September is already here
and although the summer seems to have
flown by, it’s been busy
and eventful. Here's a short round up of our activities over the summer months...
Listed Islington
We've
recently launched Our Eyes on Islington – a two-year project
in partnership with Historic England and the LB of Islington that will review
Islington’s Locally Listed buildings with a team of volunteers and make it
publicly accessible through a bespoke website. The
existing list has not been
reviewed for the last 20 years, and given London’s fast pace of change, the
project is timely and hopes to uncover and celebrate the borough’s rich built
environment heritage.
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| Volunteer Induction: Building Surveying |
So far we’ve had a very
positive response to our call out for volunteers and have hosted
a series of training sessions and events including a visit to the Islington Local History Centre and talks from industry professionals from Historic
England and the Islington Society.
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| Volunteers at Islington Local History Centre Archives |
With
more events scheduled for
the autumn, and 1,200 buildings to be surveyed, our volunteers certainly have their work cut out for them!
But their enthusiasm and
interest is overwhelming and we are looking forward to their findings!
Senior BEEs and LLDC Consultation
In mid-August, our Senior
BEEs were invited for a consultation session at the London Aquatics Centre about
the proposals for the new Cultural and Education District masterplan in the
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Hosted by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), LDA Design, architects
Allies & Morrison and Soundings, the BEEs were given a tour of the
temporary exhibition outlining the plans for Stratford Waterfront and UCL East.
The session was very
informative with discussion topics ranging from building design concepts and
public spaces to public transport, pedestrian access, building materials and
size.
The
consultation builds on the
Senior BEEs’ long-term interest and engagement with the Olympic site, and group
members were keen to voice their views on the planned development, including
how the scheme can be designed to meet the needs of older people. The group were particularly
inspired and excited about sense of scale of the development and the plans to
include new complementary venues for cultural organisations such as the V&A
and Sadler’s Wells
Summer Stroll in EC1
The August sunshine provided perfect conditions for our Summer Stroll in EC1 as part of our ongoing project Our Place Too funded by the People's Health Trust*. Members of the Islington Eyes came together with Age UK Islington service users for an urban exploration, a walking tour focusing on the ever-changing streets around Old Street.
Setting off from Ironmonger
Row Baths the route took the walkers past contrasting scenes including tranquil
gardens, housing estates, building sites,
a hospital, commercial developments and two
cemeteries.
Stopping regularly to
take in the buildings and consider the history, those who live in the area shared their memories and knowledge of a neighbourhood in the midst of intensive change.
*The project has been made possible with the funding from People's Health Trust using money raised by HealthPromote through The Health Lottery.
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| Senior BEEs discussing with LLDC and Soundings. Photo courtesy: Soundings |
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| Senior BEEs talk building heights and public transport with Allies & Morrison |
Summer Stroll in EC1
The August sunshine provided perfect conditions for our Summer Stroll in EC1 as part of our ongoing project Our Place Too funded by the People's Health Trust*. Members of the Islington Eyes came together with Age UK Islington service users for an urban exploration, a walking tour focusing on the ever-changing streets around Old Street.
 |
| EC1 Strolling through light and shadows at The Bower |
*The project has been made possible with the funding from People's Health Trust using money raised by HealthPromote through The Health Lottery.
