Free Summer Toy Swap Fellowship Square 13th August 11am to 4pm - Support Climate Action and tackle the Cost of Living at the same time!
On Saturday 13th August in partnership with Walthamstow Toy Library, we will be holding a summer toy swap at Fellowship Square by the Fountains as part of the Go East Kids takeover of the site. Running between 11am to 4pm, bring along toys your children no longer want to play with and exchange them for something new to help keep children in Walthamstow entertained as well as reduce the environmental impact.
Swapping toys is simple way of helping support local families to manage the costs of entertaining children over the summer break whilst also reducing the amount of waste being sent to landfill - research shows 8.5 million toys are thrown away every year in the UK.
If you would like to volunteer to help this project and support this event on the day please do get in touch.
The People’s Pavilion Festival is a free community festival in Lea Bridge Library produced by Beyond The Box and a team of young cultural producers from across East London. July 29th- August 11th.
The project is a bold new approach to collaborative design and production. It seeks to discover the young place-makers of tomorrow, flipping the script on who gets to design and curate cultural spaces. It seeks to empower young Londoners to design and build a temporary pavilion that embodies and discovers what it means for young people to take up space in their city, whilst inspiring a generation of young designers, makers, and creatives.
https://www.beyondtheboxcic.com/peoples-pavilion-2023
Avengers Cricket Club: Summer Cricket Sessions
Avenger Cricket Club is based at Leyton Cricket Ground and will be running summer cricket sessions three times a week throughout August. The sessions are free for refugees and low income families and full details of activities provided in the flyer above. They will also be running a community and family day on Friday 25th August.
Please email: email@avengers.london to get involved and reserve your spot at these cricket camps.
The Mill: Free Kids' Art Workshops This Summer
This summer The Mill Community Centre on Coppermill Lane will be hosting a series of free kids' art workshops. The workshops will range from collage to printmaking and are a fun and free way to keep kids engaged over the summer.
Places are limited so please email kidsart@themille17.org or call 020 8521 3211 to reserve your space.
Break the Cycle: Summer Youth Hub
Break the Cycle, in partnership with Waltham Forest, is running a weekly summer youth hub for young residents aged 16-25. The youth hub offers a space to play games, listen to music, relax and make new friends.
Please call 07535 280467 to RSVP or visit www.breakthecycle.org for more information. These sessions will be held up in Chingford at 3 Ching Way every Wednesday throughout the summer between 5pm to 8.30pm.
Songs & Smiles: Intergenerational Music Group
Songs & Smiles is an intergenerational music group for 0-4 year olds, their grownups and older people living in care homes and assisted living schemes. The Group help connect those who may be isolated with young children who learn about music and those from different generations.
Songs & Smiles sessions are held on Mondays and Wednesday mornings each week in two local care homes and are free/donate-what-you-can to take part. Spaces are limited and first come first served, so to avoid disappointment please book your space now. The organisers are also looking for volunteers to help run sessions - please get in touch if you would be interested in more information on this role.
Highams Hill Park: Home Made Community Cafe
The Home Made Community Cafe runs a series of child friendly weekly classes and activities. Activities include storytelling, craft sessions, music and rhyme and breastfeeding sessions.
The Home Made cafe is a community cafe, and believes in equal opportunity and accessible services. Please visit Home Made Community Cafe – Home Made Community Cafe (wordpress.com) to find out more.
Summer Starts Here: Fellowship Square
Starting from Saturday 22 July until the end of August, expect a fun packed 6-week programme of free and ticketed activities and events. There’s something for all ages, family and friends! From sports, dancing, arts performances, to yoga, wellness, festivals, summer markets, events, entertainment and of course against the backdrop of our high-tech fountain displays. Find out more at Summer Holidays Week 1: Sports and Dancing | London Borough of Waltham Forest
Fellowship Square Trail
The square consists of historic buildings and grounds that make up the whole campus and an open site for the whole community to enjoy.
Let Amity the lion, guide you around the square. This fun trail for all the family, it contains interesting Fellowship Facts which tell the story of the location, the buildings and the people. You can also complete Amity's Activities as you go around. Pick up a copy of the trail booklet from the Fellowship Square information stand by the fountain. Return to collect a prize once you have finished.
Chingford Mount Window Art Trail
Waltham Forest Council are offering residents a fun, free and exciting summer activity. Explore Chingford Mount town centre to find 18 pieces of window artwork, hand-painted onto local shop windows. Each window artwork has been designed using the unique character of the local shop window they’re painted on and, following themes of safety and unity, features a local resident story that you’ll be able to read more about by locating the poster next to each art piece. Find out more here.
Waltham Forest Libraries
Over the course of the summer libraries around Waltham Forest will be running a series of free craft sessions, story telling and play sessions, film and chess clubs and more. Find out more about the fantastic events being hosted at libraries across the borough here.
People's Pavilion Festival 2023
The People’s Pavilion Festival is a free community festival produced by Beyond The Box and a team of young cultural producers from across East London.
The project is a bold new approach to collaborative design and production. It seeks to discover the young place-makers of tomorrow, flipping the script on who gets to design and curate cultural spaces. It seeks to empower young Londoners to design and build a temporary pavilion that embodies and discovers what it means for young people to take up space in their city, whilst inspiring a generation of young designers, makers, and creatives. Find out more here.
Summer Makers Market - 13th August & 10th September
The Creative Side of London is holding a series of Maker Markets in the heart of Walthamstow. Come and enjoy the food, fountains and lots of your local creative artisans. The markets are totally free, pet friendly and accessible. Find out more here.
Contacting my office
Please note you can reach my office via the email address office@workingforwalthamstow.org.uk or on 020 8521 1223 9.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday.
My staff and I hold regular online surgeries to meet with local residents. To book into these please call the office or email the above contact email with details of what you wish to discuss, and your address to confirm you are a Walthamstow resident.
If you would like to keep up to date with what is happening in Walthamstow and my work as your MP, sign up to my newsletter.
You can also keep in touch via social media: