Zak Dada Talks Merton Mutual Aid & Power of Community
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After the first lockdown, Genevieve caught up with Zak Dada, the straight A* student who started Merton Mutual Aid. They discussed how he went from being an A Level student, to running such a large and important group that helped people across Merton at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Running Merton Mutual Aid was Zak’s first experience of volunteering, and helped him to discover a new love for our Merton community. Click here to read more from Zak, and get ready to be inspired by his story.
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Keeping the Arts Alive With Merton Music Foundation
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Just in time for International Music Day 2020, we caught up with local charity, Merton Music Foundation, to find out how they use music and creativity to enrich the lives of children and adults across Merton, ensuring that they have a well-rounded education and life experience that is inclusive of the arts.
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Within 2 weeks of lockdown, they had moved all of their activities online to enable the majority of their students to continue learning despite the many challenges. Click here to learn more about how they bring music to Merton's schools and communities, and how you can get involved.
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A Bright Future for Mitcham's New Community Venue - Sherwood Park Hall
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We're always excited to welcome new community venues to Merton, and Sherwood Park Hall CIC in Mitcham has been no exception.
Having opened in October this year, they have adapted to lockdown restrictions by launching an online platform of their services and introducing Entertainment Thursdays where they keep the community engaged and interacting online with quizzes, bingo, and karaoke. Join them tonight for their Bye Bye 2020 Pub Quiz, and click here to read about their future plans which include Mini-Golf, a new app, and more. Exciting times ahead for this venue!
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Community Spirit & Continued Collaboration at the Mansel Road Centre
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For the past 5 years, the Trinity United Reformed Church in Wimbledon has hosted its annual Christmas Tree Festival which has become a part of the town's festive traditions.
Unfortunately, the event couldn't go ahead this year due to Covid, so Genevieve decided to catch-up with Elizabeth to see what this venue has been getting up to throughout 2020.
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During the peak of Summer, this sign (pictured left) at the venue entrance summed up the welcoming and inclusive nature of this venue - one that tries to help anyone coming through its doors.
In our Wimblecomm Spotlight, they shared numerous ways that they have collaborated with local businesses and supermarkets to get donations for cleaning products; and even shared their plans to reduce hire rates to help local businesses to operate with lower numbers. To pick up a few tips and learn more about this wonderful venue at the heart of Wimbledon, click here to continue reading.
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Local Events That Went Virtual in 2020
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Wimbledon Guild's Waggy Walk is one of their biggest fundraisers of the year, with all money raised helping to fund the charity's ongoing works to support people across Merton. This year, they took the event virtual and still managed to get a good turnout, raise funds, and attract new people. Click here to read all about it.
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Very few things stayed the same this year, so the return of Wimbledon BookFest on the Common was a welcomed exception. As with most events, many adjustments had to be made to enable the festival to go on, but the determination of the team and volunteers made it a success. Taking things a step further, Wimbledon BookFest Digital was then born to allow the broader community to get involved, and ensure that people who missed out on tickets could still get the Wimbledon BookFest 2020 experience. Click here to read more. |
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Upcoming Online Events in Merton
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Introducing Merton Libraries Online Children's Book Club! Launching in 2021, this book club will cater to children aged 7-11 with monthly meetings to discuss their chosen books.
We will be updating events as often as we can, so keep visiting our Wimblecomm What's On page for more online events to keep you and your loved ones entertained. Additionally, if there are any community events that you would like to submit or think we have missed, get in touch.
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Following on from the success of Film Merton, the New Horizon Film Club is launching to provide a free ‘Cinema for All’ for the Merton community. Become a member for FREE to watch the selection of movies available, interact with people across Merton, and enjoy. Click here for more information.
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Would you like to feature on Wimblecomm?
On our blog, we often feature articles such as event reviews or ideas of things that you can do in your local community. As we look forward to connecting with more people in 2021, we'd like to feature more content from you. So, if you have any ideas. positive stories, creative projects, or events to share with the people of Merton, get in touch.
You can also join us in using the #ConnectingPeoplePlacesPassions and #ConnectingMerton hashtags on social media to share the great works that happen in Merton throughout the year.
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