​Recently I visited the fantastic Balham Ballers holiday club, based at Ravensbourne Primary school. 

Balham Ballers provide a sports programme for young people aged five to twelve over the school holidays,  focusing mainly on football but also giving young people a chance to enjoy a wide range of other sporting activities. I have loved working with the Balham Ballers team over the last few years and it has been fantastic to see them go from strength to strength. 

Balham Ballers are passionate about promoting a love of sports amongst both boys and girls. This is something that I am particularly supportive of. Following the Lionesses' fantastic win at the Euros earlier this month, the England football team have said "every girl should be given the chance to play football at school." However, currently only 63% of schools offer equal access to football, a number that falls to just 44% at secondary schools. 

It was great to see so many young people in our community enjoying football, and I even took a penalty myself! 

To find out more about the Balham Ballers, click here. 

It was great to visit the wonderful volunteers at the White Eagle Club in Balham recently. The Tooting and Balham Community has rallied together to support the appeal for Ukraine since the Russian invasion in March. 

Since the appeal was launched, the White Eagle Club has sent 74 trucks, 112 vans, and a massive 1,800 tonnes of goods to Ukraine as part of their humanitarian aid mission. They have also provided many Ukrainian nationals who have recently fled to the UK with clothes, shoes, toiletries, and supplies for babies and infants. 

It’s always amazing to see the community come together to help those in need. 

There is however, still much more that the White Eagle Club needs, both for Ukrainian nationals arriving in the UK and to be sent to those still living in Ukraine. 

Items that are most in need include; medical supplies, toiletries, sanitary products and baby powder, as well as clothes for those who have recently arrived in the UK. 

You can donate items to 211 Balham High Street at the following times:

Tuesdays: 11.00 - 20.00 
Wednesday: 10.00 - 17.00
Thursday: 11.00-20.00
Friday: 10.00-17.00
Saturday 10.00-17.00 
​

On Monday 13 June, I was delighted to welcome organisations and individuals from across Balham, Earlsfield, Furzedown and Tooting to Parliament, in order to recognise their fantastic contributions to society in the face of adversity in the last few years. It was a sheer joy to see the pillars of our communities together in one place and I look forward to continuing to collaborate and support the inspiring people who do so much for the local area. 

I presented the following organisations and individuals with trophies for truly exceptional services in the community:
Councillor Andy Gibbons, for his dedicated public service over the last three decades.
Balham and Tooting Community Association; for their absolutely fantastic work to build a better community and bring people together.
Dons Local Action Group, for their crucial and brilliant work across southwest London to support those most in need.
Earlsfield Foodbank; for their vital support to those who need it throughout these challenging times
White Eagle Club; for their heroic work to coordinate relief efforts to Ukraine, and their kindness shown in their community outreach work.

I awarded Tooting Heroes certificates to those detailed below for their fantastic work in various sectors, listed by area:
Wandsworth
Care4Calais, for providing direct aid and access to legal support to refugees and asylum seekers.
Chefs in Schools, for the promotion of health eating among young people and serving nutritious, tasty and inexpensive meals in local schools.
Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers, for working to widen access opportunities by providing information, tools and resources to refugees and asylum seekers.
CREW Energy, for providing support and advice for people with their energy and utility bills, and working to reduce carbon emissions across south west London.
Geoff Simmons, for organising walking tours of the local area and shining a light on Wandsworth’s rich history.
Georgie Temple, for working to bring joy and lighten lives during the pandemic by performing her wonderful music  outside people’s homes who were unable to leave.
Healthwatch , for being champions of people using health and social care services through highlighting the inequalities within the system.
Pure Football Academy, for providing access to sport and exercise for young people in the community.
Share Community Kitchen, for offering life skills training to those with learning disabilities, autism, and mental health needs.
Wandsworth Food Bank, for distributing vital donations of food and essentials to those most in need.
Wandsworth Police, for keeping Wandsworth’s street safe and ensuring our community’s security at all times.
Wandsworth Welcomes Refugees, for working with the community to provide sanctuary to refugees and asylum seekers and to raise awareness of their situations.

Balham
Beautify Balham, for working to enhance the local environment through litter-picks and other community initiatives.
Friends of Tooting Common, for promoting and protecting our important green spaces for all who use them.
Love Triangle, for donating over 18,000 meals to food banks during the pandemic.
Nightingale Community Academy, for offering a safe and nurturing environment for young people to learn and grow.
Ravenstone Primary School, for providing a fantastic educational environment for young children in Balham.
St Anselm’s Primary School, for providing a superb education to children in the community
St Mary's Church, Balham, for working towards community cohesion and promoting interfaith relations.
Tom's Farm, for offering students opportunities to learn about empathy while caring for animals.
Tooting Common Parkrun, for promoting exercise and healthy living in the fantastic local green spaces.
Trinity St Mary’s Primary School, for providing a fantastic learning experience for young members of our community.

Earlsfield and Wandsworth Common
Beatrix Potter School, for their great work to provide a safe and fun learning environment for their pupils.
Burntwood School, for educating and preparing young people for success in the wider world.
Earlsfield Primary School, for giving their students the best possible start.
Floreat Primary School, for providing a wonderful educational facility for children to learn and grow.
Nicholas Stewart Project, for working to prevent violence amongst young people and support families and communities after tragedy.
Oak Lodge School, for their key efforts to create a harmonious learning environment.
Swaffield Primary School, for their work to cultivate a safe learning space for their children.

Furzedown
1,000 Trees, for their crucial work in protecting our green spaces and wider environment.
Anastasia Capewell Congdon; for her key work in our community at Gift from Furzedown.
Furzedown Community Network, for their brilliant efforts to bring people together and co-ordinate superb community events.
Goldfinch Primary, for their great work in creating a positive learning environment for their pupils.
Graham Loveland, for his dedication to his work and vital contributions to the community over the years.
Lynn Selwyn-Reeves; for her superb community efforts at Furzedown Art Studio.
Penwortham Primary, for the school’s key efforts in building students’ confidence and early education.
Plastic Free Furzedown, for the organisations fantastic work to campaign for a better environment and improve local recycling.
St Paul's Church, for promoting interfaith values and relations, and giving the community a vital gathering space
Wandsworth Oasis, for their tremendous support to those living with HIV and providing excellent charity shops in the borough

Tooting
Al Risalah Secondary School, for their excellent work in preparing young people for their future.
Broadwater Primary School. for their outstanding work to kickstart children’s education.
Communication Workers Union, for protecting our local postal workers through their vital campaigning for workers’ rights.
Critical NHS, for their absolutely crucial work in giving support to our brave NHS workers during the pandemic.
Ernest Bevin College and Sixth Form Centre, for their services to young people and their families.
Fircroft Primary School, for the school’s key contributions to their pupils’ foundational years.
Franciscan Primary School, for providing a safe and supportive environment for their students
GMB, St George's Branch, for supporting St George’s Hospital workers and for excellent work in campaigning for workers’ rights.
Smallwood Primary School, for their brilliant work in cultivating a caring environment for their pupils.
St Boniface RC Primary School, for working exceptionally to support their students and provide a safe learning space for them.
St George's Hospital Charity, for working to fund improvements to our brilliant local hospital and their vital support provided during the pandemic.

Balham and Tooting Newsie, for their constant and reliable updates on news and events in our local area, and hard work to promote local businesses.
Broadwater School Streets, for their superb work to make our streets safer for children and families.
Church Lane Mosque, for their vital work in building interfaith relationships and providing a brilliant community space.
Forever Fishponds, for their hard work protecting our green spaces in Tooting and creating a positive environment in our community.
Mushkil Aasaan, for their vital community and outreach work in the area.
Pearl Chemist Vaccination Centre, for their tireless work throughout the pandemic in supporting the community and providing vaccinations to countless people.
Royal Mahal, for being a key community hub and a shining example of a successful local business.
The King's Head Pub, for their work in the community to foster a positive environment for our community and creating a brilliant entertainment venue.
Tooting Islamic Centre, for their brilliant work towards building community cohesion and promoting interfaith relations.
Tooting Works, for providing a fantastic community space and work environment.

I would like to thank all those who attended - I cannot overstate how proud I am of our community. Each and every one of you is a true Tooting Hero.

The Local Elections are hastily approaching on 5th May. After 44 long years of Tory rule, Wandsworth needs a breath of fresh air and a Labour council. 

Over the next four weeks, I will be out on the campaign trail - knocking on doors, delivering leaflets and working to help our fantastic Labour candidates. 

I would like to thank all the local residents for their support and warm welcome on the doorstep.

Together we can turn Labour red this May!

​Balham has a long and proud history, and its architecture is of real importance to the local community; and Balham Railway Bridge is a prominent and important feature of this historical architecture. Unfortunately in recent years, the bridge’s grandeur has sadly faded beyond all recognition.

I recently spoke with the local community group Beautify Balham who have made suggestions, such as painting the bridge an attractive colour, re-painting the metal columns, and installing up-lighting to showcase the bridge.

I am wholly supportive of these suggestions. As such, I wrote to Network Rail, asking them to consider incorporating these simple yet impactful improvements as part of the £2.6 million investment they have committed to restore Balham Station.

Swift action was taken and I was delighted to hear that the Bridge has had its first coat of paint!

It has been a pleasure to support the wonderful Beautify Balham volunteers with this campaign and I would like to especially thank Councillor Clare Fraser, who works so hard to support local residents. 

I was deeply concerned - as I know many local residents were - to hear of plans to close Balham station to outward passengers from next Monday until December 2021.

While I recognise the scheduled repairs to the escalator are essential works, it is important to me that residents are not inconvenienced by the planned updates. Indeed, I also appreciate that it was alarming for many to learn that the closure was to begin in less than a week, lasting for such an extended period of time.

It is my understanding that the decision to close Balham station to outward travelling passengers was taken after a trial closure of the downward escalator indicated that use of the staircase at peak travel times was resulting in over-crowding and therefore social distancing was difficult.

I called a meeting with Transport for London to outline my concerns and discuss alternatives, such as more staff at the station to support social distancing at peak travel times. I am pleased to announce that as a result of this meeting, TfL have agreed to undertake a week-long trial at Balham Station, which will see the staircase open for use throughout the day and outward travel therefore possible from the station. 

The trial will commence on Monday 28th June and last 3-4 days. Following the trial, TfL will assess whether outward travel from Balham during the planned escalator repairs is viable.

During this time - and beyond should the trial prove successful - I would recommend additional time is allowed for travel through Balham Station. By doing so, we increase the likelihood of a successful trial. More importantly, we can all play our part to ensure all residents can travel safely.

Please check back for further updates on this situation.

​Today Muslims across the UK and around the world mark the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.

As a proud Muslim, the period of reflection, prayer, and fasting is incredibly important to our Muslim community. 

Traditionally, Ramadan is a time for gathering and sharing Iftar with family and friends. Although, like last year, we are unable to come together and celebrate as we normally would, the spirit of Ramadan remains. 

To every Muslim nurse and doctor who have saved countless lives throughout this pandemic, to every volunteer and community leader in our Mosques and community centres who continue to support those most vulnerable, and to every Muslim in Tooting and across the country, I wish you all Ramadan Mubarak. 

Many local residents have shared with me their concerns about pickpocketing in the Balham area. 

I have met with Wandsworth Police about this issue, who I know are working hard to ensure that our streets are safe. I have been assured that the police have now increased foot patrols around identified hotspots, in order to identify suspects and to tackle these worrying crimes. 

Unfortunately, although these crimes are reported on social media, very few of these are reported directly to the police. In order that the police can act on crime, it is vital that any offences are reported as soon as it is possible to do so, either via 999 or 101. This will help the police identify where to direct resources and provide the best opportunity to apprehend those responsible.

Stay safe.

Last week the Balham and Tooting Community Association (BATCA) celebrated its 15th anniversary.

BATCA is a network of diverse individuals and organisations committed to creating a cohesive, thriving community in Balham and Tooting. Their annual events – the Fun Day on Broadwater Road, the Tooting Broadway Peace Ceremony, and the Community Heroes Awards – are local institutions. BATCA have continued their good works throughout the pandemic, moving events online and acting as a platform for groups to share news and information.

BATCA are always looking to welcome new members to help them further the organisation’s aims. Click here to find out more, and to join this wonderful collective.