Noticeboard on Northcross Road

[Jellybeanz]

So today after over a year of emailing to get the vandalised noticeboards repaired I emailed our local councillor Charlie Smith only to be told the board will now just have info about tenant associations and other not for profit organisations...

Maybe just my opinion but I always thought the boards were useful for new mums to see baby groups, and for local small businesses to advertise. The demographic in ED surely should mean middle classes get a say as to how these boards are used, not just councillors dictating what will be put on there.. plus I can only think if the council are responsible for keeping the info updated it'll be once a year if we're lucky. 

The noticeboard was vandalised and broken for years before I brought it to their attention and they eventually agreed to get it fixed when James Barber former Lib Dem councillor supported too.

Humph. Feeling disappointed. 

No doubt possibly controversial post but I feel strongly about supporting businesses making a profit as well as not for profits and community groups. Plus there are noticeboards near ED station and other roads closer to estates with tenants associations. Definitely supportive of food banks but you can get that info off here or by ringing the council anyway, plus I assume it'll be posted on the station noticeboard as the Albrighton centre has a food bank.

Edited January 22 by Jellybeanz

[NewWave]

Is this a joke?

Are you a troll?

I'd rather see foodbanks and things to genuinely help the local community (including the elderly or less well off some of whom may not have internet acesss or a smartphone/home computer)

If you're a new mum or looking for a baby group surely theres 'Mumsnet' or similar and indeed a section of this forum dedicated to this sort of thing.

I'm actually in shock at your post the whole of East Dulwich is not populated by 'middle class' mums there is plenty of local authority housing and elderly and mums who cant afford to pay to go to mother and baby groups and are struggling to feed their kids and keep a roof over their head.

You need to step out of your bubble.

[CPR Dave]

I'm amazed we still need food banks and not for profits. 

I thought we elected a labour government in 2024 to end all that stuff and make everyone rich.

[Sue]

1 hour ago, CPR Dave said:

I'm amazed we still need food banks and not for profits. 

I thought we elected a labour government in 2024 to end all that stuff and make everyone rich.

Give Labour a chance, they've only been in government for a short time, and they inherited a mess!

As regards the notice boards, to the best of my recollection they were originally intended as community notice boards, and certainly not for advertising local businesses (who would decide which businesses  should have the limited space on the boards, anyway?)

East Dulwich may have become more gentrified since the boards were first introduced, but that surely doesn't mean they should now be completely  taken over for the benefit of  the "middle classes", to the exclusion of everybody else?

As  NewWave says, surely these people have other ways to find out about groups and events of interest to them, which the "non middle classes" may not have access to, and even if they did may not be able to afford them.

Several people including myself have complained to councillors about the state of the noticeboards in the past. 

I think one of the issues is that they were originally maintained by local volunteers, who may have either moved out of the area or lost interest - or given up in despair when the boards were flypostered and/or vandalised.

I completely  agree that the boards should be used for information about not for profit organisations in the area, but if regular maintenance can't be provided and/or they continue to be vandalised, then I think it would be better if they were removed altogether.

[prit]

11 hours ago, CPR Dave said:

I'm amazed we still need food banks and not for profits. 

I thought we elected a labour government in 2024 to end all that stuff and make everyone rich.

Hilarious. Yes, they have magic wands and can make the last 14yrs of public asset stripping disappear overnight 🙄

[first mate]

The notice boards are a reasonable size, surely there should be room for both types of leaflets, after all we are meant to be a community? Unless space is extremely limited, it feels a little divisive for a councillor to say private businesses cannot post. All businesses are important for the lifeblood of a community too, aren't they?

[Jenijenjen]

13 hours ago, Jellybeanz said:

Maybe just my opinion but I always thought the boards were useful for new mums to see baby groups, and for local small businesses to advertise. The demographic in ED surely should mean middle classes get a say as to how these boards are used

Where to begin?

I'm middle class and am quite happy for them to be used for information about voluntary/not for profit/non commercial events, they should not be used as a means of free advertising for businesses, small or otherwise, they are just not large enough.  Commjnity groups do not have the money to advertise to increase awareness of the services they offer. The examples you have given which you would like to see them used for may reflect your own priorities but the community of East Dulwich reflects a much wider range of interests and requirements.

The  notice boards were introduced in 2011 when East Dulwich had already gentrified and their purpose discussed in the EDF thread announcing their arrival.

 

[alice]

The community noticeboards I see are incredibly out of date,  who has the key? anyone step forward?

[first mate]

Alice, you may have nailed one of the issues, which is presumably a key holder who needs to find time to change flyers and so on.
 
I take on board the issue about free advertising for businesses, but would not put small, very local businesses into the same category as all other businesses. That said, I can see rationale for voluntary and NFP taking precedence, are these organisations actually making use of the boards?

[Sue]

39 minutes ago, first mate said:

Alice, you may have nailed one of the issues, which is presumably a key holder who needs to find time to change flyers and so on.
 
I take on board the issue about free advertising for businesses, but would not put small, very local businesses into the same category as all other businesses. That said, I can see rationale for voluntary and NFP taking precedence, are these organisations actually making use of the boards?

Voluntary organisations are probably not making use of the boards any more because of the state they are in.

To the best of my knowledge a small number of people had keys originally, but I have no idea who has them now.

I imagine it is going to take a fair amount of time to get all this properly up and running again, and then properly maintained.

[Jellybeanz]

2 hours ago, alice said:

The community noticeboards I see are incredibly out of date,  who has the key? anyone step forward?

Exactly. I complained about them being broken for around 2 YEARS and they were repaired autumn (?) last year but only today when I emailed the councillor did he say he had "just received keys". I have no objection to a mix of community groups etc using the board but surely it should be open to all? Including local businesses, many of whom rely on word of mouth or boards like this - they don't often make much profit so it's great to support local business owners. It's not really my own interest as I am not a business owner... I am just reflecting what I would like to see - that I admit - as per my original post.

p.s. the noticeboards I am talking about are empty - not used by anyone as the councillor has the key! Watch my words. They will be updated yearly if that and the info will go out of date. Last time the Northcross Rd one ended up with local councillor contact details, community centre contacts (useful I agree) and random flyers. Someone broke the glass and that was it for several years until I constantly emailed and James Barber - wonderful former councillor for the area - proactively supported, and we now have it fixed and a new one near ED station...

[Insuflo]

I think there is possibly a “broken windows syndrome” to these kind of boards: you know the idea that a broken window left untouched will give the impression that nobody cares, so encourages more vandalism? If boards are not maintained and the notices are way out of date it gives off that vibe.

North Cross Road is a Southwark council licensed market, so does it not have a council employee in charge of it? Someone who arranges pitches and payments etc. If so, surely they would be the person to take responsibility? It only needs somebody to keep it clean and charge the posters regularly.

Perhaps this can be suggested to the Goose Green councillors; it’s not my ward.

[Jellybeanz]

On 21/01/2025 at 19:24, NewWave said:

 

 

On 22/01/2025 at 12:46, Insuflo said:

I think there is possibly a “broken windows syndrome” to these kind of boards: you know the idea that a broken window left untouched will give the impression that nobody cares, so encourages more vandalism? If boards are not maintained and the notices are way out of date it gives off that vibe.

North Cross Road is a Southwark council licensed market, so does it not have a council employee in charge of it? Someone who arranges pitches and payments etc. If so, surely they would be the person to take responsibility? It only needs somebody to keep it clean and charge the posters regularly.

Perhaps this can be suggested to the Goose Green councillors; it’s not my ward.

It is now fixed... 

Edited January 26 by Jellybeanz

[Jenijenjen]

Off the top of my head, there are notice boards in Sainsbury's and the library where small businesses can advertise, not to overlook the internet and forums such as this which these days is where very many go to first for small business information. I find it strange that you are mounting this crusade to allow small businesses the right to advertise in the Community noticeboards when there are so many alternatives these days. As I said before, the Community noticeboards are too small to accommodate commercial notices and would probably overwhelm and obscure the NFP notices.

For info, during the week there is just as broad a mix passing by the NXR boards as the one by the station

Edited January 22 by Jenijenjen

[Jellybeanz]

On 22/01/2025 at 13:58, Jenijenjen said:

 

 

Edited January 26 by Jellybeanz

[Jenijenjen]

As most customers going to M&S do not get there via North Cross Road and most people going down North Cross Road are not going to M&S that's not really surprising

Edited January 22 by Jenijenjen

[Pugwash]

Community Notice Boards were  set up by councillors for the local community to advertise their meetings etc. Originally these had padlocks and keys were given to local community groups i.e Tenants and Residents' Association. Our T&RA used to advertise our meetings, AGMs, social activities, public meetings (i.e. hustings) Give and Take events, Southwark Council run groups/events. Unfortunately the padlocks were broken and boards vandalised. Our T&RA managed to get the Lordship Lane (Small Sainsbury) one refurbished and one in Underhill Road. However, it took ages for our local councillor to discover where the keys to these padlocks were left. We had 2 people from our T&RA who regularly posted details of events and activities in the East Dulwich Community Centre. The padlocks were again broken, and various flyers were posted which rarely had any connection with the area. We have a lady, in her 80s, who several times a year still goes round posting details of our and EDCCs activities, Look out for posters announcing the next Give and Take in February, our T&RAs AGM in April.

[CPR Dave]

Probably time to just take them away and spend the money on something more worthy like a bike lane.

You could put a bike locker where the notice boards were too.

[KalamityKel]

Just putting this out there...

Why does it have to be something controlled by (and paid for by) the council?  If it's intended for the community and really needed (questionable) then why can't or shouldn't the community step up and run it/keep it tidy? 

[Sue]

4 minutes ago, KalamityKel said:

Just putting this out there...

Why does it have to be something controlled by (and paid for by) the council?  If it's intended for the community and really needed (questionable) then why can't or shouldn't the community step up and run it/keep it tidy? 

"The community" is all of us.

Are you volunteering to take this task on?

[KalamityKel]

3 hours ago, Sue said:

"The community" is all of us.

Are you volunteering to take this task on?

If I was wanting to volunteer then I would say.  I don't want to and so haven't said.

The simple point, to avoid any misinterpretation, was really instead of moaning, those that really care could be doing something about it.

As you say, the "community" is all of us.

[alice]

just take the locked screens off and let those who wish use them as a community notice board. Pointless at the moment.

[Nigello]

They’re not there to be used by all and sundry for their private businesses (which earn money) — social media, postcards in shop windows, ads on the EDF and free newspapers are the right methods for that. I agree though that these notice boards should be kept in better nick and used as planned, namely to advertise council services etc. 

[alice]

‘All and sundry’ is just another phrase for ‘the community’ isn’t it?

[Nigello]

The boards are for services provided by the council and/or non-profit groups or state agencies. Private micro businesses are to be congratulated and supported but they are able to advertise their services elsewhere, now more than ever, as part of their business plan. (This also applies to those who insist on plastering lampposts and bus shelters with their advertising, complete with protruding plastic ties at eye height!)