“The Air We Breathe: how pollution is affecting us and what we can do about it” at Brent Civic Centre, Thu 6 Jul, 7-9pm

By msnorbury | Published: June 8, 2017
 
Brent Council and new coalition group, Clean Air for Brent (supported by QPARA), are inviting everyone to a high-profile public meeting “The Air We Breathe: how  pollution is affecting us and what we can do about it” at Brent Civic Centre, Thursday 6th July, 7-9pm. Speakers to include world-renowned health expert Sir Michael Marmot and Simon Birkett, Founder and Director of Clean Air in London. Hywel Lloyd of the well-known think tank, IPPR, will facilitate inter-active discussion between panel and audience.There will be suggestions about what we can do locally. Please join us.
 
We’ll be producing more info about registering etc when the list of speakers/panellists is complete. However booking is now open at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-air-we-breathe-how-pollution-is-affecting-us-and-what-we-can-do-about-it-tickets-35136212357
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Have your say on govt. plan for tackling nitrogen dioxide – one week left to respond to consultation

By msnorbury | Published: June 8, 2017

After successful legal challenges in the high court, the govt. has produced and published plans to address air pollution from nitrogen dioxide. There is widespread concern that the plans do not go far enough to tackle our toxic air crisis. Consultation on the proposed plans runs until 15th June.  Make sure you have your say and call on the govt. to take tougher measures to clean up our air:

https://consult.defra.gov.uk/airquality/air-quality-plan-for-tackling-nitrogen-dioxide/ 

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Not long left to apply for a Queen’s Park Day stall

By msnorbury | Published: May 9, 2017

If you’re still thinking about applying for a stall for Queen’s Park Day this year, please note that the closing date for applications is WEDNESDAY MAY 17th. Details of how to apply are here.

QUEEN’S PARK DAY, Sunday September 17th.

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Records broken on QPARA’s annual bird walk

By msnorbury | Published: May 9, 2017

 

Song thrush spotted in Queen’s Park

Thanks to Robin Sharp for leading and Judith Rose for making a record of the QPARA Annual Bird Walk, held on Saturday 6th May. There was plenty of avian activity in Queen’s Park and Paddington cemetery, even if the temperature kept low. A record 18 walkers saw or heard a record 22 species. 

Sensibly dressed walkers gather for the Annual QPARA bird walk

Not spotted on the day, but reports of hearing tawny owls both in the park and the cemetery keep coming in.

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Join the annual bird-walk in Queen’s Park on Saturday 6th May

By msnorbury | Published: April 28, 2017

Please join us for a stroll through Queen’s Park and Paddington Cemetery.

Meet at the park café at 9.30am. The walk will take about 90 minutes, but people can join or leave at any time. We will go round the Park and then via the Woodland Walk, Chevening Road, Winchester Ave, Willesden Lane to Paddington Old Cemetery, arriving at approximately 10.15am. So finding us should be easy.

Nothing is guaranteed, but birds to look out for are: Woodpecker (Green or Great Spotted), Thrush (Mistle or Song), Blackbird, Finch, Robin, Sparrow, Crows, Tit (Blue, Great or Long-tailed),  Jackdaw, Magpie, Dove, Starling, Swift, Jay, Wren, Gull (Herring or Black-headed), Parakeet and Pigeon (Wood or Feral). Bring binoculars and a pocket bird ID guide, if you have them, but if not, don’t worry – we can share. 

Everyone is welcome, but children must be accompanied by a parent or adult known to them. Those under 8 might be bored, so you need to judge if it is for them.

Male Great Spotted Woodpecker

PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU PLAN TO COME   

Contact: Robin (robisharp@googlemail.com,  020 8969 0381) or Judith (juditharose@yahoo.co.uk). 

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Once again QPARA agrees £1,000 donations to groups supporting the local community

By msnorbury | Published: April 14, 2017

At our March monthly meeting, we agreed donations of £1,000 to each of the following groups with a connection to the Queen’s Park area:

Brent Action for Refugees to fund tea/social evenings for Syrian refugees in Brent

Brent Centre for Young People to give Adolescent Exploratory Therapy to two young people who live in the Queen’s Park area

Laurence’s Larder to help help provide food, clothing, washing and drying facilities to refugee asylum seekers in Brent

Our Global School to cover the cost of transporting volunteer school students from Salusbury School and Queen’s Park Community School to a township school in Kayamandi, South Africa

The Promise Foundation to help fund a monthly Skills Club, based in the Queen’s Park Community School to help tackle educational disadvantage in Brent

Salusbury World to help with the funding of a Winter Party for refugee children and to help fund excursions for refugee women and children

Shakespeare in the Squares to help with the costs of a production of Romeo and Juliet in Queen’s Park on 24th June.

QPARA is a not for profit organisation. If, at the end of each financial year there are surplus funds, we invite applications for donations for these from local charities, groups and not for profit organisations in line with our aims to support the local community. The maximum amount for a single donation is £1,000.

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Letter to PM calling for action on diesel emissions scandal

By msnorbury | Published: April 7, 2017
As concerns grow about the damaging impact of air pollution on our health, QPARA has been meeting with other residents’ associations and community groups, mostly in south Brent, to look at ways of improving local air quality. This follows air pollution monitoring by QPARA along Salusbury Road last August and October, which showed average levels of toxic NO2 along the main road in excess of the legal annual mean. Readings on side streets were slightly lower, highlighting the link between air pollution and diesel vehicle emissions.
 
Clean Air for Brent, the group of local bodies, including QPARA, wrote to Brent MPs on 5th April asking them to endorse a letter to the Prime Minister and the Environment Secretary.
 

Clean Air for Brent are engaging with Brent Council on a revised Air Quality Action Plan and an anti-idling campaign involving schools. The Mayor of London is also implementing a package of measures to tackle air pollution, including new Low Emission Bus Zones. Queen’s Park is not one of them, but we will benefit from cleaner buses along Chamberlayne Road from 2018 as a result of the Edgware Road being designated a Low Emission Bus Zone.

 
In the meantime, we can all do much more to reduce pollution by driving less, switching away from diesel to cleaner hybrid vehicles, and not leaving engines running when stationary.
 
 
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QPARA comments on Brent’s document on Basements

By msnorbury | Published: April 7, 2017

 

 

The subject of basements has been much discussed at QPARA meetings for a number of years. In response to representations, Brent produced a draft Basement Supplementary Planning Document in February which it issued for comment. You can read  QPARA’s response here. We understand that the finalised document and a summary of consultation comments will be taken to the Council’s cabinet for consideration.

 

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Queen’s Park News spring edition out now

By msnorbury | Published: April 6, 2017

 

Our volunteers have started to distribute the spring 2017 edition of Queen’s Park News to all households in the QPARA area. You can download this and previous editions from the Newsletter section of our website.

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Stall applications for Queen’s Park Day are now open

By msnorbury | Published: April 1, 2017

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Preparations are well under way for Queen’s Park Day 2017. The date is Sunday 17th September.

To apply for a stall, please read the general stall regulations and information. Then download and complete and return the application form. The closing date for applications is 17th  May.

Details are here

 

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