Wansteadium

Family and friends of Jill Stock, the much-loved Wanstead character who was killed in a road traffic collision last year, are raising money for a bench on Wanstead High Street in her memory.

Jill was a stalwart of community activities, including Neighbourhood Watch, PTAs, street parties and many small acts of kindness. Her daughter Kate, writing on a fundraising site, said:

Mum was a friend to so many –  she would do anything to help someone in need. She cared for everyone, especially the old and vulnerable, and she hated injustice. When something was wrong and needed resolving nobody was more tenacious than our Mum. She loved Wanstead – she said it was ‘a very special community’ so in her memory, we’d like to put a bench in Wanstead High Street in memory of this very special person.

Contributions can be made via this page.

Wanstead cricketing legend Arfan Akram has been highlighted by the Daily Mail as an unsung hero in an article which explains some of the work done in East London and Essex to engage diverse communities.

The article by Paul Newman is here.

An appeal to help give homeless people accommodation during the winter has been launched by the Wanstead Parish.

The churches are hoping to raise £3,500 to help give homeless people somewhere to stay – in part because the parish is unable to offer winter night shelter accommodation, as it did last year, because of coronavirus restrictions.

The appeal would give the homeless people somewhere safe and warm to stay, a meal, professional support from a caseworker and medical experts, and befriending from volunteers. The cost for each person is £25 per night – but £5 of this will be funded by the local authority.

Full details of the appeal are here on the Aviva Community fundraising site.

While many residents across Redbridge have in the past few months objected to ‘quiet streets’ projects – roads closed with planters to reduce through-traffic – people living in one Wanstead road are calling for the council to stop it being used as a rat run.

Mansfield Road is used by vehicles avoiding the traffic lights at George Green – in part to get to and from the A12 slip roads – but residents say the number of pedestrians and Wanstead High School pupils who use the road make it unsuitable for the traffic levels.

A petition residents have started on the Redbridge site says: “Traffic often builds up halfway down the road. The air quality is severely affected during peak times, posing a serious threat.”

They are asking the council to investigate and introduce traffic calming measures such as speed bumps or a one-way system.

Longtime Wansteadium reader Kat Ibrahim is encouraging fellow readers to avoid spending loads of money on shop-bought decorations this Christmas.

She said: “I want to share this idea to adorn our homes with fallen branches, stems and other items from nature. I hope it will inspire people to forage in their garden and see what they can make. It’s a very relaxing process, it’s very economical and there’s no need to buy more stuff.”