BATCA OPEN FORUM ‘LET’S MAKE TOOTING BETTER’ ON 17 MARCH 2010 BATCA’s Open Forum on the theme ‘Let’s make Tooting Better’ on 17 March at St Augustine’s Hall, Broadwater Road drew a good crowd and generated a stream of ideas on improving Tooting. BATCA (the Balham and Tooting Community Association) organised the evening in conjunction with Transition Town Tooting.

Both individuals and community organisations took part. A huge, colourful map of Tooting town centre on the hall floor helped focus ideas.

Cllr James Cousins, supported by Audrey Helps, Tooting Town Centre manager, gave a presentation on the ‘Tooting Together’ initiative to achieve cleaner streets, reduce clutter and litter, deal with fly tipping and eyesores, and attract new stores to Tooting. Lively questioning followed.

Workshops followed, where participants enthusiastically brainstormed ideas for improving Tooting. These were facilitated by Paul Squires of the New Economics Foundation and focused on key themes for wellbeing emerging from NEF research – ‘ connect’, ‘be active’, ‘ take notice’, ‘keep learning’, ‘give’. Lots of ideas emerged for realising these in Tooting – more people friendly streets; safe, easy places to meet; more greenery and trees; redevelop Tooting Market; facilities for the arts and learning; and many others.

The is was a stimulating evening that made clear how passionately people feel about Tooting , and gave lots of food for thought.

For more information about BATCA, email allanraallan@aol.com or phone 020 8870 1550.

To find out more about the ideas expressed at the Forum, see: http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/info/200144/tooting_together http://www.neweconomics.org/programmes/well-being http://transitiontowntooting.blogspot.com/