December 2021

Dear neighbours,
 
We hope to see you later today on Newington Green for Carols on the Green 2021.

The songs and lyrics the kids will be singing can be found here. There will be special visit from Santa and The Mayor of Islington.

We have decided to cancel the second half of the festivities (at The Mildmay Club) because of the variant. We're confident that we can run the event safely at the Green but please do take a LFT before you come out.

International Migrants Day

Today is International Migrants Day so we thought it was time to let you know about the progress our Community Support subcommittee have made on our Newington Green Welcomes Refugees projects.

As you will be aware over the last few months we have been working with local partners to help find accommodation for the Afghan families that our local authorities have committed to rehoming. We have also continued to support some local families who have No Recourse to Public Funds.

But we now have an opportunity to bring another family to Newington Green. This would be on top of the twenty Afghan families Hackney and Islington Councils have committed to. 

We are working with Reset Community Sponsorship on this. We need to raise £9,000 which will cover the cost of a family’s move and integration into the community. We have £1,000 committed already. Every penny raised will go directly towards the sponsorship of refugee families and supporting those families through the resettlement process.

The faster we raise the money the faster we can welcome a family to our area and expand the work we are doing with local organisations and community members to support refugees and asylum-seekers in our area.

As you will know from previous newsletters we already have a subcommittee working on this and what changes we need to bring about if Newington Green is to truly be a welcoming place for migrants and asylum-seekers. We are still looking for more volunteers to help the family through their first year in the UK. We will be assisting the family with accessing schools, benefits, healthcare and employment. 

Xmas food support

If you would like to donate to the food bank we have been partnering with St Jude and St Paul's on please dry store donations between noon and 3pm to St Jude and St Paul's Church on Tuesday 21st December. 

If you know anyone that needs a bit of support with food over the holidays please tell them that they can come down to the church (on the corner of Mildmay Grove North and King Henry's Walk) on Tuesday between 1pm and 3pm.

Like last year, we have the capacity to spread some holiday cheer so a few volunteers will be giving people a knock to say hi and drop off a small pack of goodies ahead of the holidays.
 
Supporting local businesses

We've had two exciting new independent businesses open up in the area. Pack and Clowder have brought back to life a long-empty unit on Green Lanes and have great gifts for the cat or dog (person) in your life. Stella's on Newington Green Road opened a couple of weeks ago and must be the most aesthetic butchers in the world.

Last but not least, Antepliler Baklava bakery has reopened after a refurbishment. They have been missed!

In solidarity,

Team NGAG