This week the Council finally listened to us! 

Our beloved Tooting Bec Athletics Track will be saved and get the investment it so desperately needs and deserves.  

To lose such a valuable asset in our community would be a devastating blow to so many of our young people. Having this track will be useful for encouraging young people to be physically active and lead a healthy lifestyle. 

Thank you to everyone who joined the efforts to save our track!

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Rites for Girls is a local group which aims aims to prepare girls for that all-important transition from primary to secondary school, focusing on their wellbeing and self-esteem.

Girls in Year 6 and 7 are being offered the opportunity to participate in monthly sessions over the course of the year, in which they will be taught about puberty, and learn strategies to take charge of their emotional, social, and physical wellbeing.

As we look to the end of Government lockdown measures, during which time many girls have reported feeling disconnected from family and friends, the support Rites for Girls offers girls is more important than ever.

Sessions will be held at the Woodfield Pavilion, Tooting Bec Common. For more information see here, or to book a place for your daughter contact [email protected].

The ongoing pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we live our lives, and it is understandable that this will have an impact on our mental health.

As we enter a national lockdown, it is vital that we all take care of our mental health. There are many brilliant services available to offer advice and support, and there is never any shame in asking for help.

If you are facing a mental health crisis, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123, any time, day or night. If you are not comfortable speaking over the phone, you can also text SHOUT to 85258. They also have an advice page offering tips on how to take care of your mental health during the pandemic.

If you are aged between 13-25, you can call The Mix on 0808 808 4994, with any question. They will connect you with experts and peers who will give you the support and advice you need. You can also phone Childline on 0800 1111, or speak directly to a counsellor here.

For the LGBT+ community, you can call Switchboard on 0300 330 0630 or email [email protected]. All phone operators identify as LGBT+. Stonewall are also available on 08000 50 2020 for advice on a range of issues.

If you are facing domestic abuse, you can call Refuge on 0808 2000 247, or access their online chat feature here. Women’s Aid live chat feature is also open here. Both of these websites have an option to quickly exit their sites and wipe them from your browser history.

I am aware that many local residents are concerned about the proposed Tooting Triangle development. Plans to upgrade the site’s facilities and amenities – replacing the artificial football pitch with a modern surface, and building new changing rooms, public toilets, a children’s play area, and a café – are welcome. However, the proposal to fund the improvements via a 25-year lease of the new facilities to TFL Leisure – a private company – is more controversial.

The fence set to be constructed around the new football pitch, and the lack of clarity as to whether the upgraded children’s Stay & Play facility will remain free to use, have prompted concerns that the development will put public land behind a literal paywall. I am sure you will agree that if the recent lockdowns have taught us anything, it is that there is a need for more publicly accessible green spaces – not less.

As it stands, the proposed development would see a reduction in the area available to the Balham Boxing Club compared with their current provision. Issues have also been raised regarding the smaller size of the female changing rooms compared to the men's, and the impact floodlighting could have on the Triangle’s resident bat population, among other things.

I understand that discussions on the proposed development are ongoing.

Please be assured that I am keeping a close eye on this evolving situation - we all want what's best for our local community.

The latest NHS data shows that from July to September this year the number of urgent referrals for children and young people suffering with eating disorders has almost doubled from the same period in 2019.

On 9 December, Alex Norris MP and I spoke with Dr Agnes Ayton, Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Eating Disorder Faculty, mental health campaigner Hope Virgo, the Centre for Mental Health, Beat and Young Minds UK to discuss eating disorders and explore ways to alleviate them.

We urgently need a public mental health strategy which supports people with eating disorders. Christmas can be an especially difficult period, and it is vital that we remain sensitive to the fact that the focus on food and indulgence can cause individuals suffering with eating disorders real distress.

Young people struggling with their mental health need urgent support. Please rest assured that I will continue to press the Government for it.

I look forward to the New Year, where I will be looking to engage further with the sector as well as individuals with lived experience of eating disorders.