journeys we’ve been part of, and we would love to share with you some highlights about what we’ve learned and how it will impact the future of the programme
Please join us for an evening of storytelling, celebration and networking. You can register for free using the Eventbrite link here, or by emailing agentsofchange@imperial.ac.uk.
The evening will also feature more information about a new collaboration between Agents of Change and Westfield. The Westfield Workshop Skills Sessions have been created exclusively for members of the Agents of Change Network. Running throughout October, you’ll have the opportunity to attend workshops designed to develop the skills you need to tackle social media, marketing pitches, negotiation and standing out in your job search. Spaces are limited for each workshop, and you can register for free using the links below:
Westfield Workshop: Session One – How to Build a Successful Marketing/Brand Pitch Wed 9 Oct 3pm-4.30pm
Westfield Workshop: Session Two – Employment Skills Wed 16 Oct 4pm-5.30pm
Westfield Workshop: Session Three – Growing Your Social Media Skills Tue 22 Oct 3pm-4.30pm
Westfield Workshop: Session Four – Negotiating Skills Wed 30 Oct 4pm-5.30pm
We look forward to seeing you soon and thank you for being part of our inspiring network.
Charity Intelligence is a unique free website with the simple aim to help charities and not-for-profit organisations find the right professional team for investment, financial or legal support.They aim to provide a cost effective and efficient way for charities and their advisers, to select, review and compare investment managers, lawyers, accountants and insurance services.With helpful insights from partner firms, we provide a constantly updated knowledge base to empower charities. They also offer a free tender service to match your charity’s requirements with the right professional support and Consolidated Reporting to give you a complete overview of all your investments. Find out more here.
“Kallista Jayasuriya interviewed Thalia Beaty, Foundation Administrator at a funder that can award at least £300,000 to organisations – the KFC Youth Foundation…” Read more from Kalli Jayasuriya here.
September is the month worldwide to raise awareness of sickle cell disorder – known mainly as sickle cell disease. The condition is a genetically inherited condition that affects the red blood cells is prevalent mainly in individuals from the African diaspora community.
The condition was first described by American physician, Dr James Herrick in 1910 written in medical journal with the title “Peculiar elongated and sickle-shaped red blood corpuscles in the case of severe anemia”
As one can imagine, living with the condition on a day-today basis can be and usually is described by those affected as debilitating as it affects mainly the muscles and joints and other parts of the body. Despite this, local community champion, Feyona continues to raise awareness of her lived experience and provide support to others throughout the borough and beyond.
We met when we worked together on the borough`s recent Hammersmith and Fulham Council project “Building Trust” that focused on inequality of health within the black African and Caribbean communities in the borough. The project hosted a series of Listening Events one of which covered the condition sickle cell. Some of the feedback from the event included the following:
- Concerns that the condition is not recognised as a disability when interacting with welfare benefits systems
- Lack of cultural awareness
- Not “being believed” – the burden to proof on the person living with sickle cell to be believed that one is in pain.
I have found Feyona to be a phenomenal advocate of sickle cell condition as she is involved in a range of forums and societies seeking to raise awareness and affect change at the local community, policy and parliamentary levels.
We recognise that more needs to be done to raise awareness of this condition across sectors in the borough.
The above was written with permission of Feyona.
For more information and if you wish to be involved, please contact Sharon by emailing sharon.tomlin@sobus.org.uk.
Please see below some useful links:
Sickle Cell Society: lived experiences, reports, campaigns – https://www.sicklecellsociety.org/
Hammersmith & Fulham:
- LBHF Directory: https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/living-independently/living-independently-service-directory/sickle-cell-society
- Imperial College Healthcare – Red Blood disorder clinics – https://www.imperial.nhs.uk/our-services/haematology/red-blood-cell-disorder/clinics
- Shepherds Bush Medical Centre: https://shepherdsbushmedicalcentre.co.uk/conditions/sickle-cell-disease/
- LBHF Directory – Family Hubs: https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/children-and-young-people/family-hub/health-and-wellbeing/medical-and-nursing-support/haemoglobinopathy-specialist-nurses
Work of Dr James Herrick: https://web.archive.org/web/20101119100223/http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/summary/VI/5/517
sobus
20 Dawes Road, London, SW6 7EN
Telephone 020 7952 1230
Email info@sobus.org.uk
Registered Charity No.1071089
and Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England No.03471416
Sobus is a new Community Development Agency for Hammersmith & Fulham. It has been created through the merger of the Community and Voluntary Sector Association Hammersmith & Fulham (CaVSA) and the Fulham Community Partnership Trust (FCPT). Building on the strengths of both organisations, sobus aims to provide a wider range of support services for local charities, community groups, social enterprises and start up businesses.