Over forty local groups have signed up to be part of the showcase event which will be taking over Chelsea Old Town Hall in King's Road. They will present a programme of art, film, music and live performance in the biggest event of its kind this year.
The day will also see the launch of 'State of the Sector: Part II' - a major study into the health of the local voluntary sector in light of the recession.
Organiser Mary Gardiner said: "It's important that we as local residents, recognise the contribution that voluntary organisations and community groups make to the quality of life locally. At the moment some of these groups face a very uncertain future and yet they support some of the most vulnerable people in the borough. Most of their work goes unrecognised and this event is a good opportunity to learn a bit more about it."
The event will take place a day after International Volunteer Day and visitors will be encouraged to think about ways in which they can support their local community groups and charitable organisations whilst enjoying some seasonal hospitality. They'll have a chance to win prizes donated by local businesses and anyone interested in volunteering or becoming a trustee can register their interest and speak directly to organisations.
The £80million project to redevelop the school, in Airlie Gardens, Holland Park, has hinged on Kensington and Chelsea Council's ability to sell a parcel of land on the present southern school site.
]]> But the council's cabinet gave the green light to selling this land to fund construction of a new school on October 22 at a meeting packed with teachers from Holland Park School,The new building is expected to open in September 2012 and will contain science labs, arts, dance and music facilities and meeting rooms.
There will also be an indoor 25-metre swimming pool, a modern gym and all-weather sports pitches which will replace the current tarmac pitches that pupils are unable to use in bad weather.
Colin Hall, headteacher of Holland Park School, said: "The school community is thoroughly delighted with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's decision regarding Holland Park School.
"It marks the end of nine years' planning and preparation."It will be very exciting now to move forward and building this impressive school for children of the future.
"We look forward to all that it will involve."
Bids have now been received which will allow the council to proceed with its plans for the school.
Enabling works will begin in November and a temporary school will be built on site by August 2010, to house pupils while the works are carried out.
Council leader Cllr Merrick Cockell said: "Holland Park is the borough's only community secondary school and we're very proud of the fine progress it has made in recent years.
"We and the school are determined that its current buildings, which have reached the end of their serviceable life, will not be allowed to hold the school back."
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]]>Judged on a range of criteria including safety, litter disposal and noise control, the Drayton Arms, in Old Brompton Road, was named the overall winner and best pub at the Best Bar None event.
]]> The best nightclub award went to the Roof Gardens, in Kensington High Street, Kensington, and the best bar was named as All Bar One, in Notting Hill Gate, Notting Hill.Faced with the arduous task of wading through more than 50 entries from across the borough, the competition judges were Cllr Nick Paget-Brown, cabinet member for environment; Tot Brill, executive director of Kensington and Chelsea Council; Inspector Dave Evans of the Metropolitan police; Nick Bish, chief executive of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers; and Andy Pike, of the London Fire Authority.
More than 100 people including licensees, police, council officers and guest of honour Lord Redesdale, national chairman of Best Bar None, attended the awards ceremony, held at the 20th Century Theatre, in Westbourne Grove, on October 19.
Cllr Nick Pager-Brown offered his congratulations to all winners, including the Drayton Arms.
He added: "As a licensing authority and together with the police we are responsibly for regulating this industry and dealing with problems that arise.
"However it is important to recognise that many premises work hard and are valued by their community.
"These awards recognise that hard work and effort that goes into running establishments professionally, safely and with the minimum of disruption to neighbours.
"The awards help encourage more premises to use best practice, as more people seek out businesses which have been awarded Best Bar None recognition."
The awards, originally the idea of Greater Manchester Police, have now spread to more than 90 local authorities throughout the UK.
The winners:
BEST PUB
Winner - Drayton Arms, 153 Old Brompton Road, Earl's Court
Runner-up - Champion Public House, 1 Wellington Terrace, Notting Hill
BEST NIGHTCLUB
Winner - Roof Gardens, 99 Kensington High Street, Kensington
Runner-up - Notting Hill Arts Club, 19-21 Notting Hill Gate, Notting Hill
BEST BAR
Winner - All Bar One, 126-128 Notting Hill Gate, Notting Hill
Runner-up - Janet's Bar, 30 Old Brompton Road, Earl's Court
The figure for Kensington and Chelsea, which is the second highest participation in school-based exercise in England, was revealed in a report by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, published earlier this month.
]]> The report, 'PE and School Sport Survey' shows that 80 per cent of pupils in the Royal Borough's schools are spending at least three hours of the school week engaged in exercise.These range from the traditional football and netball through to boxfit, dance, karate and even cheerleading.
Inter-school competition is actively encouraged in the Royal Borough which has thriving netball and football leagues in its primary schools.
At secondary level there are football, netball, basketball and table tennis leagues as well as an inter-school athletics competition.
The borough also hosts a number of primary sports festivals which have an emphasis on participation rather than competition.
These include athletics, a fitness challenge, girls' football, tag-rugby, mini-tennis and quick cricket.
Cllr James Husband, Kensington and Chelsea Council's cabinet member for education, said: "PE and school sports have changed over the years.
"In addition to encouraging traditional competitive sport I am delighted that so many young people are taking up these new sporting opportunities."
]]>The Portobello Winter Festival - along Portobello Road and Golborne Road - will host film screenings, food and festive shopping for four Wednesdays from November 25 to December 16.
]]> There will be a series of late night openings until 9pm, with street entertainment from mid-afternoon featuring themed markets and free tastings.Each Wednesday throughout the festival will have a different them.
'A Very Portobello Christmas' (November 25) will showcase community talent - with a local steel band and gospel choir and deliciously traditional festive tastings; a 'Maghrebi Winter Festival' (December 2) will celebrate Golborne Road's unique Moroccan food markets and restaurants - with a troupe of belly dancers and North African-inspired nibbles; while 'Boas and Baubles' (December 9) will star some extra special guests for a glammed up Christmas party.
The Festival's final flourish takes a traditional Christmas as its starting point and then gets cooler to deliver 'All you want for Christmas' on the December 16 - from mistletoe and wine to carols and crackers.
Katie Piper, who suffered horrific burns in the attack in March 2008, tells the amazing story of her treatment by doctors at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, in Fulham Road, in the Cutting Edge documentary 'Katie: My Beautiful Face', which will be screened on October 29.
]]> The depth of the burns from the sulphuric acid penetrated all layers of the skin on Katie's face and elsewhere on her body.Her injuries were so severe that they destroyed all four layers of the skin down to the fat.
Surgeon Mr Mohammad Jawad used an artificial skin substitute to rebuild the epidermis and dermis layers on Katie's face before grafting skin from her back and bottom onto her face.
She is believed to be the first patient in the UK to have such a complex facial reconstruction using this type of artificial skin in a single operation.
Ms Piper said: "I owe my life to the doctors, nurses and all the other staff in the Burns Service at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
"I would have died without their amazing efforts immediately after I was attacked and over the last 18 months they have supported me every step of the way during my treatment.
"Coming to terms with the fact that my life as I knew it before the acid attack was over, and that my facial appearance had changed forever, has been incredibly difficult."
"I want to say thank you to everyone in the Burns Service, in particular my surgeon Mohammad Jawad who has done an amazing job of rebuilding my face - it has exceeded my expectations of what I ever thought would be medically possibly.
"I'm absolutely thrilled."
Mr Jawad added his praise for Ms Piper's courage and determination to survive her injuries.
He said: "It has been my privilege as Katie's surgeon to work with this remarkable young woman.
"Her care was a real team effort, involving not only Burns specialists but also staff in our Intensive Care Unit, gastroenterology and eye departments, and many other areas of the hospital."
The programme will be screened at 9pm on October 29, on Channel 4.
The eerie event, which starts at 6.30pm, will include apple bobbing and fortune telling stalls.
]]> For more information about this free evening, call the Kensington and Chelsea Arts Service on 020 7361 2062.]]>For more information visit www.kcc.ac.uk or call 020 7573 3600.
Seven fire engines raced to the Eight over Eight, the former Man on the Moon pub that lies at the junction of Park Walk, at 9pm.
No one was injured in the blaze, which is thought to have been started in the kitchen, and three people left the building before the Fire Brigade arrived.
Forty per cent of the ground floor was destroyed, along with 20 per cent of the first, second and third floor. All of the ducting ventilation system was destroyed.
Chair of the King's Road Traders' Association, Hazel Smith, said: "This is terrible news. It was part of old Chelsea."
]]>A man looking after the door at a suspected private rave at Quayside House in Kensal Road, Ladbroke Grove, was left with leg wounds after being gunned down at about 7.50am on Sunday morning.
]]> The shots were fired at the end of a late night party, which local sources said had been disturbing residents.Police described his condition as 'non life-threatening' and he is recovering in hospital.
A community meeting was held last night with the police to discuss the incident.
There have been no arrests at present.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Trident shooting team on 020 8733 4774.
]]>The woman was riding her bike at the junction of Portobello Road and Westbourne Park Road on August 24 at 12.42am when she was in a collision with a car.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information can call the Traffic Criminal Justice Unit in Sidcup on 020 7230 3959.
]]>As well as meeting over 130 professionals from local and national organisations visitors have the chance to join in with complementary therapy taster sessions, dancing, exercise classes, mobile phone workshops, equipment try outs and health checks. In addition to this we have the ever popular free raffle, free goody bags, giveaways and free café.
We can provide transport to those with limited mobility so come along on October 9th to find out more about keeping well in later years. For more information, contact Age Concern Kensington and Chelsea on 020 8969 9105.
Well-being for Life 2009 will be held on Friday 9th October, 12pm-4pm, Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, W8 7NX
Gems worth £40million were stolen from the exlusive store in early August. It is thought to be Britain's biggest ever jewel heist.
He was remanded in custody until a plea and case management hearing, with five other defendants, is heard on October 23
]]>The teenager was found collapsed in Monmouth Road, Bayswater, at about 7.20pm on Bank Holiday Monday.
The police said they are keeping an 'open mind' about the motive behind the attack.
There have been no arrests.
]]>They left the burning five-storey building, in Warwick Road, just before 3am.
.
The people left the building before the brigade arrived. The blaze was under control by 3.47am.
Fire crews from Kensington, Hammersmith, Fulham and Paddington stations were at the scene.
The cause of the fire is under investigation
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