What’s New & Happening in Fulham

What’s New

Carbon Kopi to open Fulham branch

Hammersmith speciality coffee shop Carbon Kopi are set to open their second site in Fulham this month. Located on the former site of the dry cleaners and post office on the corner of Hazlebury and Wandsworth Bridge Roads, they are aiming to be open mid-May, in time for the Wandsworth Bridge Road Spring Fayre on Sunday 15 May.

The company was founded by Chris and Natalie Brittan in 2019 just before the pandemic and their first store is located on Margavine Road, Hammersmith. Natalie told Urban Village LDN “we have seen the business go from strength to strength as word of our reputation spread. We’ve always felt an affinity with Fulham, with many customers from the area and beyond travelling to our Hammersmith site and when we saw the lovely corner spot we felt it was the perfect launchpad for connecting with the community here”.

We always love the story behind the name of a brand and Natalie told us that the word ‘kopi’ is Malay for coffee, a nod to Natalie’s heritage. Carbon Kopi will be open seven days a week from 7.30am - 5pm serving coffee, tea, cake pastries, sourdough toasties (The New Yorker, Truffle Cheese, Chicken Pesto) and Natalie added “we will also offer a 30% discount for all staff working for the NHS and emergency services and look forward to keeping them caffeinated.” Welcome to Fulham Carbon Kopi!

Find Carbon Kopi on Facebook, Twitter or follow them on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/carbonkopi/ head to their website on the link below to find out more.

Lyceum Fit creates community programme

Opening this month Lyceum Fit is a physical fitness studio with a difference. Located at the Sands End Arts and Community Centre (SEACC), Lyceum Fit have the community at the heart of their offer and a focus on both physical and mental fitness; training not only the body but also the mind. Urban Village LDN spoke to George from Lyceum who told us “we’re working in partnership with the Sands End Arts and Community Centre (SEACC) after approaching the trustees last year and very much see ourselves as a social enterprise who want to engage with the community”. Lyceum Fit are working very closely with SEACC to delivery training, workshops and talks to the local community. They want to influence and promote health, fitness, wellness and the outdoors to the community and make this accessible for people of all classes and backgrounds. Plans so far include junior fitness classes, a community morning running club and classes for over 60s.

George told us, you learn something new every day, that Lyceum was the name of Aristotle’s first gym, one of the oldest gyms in the word which was founded in 335 BC. Lyceum was used not just for fitness training but also for the exercising of the mind and it was here that Aristotle held lectures on philosophy and scientific theory. George continued “I sustained a head injury after being hit but a taxi, so I had to learn to read and write again. During this time I read a book called “The Brain That Changes Itself” by Norman Doidge, the brain is willing to be trained and react like any other muscle so at Lyceum we are focusing not only on physical strength and conditioning but also mental fitness”.

We spoke to Sabina one of the other three trainers at Lyceum. Sabina is a local resident who has been coaching Fulham locals for many years and will be running the classes for over 60s. “During the lockdowns I saw lots of older people walking and exercising in South Park and thought there was so much more I could offer to improve mobility and ability within this age group”. Sabina has worked as part of the team at Balance Sports Physiotherapy Clinic gaining experience with various types of sports and lifestyle related injuries as well as post / pre surgery training preparations and is looking forward to working with this age group to improve their confidence and mobility safely. Working alongside George and Sabina the last member of the Lyceum team is Robbie who will be developing the children’s fitness programme making sure each child reaches their maximum potential physically and mentally. Robbie was a Sports coach and Teaching assistant at Garden House School for 3 years and has set up multiple after school fitness clubs for children.

We love that every inch of space at SEACC is being used, we saw work in progress before Lyceum was officially open and look forward to meeting the team in person and hearing more about what’s on offer to the Fulham community. Follow them on Instagram here https://instagram.com/lyceumfit

Douce France London launch French speaking clubs

A new holiday camp and after school club for French speaking children is starting in Fulham. Similar to those that are run in France, the first Douce France London camp will take place at Twynholm Baptist Church (324 - 326 Lillie Road) for children aged 4-12 from 11 -29 July. Founders Jennifer Semar and David Meslet got in touch with Urban Village LDN to tell us about the camp which will be held entirely in French and is aimed at French speaking or bilingual families living in London. Their aim is to build a community and respond to their needs by growing and developing their programme which, rather than focusing typically on one area, will include activities in Drama, Sport and Art.

Jennifer and David, both originally from Lyon, have been living in London for five years. During that time Jennifer has worked in schools located in West London including L’ Ecole des Petits and seeing a gap in the market decided to create and set up Douce France London. Jennifer told us that their company name “is inspired by the song of the same name by famous French singer Charles Trenet, in it he recalls his childhood memories. Pleasant and happy memories from our childhood, nourish and comfort us, my own memory takes me back to games in the schoolyard, books I loved to devour and imaginary stories that transported me to a fantastic world”.

Douce France London “want to create a place that is open after school and during the school holidays offering fun activities and French classes. Children attending will play, learn and grow through collective games which allow them to develop their individuality whilst participating as a group”. Play is at the centre of the camp / club offer, Jennifer continues “the role of play is important because it enables the acquisition of skills, allows young people to develop intellectually, socially and encourages language”. Their team of qualified and experienced professionals “will adapt to the needs and rhythm of each child” and their educational programme will complement that of schools. 

To find out more get in touch at hello@doucefrancelondon.com or follow them on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/doucefrancelondon/ website coming soon!

Chango Empanadas

Chango Empanadas UK was founded by Bernardo Neville who was born and brought up in Argentina. Bernardo wanted to bring authentic Argentine Empanadas to the UK and did just that in 2017 when they opened their first bricks and mortar site in Westfield Stratford and took part in various food markets across London from Soho to Richmond.

The company continued to branch out opening stores in Wimbledon, Highgate, Wandsworth and last month they opened a shop in Fulham at 64 New Kings Road. The team at Chango Empanadas told us “we’ve been trading for many years at the Duke of York Square market every Saturday so it really made a lot of sense for us to be in Parsons Green. We’ve had a great reception and we know we now have a challenge to keep our customers excited with our product and what we offer in store”.

For those of you who don’t know, an Empanada is a baked or fried pastry turnover with filling, think a mini South American version of a Cornish pasty! As well as eight flavours of Empanadas including Traditional Beef, Spicy Chicken, Ham and Cheese, Pumpkin and Goat Cheese, you will find other Argentinian goodies in store; Alfajore biscuits, made of Dulce de Leche and a hint of coconut, there is also a chocolate version and of course you can pick up coffee or eat in and enjoy a glass of Argentinian wine. With the weather improving why not ditch the sarnies and pick up some Empanadas for your al fresco lunch in the park?

You can also order from their website. Get pre cooked and frozen Empanadas delivered to your door for you to reheat and eat. You can also order from Deliveroo or Uber Eats. Follow on Facebook or Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/changoempanadasuk/

Urban Village LDN turns three!

Happy Birthday to us! Post lockdowns we’ve continued to support our community, local businesses and charitable organisations as they emerged and got back on their feet. We’re excited to see local events taking place again, charitable organisations fundraising, hospitality slowly building to post lockdown levels with local pubs, bars and restaurants buzzing in our urban village and weddings taking place.

We love a good story, who doesn’t, so we’re always on the hunt! The ones that are the inspiration for a new idea, business, community initiative or brand excite us most. As ever we’re always keen to hear what you like about our content, what we could do better, any ideas you may have, after all Urban Village LDN is for Fulham about Fulham. Get in touch - you know where to find us!

Our website continues to be not for profit and to be honest we struggle to think of a way to change that without losing our authenticity, although we’d at at least like to cover costs at some point! We continue to grow our audience organically with no paid for promotion, picking up new subscribers and followers through our social media channels and via the priceless word of mouth.

Every new follower, new subscriber, click through to our website is payment enough and although there is a an occasional unsubscribe it is a rare thing and we feel that we’ve built a loyal fan base who seem to like what we’re about! We appreciate the ongoing support, the recommendations, sharing of our stories and the loyalty of our subscribers. We look forward to more stories, meeting more people and continuing to support all the Fulham goings on in our third year. Spread the word, stay tuned and thank you!

Daisy Trust Ball / Silent Auction: Friday 6

After two years of lockdown, The Daisy Trust are excited to be back with their 2022 Ball. Every penny raised on the night will be distributed to local charities serving the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.  Even if you’re not going to the ball, you can still support this local organisation and help raise funds for our community as their Silent Auction is open to all. The online auction will close at 23:00 on 6 May and lots include: 1966 England World Cup signed photo, a two night spa break in Athens, hockey training with Sophie Bray from Team GB, a Top Gun air combat experience for two and more. Hit the link below to place your bid or simply make a donation to the Daisy Trust knowing that it will be put to good use.

Recent beneficiaries include Hammersmith and Fulham Foodbank, Fulham Good Neighbours, Glass Door, Rays Playhouse, SEAPIA, The Upper Room, Barons Court Project, Shepherds Bush Families Project, Trinity Hospice and The Lyric. A recent grant to The Brunswick Club helped fund their holiday activity scheme during the Easter holidays for around 100 children aged 7-11 years from low-income families living in Hammersmith & Fulham. You can find out more on The Daisy Trust website https://www.daisytrust.org/

We spoke to Chairman of The Daisy Trust, Jackie Lee, about the “Gloriosa Circus” Ball, taking place at St Paul's Church Hammersmith, and the ongoing work of The Daisy Trust. “We are so pleased to be back and hosting an event to raise funds again. There is so much need in the borough especially with the impact of Covid on Council resources. We’re proud to have given out £65,000 in 2021 to charitable organisations in the borough, the highest amount ever given. Our 2019 ball and the funds raised at the event meant that we were in a strong position to give back significant amounts to over 39 different beneficiaries; we also gave a few special grants and higher amounts to organisations we have built long term relationships with. We can’t thank our sponsors: Chatterton Rees, Thomson Private Wealth and Poggenpohl enough and Fulham resident, sports broadcaster and friend of The Daisy Trust Charlie Brougham who will be our host on the night”.

Find them on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/thedaisytrust/

Fulham Palace Green Meet: Sunday 8

The Green Meet is Fulham Palace’s annual earth day event taking place on Sunday 8 (11.00am - 4.00pm). Celebrate all things green and eco-friendly at this free * family-friendly event in the Palace grounds (*suggested donation of £2). You’ll be able to shop a variety of eco-friendly and sustainable goods from over 75 small business stallholders including Soap on a Rope, Bees & Refugees, The Source Bulk Foods and Pepperpot Nursery.

Explore nature and sustainability through tours and demonstrations. Listen to keynote speakers discuss current topics on all things green from vegan leather to biodiversity in the talks tent in the walled garden. Additional workshops can be pre-booked and include a children's food waste workshop and an adults embroidery workshop. Enjoy live music after grabbing a bite to eat from a variety of delicious food options from the Drawing Room Café or the food trucks there on the day. Younger children can enjoy face painting, garden games, craft activities, educational workshops, family yoga and more! Whilst you’re there, enter the raffle for a chance to win an assortment of eco-friendly prizes with all proceeds going towards Fulham Palace getting their own flock of chickens!

More information can be found on the link below.

Family Fair to raise funds for Ukraine: Sat 14

Inspire Fulham have organised a May Fair which will take place at Fulham Boys School on Saturday 14 (2 - 6pm) to raise funds for Ukraine. What they have planned sounds like a fun family day out, with local businesses taking part including Pappa Cicca and Becky Blooms who will be there alongside outside stall holders: Quack Quack Books, Candy Poppers and Pink Advocet to name a few.

Juliette Khan from Inspire Fulham told Urban Village LDN “There is a real emphasis on children’s activities as we wanted to provide a fun and safe family day out for the community to enjoy, whilst also raising funds for this much needed cause. We plan on having lots of kids activities downstairs including a basketball competition with One London, cricket with Rohan Kapadia / Roehampton & Fulham Cricket, some fun inflatables and lots more. The courtyard will provide refreshments, an old school ice cream van, nibbles, craft beers and wine and some additional entertainment. For the mums we will provide a shopping space with some wonderful local and talented artisans, ranging from home, gifts and candles to fashion accessories, Neal’s Yard products, jewellery and more”

Whilst there is no entrance fee Inspire Fulham hope that people will give a donation at the door and there will be a nominal fee to participate in the activities that have been organised. Stall holders will be donating their fees to the cause.

Wandsworth Bridge Road Spring Fayre: Sunday 15 (11am - 5pm)

We told you about this inaugural event on the “What’s New” page of our April issue. Here’s an update on what you can expect when Wandsworth Bridge Road will be fully pedestrianised from Ryecroft to Narborough Street. Local restaurants, cafes and shops will be trading alongside over 70 visiting stallholders and food traders. There will be a dedicated children’s activity area, participation is free and kids can choose from football (Jolof Sports), yoga (Sarah Vipond), dance (Dance West) and games (Sharkey & George). Other activities include free traditional fairground games (coconut shy, Ring The Bell, Splat The Rat) and Maypole dancing guided by an expert and accompanied by a live fiddler. The central stage will have live music throughout and there will also be a busking area.

The Fayre is a free, non-profit event organised by the volunteer-led Wandsworth Bridge Road Association (WBRA) supported by Hammersmith & Fulham Council, Marston Properties and Aspire Estate Agents. It forms part of a larger community outreach programme to enhance and develop the local high street as a vibrant pedestrian and cycle friendly destination for shopping, socialising, entertainment and more. The WBRA has been working with local residents and businesses to explore how this normally traffic-heavy road can shift to a clean and green civic space that supports the whole community. In 2021, this work was chosen as an exemplary project by the Mayor of London’s ‘High Street for All’ Challenge, which aims to boost and regenerate local High Streets, particularly after the pandemic.

Natalie Lindsay from the association told us “WBRA has encouraged local people to ‘dream’ what the high street of the future could look like – tackling air pollution, the climate crisis, safe clean transport, green spaces and community engagement. The results are inspiring, exciting, and sometimes really wacky and we want to share ideas and expand on them with everyone at the Fayre”. Find out more on the link below, follow them on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wbrassociation or email them info@wbrassociation.org.uk

Fulham Good Neighbours: 29 May

This organisation does incredible “local work for local people” and we enjoyed meeting some of the Fulham Good Neighbours volunteers at the Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham’s volunteer “thank you reception” last month. We were happy to try to help spread the word when Jamie Hilton, Director at FGN, got in touch with Urban village LDN to tell us about their latest fundraising initiative.

“We have a fundraising campaign to replace some of our lost income from the cancellation of the Parsons Green Fair in 2020 and 2021; we are back this year on July 2. We have ten riders cycling a combined 1,000 miles to celebrate our 55 years working in Fulham”.  The Covid pandemic and consequent restrictions meant Fulham Good Neighbours had to cancel The Parsons Green Fair, their annual fundraiser, twice which resulted in a loss of 10% of their income amounting to £40,000. To celebrate 55 years supporting the Fulham community and in the hope of recovering some of that lost income the FGN biking fundraisers will take on the challenge of riding a combined 1,000 miles in a day - the equivalent of cycling from their community centre in Fulham to Belgrade!

Every penny counts so if you can support this challenge and help Fulham Good Neighbours make up some of their lost income click on the link below. Since 1966 Fulham Good Neighbours has supported older, disabled and disadvantaged neighbours in their homes, in the community, at their community centre and online. They support over 500 neighbours, supported by over 100 local volunteers and in 2019 received The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.

Made in Fulham

It never fails to surprise us what a talented bunch you Fulham folks are. Each month Urban Village Ldn introduces you to THe Fulham face behind an idea, product or business and asks them what they love about being a local resident. This month we talk to Elizabeth Henderson, Trustee of the SANDS END ARTS & COMMUNITY Centre

How long have you called Fulham home? I still call myself a 'proper northerner' but my home is Fulham. We moved here 35 years ago and still live in the same house, that's how contented we are!

Tell us a bit about yourself / your family I worked in the finance sector whilst my elder two daughters were little but when my third daughter was born I realised that I needed to work more locally, flexibly and in another direction. I became a charity director and work for the Royal Brompton Hospital, also as a governor of the hospital and more recently at Guy's & St Thomas'. My daughters all went to Lady Margaret School and we all (parents too) still enjoy the friendships we gained there. I am delighted to be have been a trustee of Sands End Arts & Community Centre in South Park for the last two years and counting.

What’s your favourite local haunt and why? My father was a brewer and we were brought up knowing what a good pub should look and feel like. We are continually doing research but do enjoy the White Horse, Duke on the Green and Aragon House - all dog friendly!

What's your perfect Fulham day? I have two bizarrely behaved dogs and a perfect day would involve them being on their best behaviour. A walk down to the river with plenty of time to 'stand and stare', enjoying Bishops Park and Fulham Palace and if energy was still high, along to Chelsea Harbour to check out the boats and wind back through the streets to the Sands End pub for a drink and possibly a scotch egg.

Which local shop/service/business do you rely on? My husband has recently discovered a talent for cooking, which I am embracing and encouraging. The fresh ingredients from Randalls Butchers, Bridge Baker and CocoMelon (now Fulham Natural) help us to keep our shopping very local. The majority of my family are visually deficient and we really appreciate the friendly help from Diopter Eye Clinic keeping us continually in focus.

If you could do one thing to improve Fulham what would it be? I don't think I would be the first person to suggest that a reduction in pollution and traffic would be a massive improvement and something to strive for. And if I can have one other thing - more localised events would be a great addition.

Tell us about SEACC and how it came to be Sands End Arts & Community Centre is situated on Peterborough Road on the edge of South Park. It was commissioned by Hammersmith & Fulham council to replace the original community centre (on Broughton Road) and was then handed over to our charitable trust. The charity trustees are Fulham locals. It is the most beautifully designed building, winning awards left, right and centre. Fully accessible, sustainable and with fabulous views of the park. It is still early days for the centre but we are seeing the spaces being booked by lots of different groups and users, everyone is welcome and we invite people to pop in and see how they might like to use it. Very excitingly, we have just opened our community cafe - the Walnut Tree - and it is already becoming a popular destination and look forward to seeing how everyone can support it and watch it develop. I have learnt so much along the way. It has really been an on the job crash course in managing everything involved with a small business including making the products, sourcing, balancing the books, communicating with customers and managing stock. That said, I wouldn't change it for the world as I have had to jump in and adapt quickly. My advice if someone is thinking about starting a new business would be to take the plunge. Of course, seek advice, join online communities and build a support network, but all the time that you aren't starting opportunities are being missed. I have learnt so much from online networking and connecting with other similar businesses. It is overwhelming at times and it feels like I am ten steps behind especially when it comes to engaging with 'socials' but it most definitely is a driving force to keep pushing forward.

What advice would you give people thinking about getting involved with a charitable organisation? I would say do it! I love volunteering in it's many forms and have always wanted to join in. It is a unique opportunity to add another aspect to your life, a fun way of meeting new people and perhaps adding new skills; it's not always easy but working on a challenge with others creates a great sense of achievement and comradeship. Most of my friendships have been made through volunteering - people who I would not have met any other way. We will be opening our volunteer programme at Sands End Arts & Community Centre very soon and there are opportunities to apply to be a trustee.

What are you working on currently? SEACC occupies a lot of my thoughts and I continue to work with the charity at Royal Brompton Hospital. Very recently I have also started to work with the Superbloom project at the Tower of London. This is going to be an amazing immersive walk through a spectacular display of flowers in the moat of the Tower, it runs from June to September, make sure you book your ticket.