We acknowledge that our newsletters are a bit like Marmite, sparking a fierce debate between ardent fans and those who might generously label them as, well, "drivel."
But fear not, dear reader, facebook and real friends, for in the grand tapestry of our diverse community, such differences are what make life entertaining, don't they?
December 17th (Two short, long years) marks the spectacular moment when ParkLife Café turns two, and we've been on a workhorse journey of love. Yup, love, caffeine, and a sprinkle of craziness.
ParkLife is just the building
It’s all the amazing volunteers, staff and people that choose to spend time here gives it life.
We are in awe of the vast ecliptic merry band of individuals and community organisations we encounter, who make up the Harrow wide change-makers, what a fantastic place we all share! Together, each group is striving to pave a smoother path for all our grandchildren, in there own ways, ensuring the next generation don't inherit the quirks and quibbles of our current society. After all, isn't everything a smidge more conquerable when we join forces, arms linked in solidarity? We are all connected!
Change, is not just a dream – it's a tangible possibility when we all ROW in the same direction toward a brighter tomorrow.
Sure, ParkLife Café may look like a brick-and-mortar structure, but, it's not the walls doing the witty banter or brewing the coffee; it's the fabulous folks inside turning it into the community hangout it has become, where coffee meets comedy, and friendships are formed, and rubbish WiFI exists.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL THE PARKLIFE PEEPS 17TH DECEMBER JUST 2 YEARS OLD
Here's to another year of caffeinated chaos and laughter!
How to resolve AdBlock issue? Article Index
- ParkLife project update:
- Dec 17th Two short, long years!
- Next events
- Spotlight Harrow
- Off The Wall, Off The Rack, Off The Shelf
- Parks, Wellbeing, and You Survey 2023:
- Projects update
- Social Marketing and community
- The moron chronicle
- Gratitude Galore
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| The ParkLife project.
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ParkLife would not be possible without our kindest of natured peeps.
The punchline? Well, here's the kicker: There are already six toilets in the Public park, but hold your laughter, they're not for public use, just for a select few in the minority! Because, you know, who needs toilets for the public in a public park, right? Parks, Wellbeing and You 2021 In 2021 just after lockdown we ran a survey entitled: Parks, Wellbeing and You, this opened a helpful window into what people think of parks, ideas to improve parks, and community involvement in parks. At that time, not surprisingly, one of the questions we asked was: Does your local park have toilet facilities?
In 2024 we decided to run the same survey, to see how much things have changed since lockdown. MVP's Most Valuable Peeps We can't help but gush about all the people we have had the pleasure of coming into contact with in one way or another over the past year, they're the real MVPs of this caffeinated circus. The year has been about growing seed ideas, with the community. Seed ideas are suggestions from the community for a project, session, event, or other community engagement activities. When we started there was no plan, just a goal to do something in the area that was/is........who knows with no plan, but has evolved into ParkLife Cafe? What we did in 2023! We've danced, crafted, and celebrated with other community groups. The events has been a riot of interesting characters and unforgettable moments. Religious festivals? Oh, we've crafted our way through Diwali, Eid, Easter, Christmas, Chanukah, Halloween (because why not add a dash of spookiness), and Valentine's Day (because nothing says love like glitter and glue) We sat together at a variety of sessions, listening and learning: The outreach project held sessions in partnership with local health care professionals and international renowned organisation, covering an array of health issues, all in the tiny building we call ParkLife! As we dive head first into another year, we are already working on getting more great community led projects started, more adventures, and maybe, just maybe, see a unicorn riding a spaceship, because at ParkLife, we like our coffee strong, our days wild, and our dreams a tad bit whimsical, coz lets face it, your only on the planet once, and a short time to boot. Here's to another year of caffeinated chaos and laughter! |
DEC 17th TWO SHORT LONG YEARS |
This is not an exhaustive list of ParkLife 2023, it's just a small insight.
EVENTS & PROJECTS IN 2022:At ParkLife, in the past year we held so many different events and projects, it seems to have flown past like one year long festival.
Our illustrious attendees have devoured: Food for thought, candy for the eyes, laughter for the mind and kindness for the soul. The community events saw ParkLife supply, plates and plates of homemade meals and other supplies, including a balanced selection of Insects, the odd scorpion, art tools, water bug, and crickets, crafting supplies, sweets, treats, fruits, biscuits, tea, and the finest Sicilian coffee that's so sought after, we hear the mafia cry, when our beans are tip,-toed past them, outwitting the Mafia to get our hands on the best coffee. Over 95% of community events are FREE to ensure inclusion: We leave nobody behind because their wallet is a bit light! Social Marketing supporters. This year, our projects wouldn't have seen the light of day without the incredible support from our community and supporters. EVENTS & PROJECTS IN 2022:BUSBY CLUBSBusby clubs 4carers: Where Happy is the Best Medicine! Busby Clubs, are one of our free events, and organised with the precision of a circus, starting with banishing life worries like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat at the door upon entry, unpaid carers are the main act! We invite unpaid carers to join in for some quality time. Picture this: a meal, light entertainment, and laughs, all served up in a space so relaxing it puts meditation apps to shame. Busby Clubs 4Groups: More Than Just a Jolly! Ever been on a works bonding jolly? Well, Busby Clubs 4Groups takes it to the next level. We're all about working with local community groups, offering them the fantastic opportunity to build, bond, or simply chill with their people, all for free! Because sometimes, it's not just about the destination; it's about the journey with your crew. In 2022 meals were supplied and served at each event, volunteers time was added, with a balanced selection of sweets, treats, Insects, fruits, biscuits, tea, and the finest Italian coffee enjoyed by everyone. COMMUNITY OUTREACH SESSIONSImperial College London Next year plans are afoot to build on the previous sessions, and hold further sessions, There all about you you you....... Diabetes group This fantastic group joined us for the summer and flocked like Joined us in the summer to hold some interesting peer to peer meetings. Enderley Road Patients Association We held couple of local Doc’s surgery community gatherings, entitled "The doctor wants to see you", which saw us trying to find ways to help each other access medical services. More planned for next year, with a bolt on project. Hic project Health In The Community saw a group of people health professionals talk about how minority groups are having problems access the medical services and ways this can be reduced. More planned for next year, with a bolt on project. FEAST FOR THE EARS AND EYEOff The wall rotations Welcome to Off The Wall, where we dive into the symphony of senses – hearing, talking, seeing, thinking, tasting, and feeling the soul. We're not just challenging minds; we're practically daring you to try new things. It's a sensory rollercoaster, and you're invited to take the ride with us. Because, at ParkLife, art is not just a hanging picture; it's a full-blown experience, darling! There's more! Every few weeks, our esteemed Hanging Committee, the arbiters of artistic destiny, decide who gets the privilege of hanging. we roll out the red carpet for a grand exhibition change, and what's an exhibition without a party, a couple of hours filled with lively chats with the artists, and locals, questionable nibbles that may or may not have culinary secrets, all washed down with a beverage – maybe wine, perhaps water, but definitely a drink. saw a spectacular art extravaganza displaying 8 decades of one single artist. We have some more special displays coming up in 2024 Spectacular readings: COMMUNITY IN MOTIONApple recycling project Three happiest big fights broke: During the summer we were able to support three sizable water fights at Boxtree Park. Musicians came to play Over the year we have seen, singers, guitarists, and an array of other genre's come and support events, or come in randomly and played just because they can. The Worlds smallest German Christmas market The second year, helping local artists buy a few vegetable for their Christmas dinners by selling their wares, instead of having to draw their Christmas dinner. INIT OUR 2024 COMMUNITY PROJECTEmbedded Cultural Festivals into our routine. Over the year we have been running several community events based around, culture and festivals, then mixing it all up, with great results. These events found their own following and in 2024 we are planning to mix this up more and integrate some of the many wonderful ideas suggested. Community days Mitzvah day, Super Sundays, festivals, joining national days with focused subjects. Litter Picking Harrow Let us tell you, Nothing warms our hearts more than seeing mauve bags pop up all over the place, Community Litter Pickers volunteers are the real MVPs of the community. Why mauve, you ask? Well, it's not just a colour; it's a statement. When you're rocking a mauve bag, you're not just a litter picker; you're a community superhero, a guardian of cleanliness and Harrow is your catwalk! And hey, it beats the alternative perception of onlookers thinking you're on some kind of community payback mission. 2024 project bolt on. Hiring ParkLife If you are interested in Hiring ParkLife please get in touch This is not an exhaustive list of ParkLife 2023, it's just a small insight. |
Community projects that are supported, in partnership with local business, and a nice council, is one way towards creating carbon neutral, solar powered, plastic free parks, that are strengthened by a supporting hub of community groups and self funded.
NEXT EVENTS |
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The World's Smallest German Christmas Market on December 16-17 Ready to jingle all the way to ParkLife Café for a holiday extravaganza like no other? We're squeezing all the festive cheer into the tiniest building, turning it into a magical Tardis of Christmas wonder! Don't miss this little slice of Christmas magic. All weekend, come and make your own Christmas cards (free).
Traditional Christmas songs sung with a twist on convention: Christmas carols sung by a Soprano - Nami Shah accompanied by Pianist - Hannah Emmrich Harrows own unique ukulele band. 17th December between 12pm - 4pm Santa’s grotto 12pm - 4pm Story telling - 2pm December 16-17 Off The Wall – Local Artists have also provided a great section of winter / Seasonal paintings and art works, at the most affordable prices possible. Off The Shelf from the Curious Cabinet: Not all artists wield paintbrushes! Discover a treasure trove of unique creations and curiosities that'll make your inner art connoisseur squeal with glee. Off The Table: A small selection of local traders will be offering an assortment of handmade seasonal gifts. Off The Rack: A growing selection of unique artists designed seasonal and greeting cards. All weekend, come and make your own Christmas cards (free). Christmas Raffle: WIN A HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS CAKE - A MASSIVE 4.5KG TOBLERONE - TRADITIONAL CREAM TEAS Off The Wall runs throughout December: Great selection of handcrafted local artists works, greeting cards and stuff, all available at affordable prices. |
SPOTLIGHT HARROW |
Happy news:We wanted to share this with you, the volunteer community, business and council green team working together. There are so many kind volunteer led projects and activities around Harrow, people checking the waterways for us, others flowering everywhere, some help feed each others........... and so much more. This is a tale between unlikely partners. The police, Donohue skips, Harrow Litter Pickers and the Green team and all the unsung heroes. Picture this: A plan to tackle not just litter but a full-on drug and knife sweep and a mountain of dumped litter behind some shops in Wealdstone. The catch? Some of the battleground is private, some public, and all of it an eyesore. These brave souls understand that litter doesn't discriminate; it's the same eyesore whether it's on private or public land. Now, enter the bureaucratic dragon – Harrow Council, won't lift Litter Picked bags from private property. The community's taxes, that everlasting gift we all give to the council, does not cover private land, but lo and behold, our fearless heroes cracked the code with a plan! Rejected solution 1: The 'Let's pretend it's all public land' gambit. Spoiler alert: it got the boot because the cops are in on the whole community, spirited shebang. The winning move: The police asked a couple of skip companies for help and Donohue, a skip company jumped at the chance to help and generously provided a skip for free (yes, free!). Harrow Litter Pickers tossed the private land litter into the skip, while the Green team tackled the bags from the public land. The police? They waltz in and clear the area of unwanted items by with a full-on drug and knife sweep, making the whole place spick and span for everyone involved and a clean area. But wait, there's more! This dream team moved an approximate whopping 8.5 tons of rubbish, including over 200 harrow litter pickers bags, whilst filling their hearts with an indescribable amount of joy at what can be done together. That, my friends, is the definition of community, in it together and with an extra skip in our step.
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OFF THE WALL, OFF THE RACK, OFF THE SHELF |
A ROTATING EXHIBITION SUPPORTING LOCAL ARTISTS
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PARKS, WELLBEING, AND YOU SURVEY 2024: |
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Parks Wellbeing, and you, Survey 2024 In 2021, whist volunteering over covid, we set up a survey called 'Parks, Wellbeing, and You' which delved into the evolving dynamics of life surrounding parks, now three years later, we are running the same survey to see if things have changed for the better or worse. This survey is not just about gathering information; it's a celebration of your experiences, your community, and your aspirations when it comes to all things parks. We want to understand how you, your family, and friends embrace the local parks nationally that bring vibrancy to our lives. 2021 The survey was aimed at capturing your thoughts on parks, explored various facets, including your park's resources, wellbeing considerations, and other park-related aspects.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your invaluable contributions to this study, and one thing that did not surprise us was, the value and how importance parks are to us all. Now, a quick rewind to 2021 Just after lockdown. Back then, 63% of you were already happily enjoying your park, but mentioned some areas for improvement. 56% pointed out the need for toilet facilities, and another 56% wished for a café. When asked: "What other improvements would encourage you to use the park?" and If you could spend £2000 in your local park how would you spend it? Nearly every answer was different, however, ideas for nature, activities, and community, kept reappearing. In April/May 2024 we will be sharing the data, on our project page, revealing an amazing collection of insights into what people do and want in their parks and local areas, what could help their communities grow, and surprisingly many people have the same or similar requests for their area, from an open question. 2024Fast forward to 2024, and here we are, ready to uncover how much things have changed in the two years for the better or worse, so we have launched the 2024 survey? TAKE THE SURVEY HEREDOWNLOAD PDF ONFO OF THIS SURVEY HERE |
PROJECT UPDATES |
2024 PROJECTS2023 has taught us lots and confused us loads, due to the way everything came together in 2023. 2024 all existing projects will be carrying on Next year we are going to spend a lot of effort on bringing together several of the events we run, and creating more micro community activities as part of our INIT project. |
SOCIAL MARKETING |
Social Marketing for business!Connect your business directly with local residents being seen to support local projects, whilst your marketing budget helps to improve all aspects of a local community and surrounding areas. In return for your support, sponsorship and marketing spend, we can promote your business online and offline within the local community. Community art for sale!On 11th May 2019 an exciting art event, Art for Park’s Sake, took place in Harrow Weald Recreation Ground (known locally as Boxtree Park). |
MORON CHRONICLES |
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Chapter 997 of the moron chronicles (Every area has a little scandal)
Dear readers, be amazed for the stellar impact of the Moron Chronicles, in this edition!
If you haven't delved into this masterpiece of container manipulation, you're in for a treat, the mischievous morons, the unsung heroes of questionable decision-making, was starred in our last newsletter.
What did they do, you ask? Well, they played a real-life game of 'hide and seek' with a community container, packed to the brim with tiny treasures for community activities. (Yes, it's a rant, but every rant has a kernel of truth, doesn't it?)
Now, brace yourselves for the pièce de resistance!
Within this container lies the crown jewel, this community groups, Christmas decorations. Is this a case of bah humbug or Scrooge's long-lost kin? Maybe it's just life, or the mysterious way of the grinch.
Whatever it is, it's yet another charming workaround to navigate. Oh, the adventures the beloved morons!
Everyone is different! This community group tailors project around individuals because everyone is different.
Hats off to the moron who conjured up the container plot, it has an unfair impact on others, actions often have a reaction!
Below are some of the lovely individually tailored projects created, started and been stopped because of the container, hats off to the moron who conjured up the container plot!
Each of these projects have been designed and aimed at one single persons wellbeing, suspended or ruined.
Introducing a lovely guy
TOG is an elderly gentleman who recently lost his best friend, he is a Harrow resident and retired. Sam Sam is a lovely young person that suffers complex multiple medical conditions and a Harrow resident. To facilitate his abilities, we created a lovely project he is eager to start. In his mother’s own words, he is so excited and has been practising. This is a community project we have created exclusively for Sam that will hold a positive impact on the wider community and Sam's feeling of inclusion in the community. It is a caring and thoughtful project created just for Sam. Hindered initially, and now thwarted by lack of access to our container. TLG
TLG is a late aged Harrow resident that lost the impudence to get up each morning through feeling left out by the world around him. He lost the will to apply for jobs due to multiple rejections. TLG has been involved with his project for nearly a year and during this time everyone has seen an improvement of his outlook on life and will tell you the same. This project stopped when we lost the container.
There are implications:
While the above-mentioned individuals, and a few more, are left lamenting the lack of access to the container, it's a tad misguided. You see, these projects are the secret sauce to wellbeing, they work like a charm, creating a realm of happiness for those involved. So, while some may fumble with keys, locks and lorries, this community group is busy unlocking the door to a happier place for all. To the kind people: You can now collect your gardening equipment, loaned to us for upcoming community activities and Mitzvah day! This container upsets so many different projects it’s a shame, but in life there is always a workaround problems and carry on having fun. |
THANK YOU....................For being part of our vibrant community that continuously strives to create, uplift, and make a positive impact. |
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Together we achieve remarkable things! Let's keep spreading love, positivity, and laughter throughout our community, making every day an adventure to remember. With boundless joy and bug-filled dreams. Look at life in a holistic way. Nothing is really one size fits all, we are all individuals and different, yet everything is interconnected in different ways. In 2023 the ParkLife crew have partnered with some amazing organisations and people, bringing happiness, learning, and a glowing inner smile, thanks you to all the organisers that helped Thanks to: VolunteersTo further strengthen our initiatives, we are seeking a few dedicated admin volunteers to join our remarkable team and help organize our projects. (Volunteer here) Clubcard holdersThe Club cardholders have collectively saved over £1000, contributing to breath taking support for community activities. Ready to be part of something extraordinary? Become a Club Card supporter and hop aboard the adventure train, as we create a community hub and park for the future! Ready for the Extra Perks? Check These Out:
And the lovely people that make ParkLife Cafe!
Community clubcard
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