What’s Happening

Staff member runs London Marathon to raise funds for Fulham Good Neighbours: 3 October

Fulham Good Neighbours secured a special place in the 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon and is delighted to have Barney Valentine their garden lead representing them. They were awarded one of 40 places in the world’s greatest marathon as part of the 40th Anniversary celebrations of The London Marathon Charitable Trust after organisations that have been awarded grants in the past four decades were invited to apply. Fulham Good Neighbours was able to apply for one of these places as The Trust previously funded accessibility works at their community centre, Rosaline Hall, in 2019.

Barney was chosen to represent Fulham Good Neighbours by inspiring Fulham residents to get active through the Gardening project that he leads for the charity, supporting older and disabled people in the area. You may have spotted Barney in training proudly wearing his Fulham Good Neighbours t shirt and jumper. Barney has helped hundreds of residents with their gardens over the last few years. Whenever he does so he promotes Fulham Good Neighbours other services too, which include their innovative Chair Based Exercise programme delivered in partnership with Maskell Biokineticists.

Taking place on Sunday 3 October, the 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon will be the world’s biggest ever marathon, with 50,000 people taking on the traditional route from Blackheath to The Mall and another 50,000 taking on the virtual Virgin Money London Marathon. The funds raised by Barney will help to continue to support Fulham residents in their homes and gardens, community and online. If you’d like to sponsor Barney and the incredible and vital work that Fulham Good Neighbours provide please head to the link below. Good luck Barney we’ll be watching out for you and cheering you on! For more information, please contact info@fulhamgoodneighbours.org or call 020 7385 8850

The Daisy Trust Fair returns: Monday 4 October

The Daisy Trust Fair returns to The Hurlingham Club on Monday 4 October (9 am - 5 pm). Founded in 1981 this organisation provides grants to local charities and voluntary organisations in Hammersmith and Fulham. Recent beneficiaries include: Fulham Good Neighbours, H&F Foodbank, Ready Tech Go, SEAPIA and The Smile Brigade.

Jackie Lee, Chairman of The Daisy Trust commented “After going on-line in 2020 due to COVID restrictions we are enormously excited that our Fair in 2021 can go ahead without restrictions.  Stallholders are very keen to get back in front of customers and customers are looking forward to a wonderful day of shopping at The Hurlingham Club.   What really makes The Fair unique is the combination of a great selection of items for sale in such a splendid setting and the many loyal supporters of The Daisy Trust who come along for a wonderful day of shopping.  This special day can’t be recreated online.  Tickets are £8 online or £10 at the door on the day.  Stallholders generously donate 10% of their takings on the day to The Daisy Trust which goes directly to supporting people in need in Hammersmith & Fulham.”

This year there are 100 stallholders and over half of them are first time exhibitors and new to the event. You’ll find accessories, children’s clothing, toys, food, gadgets, homeware, skin care and more. Dare we say it? A perfect opportunity to start your Christmas shopping!

Art auction to raise funds for Fulham schools: 8 October (7-11 pm)

Stormzy will make a rare appearance at a Parsons Green art auction next month in the form of a coveted art print which will be auctioned off in aid of local state schools. The iconic artwork is the result of a one-off collaboration with the celebrated artist Metin Salih; whose work ranges from celebrated images of Hollywood stars to official Star Wars posters and Kellogg’s cereal packets.

Salih, who met the Grime artist when he was living in Fulham Riverside back in 2018, said: “In this unique piece of art, my aim was to encapsulate the pressures Stormzy faces as a young man. His meteoric rise to fame has seen him chased by adorning fans worldwide. It’s a snapshot of his life to date and I would love to think that someone could bid for the one-off print it in order to give something back to society but also to be inspired by his story. The original portrait will be gifted back to Stormzy himself.”

Salih, 59, is a regular visitor to the Naïve coffee company in Parsons Green. The business was launched by his close friends, brother and sister Mustafa and Fatma Kondoz, in December last year during the height of lockdown. The art auction, which will take place on October 8 at St Dionis Church, Parsons Green, from 6.30pm, is the brainchild of the Kondoz’s who want to give something back to a community which they say has supported them wholeheartedly. They are also being supported by design and build firm Pascal Huser and boutique fitness studio Transition Zone.

The Painting Brighter Futures auction will feature more of Salih’s works in a bid to raise funds for The Fulham Boys School and Lady Margaret’s School art departments. Naive owner Mustafa Kondoz says he was in awe of the dedication of local schoolteachers who did not receive the same acclaim as their NHS counterparts during the height of the pandemic. “As we got to know them as customers, we could see clearly how these individuals were providing a lifeline for their pupils throughout the pandemic and some told us stories about children who were using art to deal with difficult feelings of isolation. Painting Brighter Futures will hopefully help them to keep accessing this resource going forward.” Head of Art & Design at Fulham Boys School Joe Brasse said: “Art allows our boys to examine what it means to be human, to voice and express, and to bring people and ideas together. For many of our boys, art has become a respite or a form of escapism amid the pandemic. The funds from this auction will provide opportunities to explore bespoke practices and improve the department’s offering of specialist equipment.”

We wrote about Naive when they opened at 75 Parsons Green and have been in to sample their coffee for ourselves on many an occasion. If you have yet to try Naïve’s unique coffee experience, their high quality coffee blends are made from small batches of beans bought at a fair trade price from all over the world through a microlot farming system. These are special lots of coffee, selected for their high quality and unique flavour profiles, grown on farms/estates in limited quantities and picked and processed separately. Whilst you’re there soak up the unique interiors and the delicious food also on offer.