July 2011 Archives

Kensington and Chelsea College is helping students save money with a range of discounted courses.

The college has introduced a bursary scheme following the government's decision to scrap the Educational Maintenance Allowance.

A tea party to support and raise funds for the Down's Syndrome Association of Nigeria and the UK, is being held on Saturday August 13.

The party and fashion show will be at the Harrington Hall Hotel in Harrington Gardens, Kensington from 2-5pm.

Six major social landlords have lent their support for a new Crossrail station in North Kensington.

Octavia Housing, Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation, Catalyst Housing Group, Affinity Sutton, The Sheppard Trust and Viridian Housing are all backing the station to improve employment rates and access to public transport.

Anyone wanting to give nature a helping hand in the Royal Borough can get stuck into some vital wildlife projects.

Kensington and Chelsea Council and Groundwork London are inviting residents to become part of a new Taskforce 4 Nature to help improve the wildlife value of parks and open spaces.

A mum who came to London unable to speak English and with no qualifications, realised a life-long dream to go to university after going back to college.

Pranvera Vrina, originally from Albania, was crowned Kensington and Chelsea College's learner of the year in a special awards ceremony, rewarding her determination to earn the qualifications needed to start a degree course.

The ambitious 25 year-old took her first steps in learning with a course in English, before progressing onto IT, GCSE maths, English and science, and access to humanities and social sciences, which paved the way to university.

Transport and parking services in two London boroughs will be managed by one man as the councils cement their plans to share departments.

Kensington and Chelsea and Hammersmith and Fulham councils have agreed on the appointment of Mahmood Siddiqi as director of transport and highways.

He was previously head of highways and traffic at Kensington and Chelsea, where he has worked for 11 years, initially as a principal engineer.

Mystery surrounds the death of a man who was discovered by passers-by lying in a Chelsea alleyway.

The body of 33-year-old Juris Prohorovs was discovered at the foot of some scaffolding, in a passageway just off Fulham Road.

As the countdown to the London Olympics continues, plans are underway for a festival to celebrate the occasion.

The 2012 Exhibition Road Festival, running from July 28 to August 5 next year, is Kensington and Chelsea's way of celebrating the Games, with activities and events which will also celebrate the new streetscape of the South Kensington road.

The first tri-borough director in Britain will take over children's services in three West London boroughs.

Andrew Christie will be the children's services director of Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Westminster Councils, following formal interviews last week.
In the new role, Mr Christie will manage a budget of more than half a billion pounds.

The appointment is part of plans to combine children's services across the three boroughs in a bid to protect frontline services and help save £11.8m a year.

Creative pensioners at a Chelsea day centre have been making their own art works thanks to an arts charity.

For the third year running, Create returned to the Miranda Barry Day Centre with its 10 week project, 'art:links,' which helped 12 of its pensioners produce art, giving them confidence and stimulation and reducing isolation.

To begin with, the participants talked about what gives them a sense of dignity, and about the film and music stars of their youth.