There’s a free dog micro-chipping day next Wednesday (12th August) in Manor Park.   It’s absolutely free for dogs owned by Lewisham residents.   Microchipping is a safe, permanent form of ID that can help reunite owners with their dogs should they become lost or stolen.

The microchipping session will be held on Wednesday 12 August from 12 – 4 pm on board the Waste Education Trailer, which will be parked in Manor Park.

If you want to get your dog chipped, take along:

• Proof of ownership such as a bill, vet card or pedigree papers 
• Proof you live in the borough, e.g., Council Tax statement or utility bill

 More info from the Animal Welfare team on 020 8314 2098 or just turn up on the day.

The day is organised by the Council, in conjunction with the south east London branch of the RSPCA, Battersea Dogs & Cats home and our local Safer Neighbourhood Teams.

Having stuck his head above the parapet and offered himself for election as our local MP, you might have thought my colleague Pete Pattisson had taken on enough new challenges lately.  But no – Pete’s now signed up to do the London 10k run on behalf of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, along with his wife Jo.

The Suzy Lamplugh trust works to raise awareness of the importance of personal safety and to help people avoid violence and agression.  I know they do a lot of work with vulnerable lone workers (like housing officers) so it’s a great cause.

If you’d like to sponsor Pete and Jo, you can do so here.

I spent a few hours on Saturday with members of South London Citizens, talking to businesses on Burnt Ash Hill about the City Safe project.

South London Citizens have been working with Our Lady of Lourdes Church and local residents and businesses for almost a year, in response to the murder of Jimmy Mizen.  The aim is to make people feel safe again, restore a sense of community and emphasis that young people aren’t the problem, but are part of the solution. 

Almost all the businesses in Burnt Ash Hill are supporting the project – pledging to report all crime to the police and keep an eye on one another.  When the local safer neighbourhoods panel heard about the work, we agreed to make Burnt Ash Hill a priority area for the local police team.

On Saturday, we were asking the businesses to go one step further and become a ‘City Safe Haven’ – somewhere safe a young person in danger can turn to.  We had a fantastic response, with over 30 businesses signing up, and displaying the special sticker in their windows.

I’m really pleased to support this project, which is bringing together the whole community on Burnt Ash Hill – businesses, residents and the church.  The photo shows me presenting Alika Barbers with their City Safe Haven certificate.

My colleague Cllr Sven Griesenbeck is working with residents on Cambridge Drive to tackle speeding traffic on their road.  Cambridge Drive isn’t part of the 2oMPH zone that covers much of Lee Green, and being a long, straight and relatively wide road, many drivers are passing along it at speed, with obvious dangers.

We persuaded the Council to install the speed indicator devices shown in the photo.  These light up when a driver exceeds the speed limit to remind him or her that the limit is 30.   There was some question whether the indicators were working when they were first installed, but officers have now checked them out and residents have confirmed they’re now lighting up.

However, the speed indicators get moved around the borough at intervals to tackle speeding hot-spots, and in a few weeks time, they’ll move on from Cambridge Drive.

Sven wants to hear from residents whether the speed inidcators have made a difference, and whether we should lobby for them to return.  He’d also like to hear any other ideas residents have to tackle this problem.

I know a number of people have already been in touch with Sven, but if you have comments for him, then drop Sven a line at cllr_sven.griesenbeck {at} lewisham.gov(.)uk or give him a call on 8297 4826.

You might have read in the Newsshopper that two ladies in their late 80’s from Downham let a man into their home after he showed them a police warrant card and badge.

He asked various questions about their security and managed – with the help of an accomplice – to steal a £1,000 from the bedroom. It was money saved to pay for their funerals.

My councillor colleagues in Downham ward want to help these ladies and are organising a Quiz Night and Raffle at The Downham Tavern this Thursday
(19th) to raise some money to help reimburse them.

The quiz starts at 7.30pm at the Downham Tavern – it’s £3 per person for a team of up to five.  Everyone’s welcome – you can book a place by calling 8314 7747, or just turn up on the night.

Apologied for the lack of posts recently – I’ve been snowed under with a busy few weeks at work and Council in the run-up to Christmas.

Just a quick note to say that it’s my surgery this Saturday (20th) from 10am until 11am at the McEwan Centre on Leybridge Court.

I’m expecting to be joined by a member of our local Police Safer Neighbourhood Team, so if you have any concerns you’d like to raise with me, or the police team, then do pop along.