1972 - 2010
Now in its 39th year
Reg. Charity No. 1046082
Part-funded by Lewisham Council
Postal Address:
The Ringway Centre
268 Baring Road,
Grove Park,
London SE12 0DS
(opposite Coopers Lane)
CONTENTS
________________
CONTACT INFORMATION
All enquiries to the
Centre Manager
Mr Paul Beresford
Tel: (020) 8857 7980
email addresses:
(for hiring enquiries only) paul268ringwaycentre
(for Community Group)
The Grove Park Community Group
at the
RINGWAY CENTRE
Future Plans
Creative Ringway: Vision of the New Centre?
On Saturday January 17th 2009, we held an informal seminar in the Ringway Centre to shape and discuss the creative ideas and the challenges involved in building a new purpose-designed centre here for Grove Park. The idea of an attractive Grove Park "village green" with a state of the art eco-building (e.g solar panels, wind turbine etc.) still excites our imaginations, although having a day to explore the practical implications of this made us all reflect on the actual provision of services and voluntary activity that might be possible - without losing touch with the historic aims of the Grove Park Community Group in encouraging local voluntary groups and fighting to protect green spaces in Grove Park.
Amongst several visualisations was an "E-shaped" building, parallel to Baring Road, with the possibility of either gates, or glass doors to an atrium-style area, leading the eye towards the grass and copse at the rear; or a possible glass-enclosed frontage showing café and corridor-style informal gallery space, as part of reception. Beyond these the centre would have to balance the provision of office and function space to standard public or social enterprise users with the facilitating of similar space for local voluntary groups, as at present. This would also apply to the use of larger spaces, including a well-designed performing arts space. The addition of a classroom/study area would establish a base for visiting children and students, especially those exploring artistic or scientific themes in the Nature Reserve.
But for all these things, and more to move forward, the Community Group must build up further partnerships with other local groups and volunteers and try to lead the celebration of our creative green space.
For now, we have enough detail to begin commissioning real architectural feasibility plans. All the more reason why YOUR opinions and design ideas matter now. Change built on the ideas of experts or executives alone does not last, but change that we can believe in depends on the willingness of us all to be creative with what already lies around us.
Mark Ingleby, Chair, Creative Ringway sub-committee of GPCG
Chair, Friends of Grove Park Nature Reserve