What’s New, On & Happening in Fulham

What’s New

Refurbished halls open in Parsons Green

If you’ve been a Fulhamite for a few years or more, you would most definitely have ventured in to the Charlotte Antonia Sulivan Halls (CAS). Not ringing any bells? Well perhaps if we mention Mission Hall at St Dionis that will sound more familiar to you. We’ve certainly been into the halls, opposite St Dionis Church and facing Parsons Green, on many occasion: children’s parties, puppy training classes, Girl Guides, Brownies the list goes on but we had to wrack our brains when we heard the name CAS Halls.

The Mission Hall has recently been totally refurbished and was renamed CAS Halls when they officially re-opened in June. The halls have been rededicated to Charlotte Antonia Sulivan, the youngest of five children born to Laurence and Elizabeth Sulivan of Broom House, Fulham. Elizabeth Sulivan (nee Temple) was the younger sister of Harry Temple, third Viscount Palmerston; Foreign Secretary in the 1830's and Prime Minister in the 1860's.

Charlotte was born in 1824 and died in 1911. By the time of her death she was a very rich woman, inherited Broom House and lived there for more than half her lifetime. Charlotte gave generously to many local causes and her name is associated with Sulivan Court, Sulivan Primary School and also South Park which was opened in 1904 after she sold some land to the Fulham Borough Council for use as a public recreation ground. The land had previously been part of the Sulivan private estate around Broom House. Dr Carter, Vicar of St Dionis at the time of her death, said 'many a poor home in Fulham had been saved through her handsome gifts, and a great many tradesmen, who would have been left unpaid by dishonest and unfortunate customers, had to thank God for the intervention of her generosity, but only in a secret way did they know from whom that came'. We digress, lovers of local history and especially stories of incredible Fulham women, we went into a bit of a historical rabbit hole finding out more about Charlotte and her stunning home Broom House which sadly no longer exists. If you love property look up this house that had grounds running down to the river.

We spoke to Catherine at CAS Halls who told us that the “newly refurbished halls on the green have three spaces and a fully equipped kitchen providing the perfect venue for everything from weddings to yoga lessons. The spaces are comprised of two halls that both have a capacity of 80. The Upper Hall is perfect for recitals, plays, concerts, wedding receptions, dinner/champagne parties. The Community Hall is ideal for meetings, community groups & children's parties and has a kitchen point. The studio space has an industrial look, is fully air-conditioned, with mirrored walls making it perfect for personal training sessions, gym or dance classes”. We were quite taken aback by the refurbishment, this isn’t a quick lick of paint and a bit of rewiring, the halls have been fully renovated and now have superb lighting, flooring and facilities. If you’re running classes locally, looking for a venue for a party or event they’re definitely worth considering! Contact Catherine admin@cascharity.org

Precious Boutique SW6 

You may remember we spoke to local resident and Fulham Mum Natalie Collings about her Precious WhatsApp groups for: Home, Little Treasures (0-4), Pieces (4+), Play (5+) and Wheels. After much demand from her group members and continuing her mission to extend the life cycle of items we buy, use and wear Natalie has launched Precious Boutique SW6. This group is for preloved luxury high end and high street designer womenswear, handbags shoes and accessories. You post photographs, the asking price and sell via the group with no fees and no trips to the post office involved, simply pay the Fulham local for the item you want to purchase and collect directly from them.

Urban Village LDN spoke to Natalie who told us “this community platform is a new exciting opportunity to shop in other people’s wardrobes and also let them shop in yours, all from the comfort of your own home. If you’ve got some fabulous items, still in excellent condition, it’s time to make the world a better place as well as some money and space. So if you’re still waiting for the next special occasion to wear that designer dress again, have an exquisite handbag that you rarely use, or a slightly too high pair of designer shoes, a cashmere jumper tucked away in a drawer collecting dust, post them on Precious Boutique so they can find a new home”.

Hit the link on the button below and you’ll instantly find out what Precious Boutique is all about, alternatively message Natalie to find out more on 07730 312918.

First Bridge Centre opens specialist school for autism

The First Bridge Centre opened in Imperial Wharf in 2021 providing early intervention and education for children with autism and related developmental conditions (aged 18 months - 5 years). Having been rated “Outstanding” by Ofsted for their Early Years provision and going through the lengthy process of registering as an independent school, First Bridge will open the doors to their independent specialist school for children with autism (5 -9 years) on 4 September.

Urban Village LDN talked to Lauren Landi, Head of Admissions, Partnerships and Business Development before their big day. “We’re excited to launch and open our doors on Monday to our first cohort of 24 children. We offer 1-1 and group therapy/ sessions to build a foundation for life, supporting our children into the next stage of their education and beyond. One of the proudest elements of our Ofsted report was the parent feedback we received. Not only the fact that children are glowing at First Bridge but the priceless value of the community that has been created here, the shared experience, advice and support our parents provide one another”.

The First Bridge ethos is to change the lives of children with diagnosed or suspected autism spectrum disorder and developmental, attention and or social communication delays by giving them the best opportunity of leading a happy and for-filled life through early intervention and education. After assessment a bespoke programme is created and tailored to each child’s individual needs to support the development of speech, language, social, play, emotional, and cognitive abilities. The specialist school team includes behaviour analysts, qualified teachers, group leads and learning and behaviour therapists. To get a taste of the centre and school click here for a short video

We loved that every pupil at First Bridge is valued and celebrated for their successes and individual achievements and that they offer all year round enrollment, admitting pupils with local authority funding and providing accessible private pay plans. If you’d like to find out more get in touch with Lauren at admissions@firstbridgecentre.com follow First Bridge on Instagram or hit the button below.

Ollie’s House

On your return from your summer break you’ve no doubt spotted the new addition to Parsons Green, on the site where Megan’s used to be. Ollie’s House, an all day cafe and restaurant, opened their second location a few weeks ago offering breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and cocktails. We haven’t visited yet but we have heard good things about their food and “friendly” staff on the Fulham grapevine and we have been to their other location on the Fulham Road, opposite Chelsea & Westminster hospital. So we were excited to see the hoardings up, the build in progress and even more excited to see the end result which speedily came together.

Ollie’s House Parsons Green is situated in a sunny spot, perfect for when the weather behaves itself and the bi fold doors can be thrown open! Their cuisine is “Tropical Asian” and we’d say their interiors are too with lush plants, rattan furniture and hanging lights. We’re looking forward to trying their Asian take on fish and chips, discovering their Indonesian breakfast or sampling a Chicken Bao Hollandaise. Their cocktail list also looks pretty good and not too painful price wise at £11.50 a pop, we paid more than that recently for a plain G&T in a Westminster pub! Some traditional faves on the list include a Negroni, Bellini and we’re looking forward to trying a Horseradish and Wasabi Bloody Mary or a Passion Fruit Daiquiri. Happy hour is from 3-7pm (Mon - Friday) and also from 9-10pm (Mon - Sun). If you want healthier choices Ollie’s House have plenty of juice and smoothie options and traditional dishes including avocado on toast, pancakes and scrambled eggs.

The team at Ollie’s House welcome dogs with more than just a fresh bowl of water, your four legged family member can enjoy a dog friendly ice cream, puppacino and more.

Here’s hoping for an Indian Summer for a sundowner at happy hour on Parsons Green Lane! Follow Ollie’s House on Instagram to see some mouth watering food pics or hit the button below to head to their website.

What’s On

Summer Twilight Music Festival: Fri 1 - Sun 3

The Summer Twilight Music festival is organised by the Sherry Musical Academy and takes place at the Sands End Arts & Community Centre (SEACC). The event will showcase a range of performances and activities for all the family to enjoy including a Twilight Chamber Music Concert, a Jazz night with the Salisbury Hot Club, swing through the joyous clubland of Paris between the wars, and a community workshop.

Never held a violin? Always wanted to? Now you can! All events are free unless otherwise stated head to the link below to find out more and to book your ticket.

Dog show: Saturday 9 (10.30 am - 5pm)

The Barking for Brain Tumour Research Campaign Dog Show is back in Fulham on Saturday 9 September. Head to Parsons Green and take your pampered pooches along for a fun-filled family day.

There are lots of classes including: The Waggiest Tail, Best Golden Oldie, Best young handler (under 10) and even Scruffiest in Show. Other attractions include: My Dog’s Got Talent and Dog Agility Displays, Doggy Tombola and stalls catering for every pooch’s needs.

The afternoon will end with an award for Best in Show. Hit the link below to enter, find out all the event details and enter the photography competition.

Journey into Brazilian Music: Thurs 14 (7.30pm)

Marés is a video project exploring the vast and captivating world of Brazilian classical and traditional music. The first live presentation of the project will be held at the Sands End Arts & Community Centre (SEACC) and be performed by part of the ensemble of creative professionals who brought this project to life. The project, officially launched in 2021 as a commission from the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Breath & sound journey: Weds 20 (6:45 - 8:45pm)

Rob, the Founder of That Breath Guy, will take you through a Conscious Connected Breathing session - an ancient deep healing modality of breathwork. While Zehra, the Founder of The Self Love Lab, will dive deep with an immersive sound journey throughout. The gong and crystal bowls will soothe you into a state of relaxation and stillness. Tickets cost £45 and the event will take place at St Dionis Church.

The Fulham Society of Artists & Potters autumn exhibition: Sun 24

You can view the second annual exhibition of work by members of SOFAP in the Lodge at the Sands End Arts & Community Centre. Pieces are also for sale at the event.

The Society of Fulham Artists was founded in 1952 as a not-for-profit organisation ‘to encourage the practice and exhibition of the work of local artists in association and to attract and interest the public in the visual arts.’ Membership is open to anyone over the age of eighteen living, working or studying in the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and neighbouring boroughs.

SAVE THE DATE: Sun 1 Oct Zara’s - At the Palace Wellness hub (8:00am - 5:00pm)

Join Zara’s - At The Palace in Bishops Park for a day of holistic Wellness. There will be a diverse range of curated wellness workshops led by experienced practitioners and experts from our community, encompassing mindfulness and meditation, Pilates, yoga, stress reduction techniques, self-care practices and more. The full schedule will be released on the 4 September - where if you’ve signed up to their newsletter you can book your Early Bird space for your favorite class (limited spaces!).

All class passes and daily pass tickets will offer a free juice/smoothie/protein shake, the chance to win prizes and a goodie bag on arrival.

There will be a designated children’s area where little ones can enjoy some relaxing moments or be active.  You can also explore a variety of wellness products and local artisanal goods with locals selling anything from handmade jewelry, soaps, essential oils, and crystals to artisan honey and great cooking salts.  Zara's - At the Palace will be serving coffee, fresh juices, smoothies, pastries, artisan sausage rolls and toasties.

Urban Village readers get 10% off coffee on the day if they mention URBANFUN at the Coffee Cart!

What’s Happening

The Streets Card

We met Nesse Cannon, Fulham resident and founder of Barrefly London, in the early days of Urban Village LDN because like us she’s a huge lover of the Fulham area after landing here from Miami nearly 20 years ago. Nesse got in touch to tell us that after setting up her boutique barre studio in 2021 “she’s at it again” and starting another venture. The Streets Card is a shop local, shop small, business programme created to keep our neighbourhood as diverse, lively, independent and as vibrant as possible. Of course we wanted to hear more.

Nesse told us “Parsons Green is my favourite place and I hope this scheme will encourage people who live, work, and play in Fulham, to also shop here, go to beauty salons, local fitness spaces etc. The subscription fee for residents is less than a tenner but the programme is 100% free for businesses to take part. We do all the promotion and all local, independent, small businesses (maximum three locations in London) have to do is offer some kind of special incentive to The Streets Card subscriber. This could be anything from a discount on products, to a special day of promotion, a free coffee, cocktail, literally any incentive the business fancies we will promote it!”.

First up is Parsons Green and after that Nesses has plans to take the scheme to Putney, Wimbledon, Wandsworth and beyond. Some of the Fulham businesses taking part include: Barrefly London (course!) who are offering 10% off their “25 sesh” class packs, Gifts on the Green (10% off when you spend over £10) and Le Wag (10% off all in store purchases) and more with others being added before the scheme officially launches on 1 October. Nesse is taking a stand at the Parsons Green Dog Show on Sat 9 (see our “What’s On” page) so you can talk to her more about the scheme then. If you’re a resident who’d like to sign up or a local business who’d like to join and offer an incentive to locals hit the button below! Good luck with your new venture Nesse you know we’re here throwing all sorts of cheer leading shapes from the UVL HQ!

Glassdoor Sleep Out

Glass Door based in Fulham, helps homeless people in Fulham and hopes to encourage some people who live in Fulham to take part in the Sleep Out in Duke of York Square or remotely. On Friday 6th October 2023, over 200 people are expected to join Glass Door Homeless Charity’s 11th annual Sleep Out.

The organisers told Urban Village LDN that Glass Door is hoping to raise £175,000 from the Sleep Out to fund the charity’s emergency winter shelters and year-round casework service helping people build a route out of homelessness. This winter, Glass Door will offer a women-only shelter for the first time, recognising the growing number of homeless women, who are generally under-represented in official counts. The shelters will be open for a longer duration this year, up to 22 weeks, with the number of spaces available up 40% from last year, and the number of spaces for women up more than 200%.

The latest statistics on homelessness in London are shocking, with the Greater London Authority’s CHAIN figures for 2022/23 showing that rough sleeping numbers are 21% higher than the previous year, and London Councils finding that 1 in 50 Londoners are now homeless. The cost-of-living crisis has compounded the housing crisis, making Glass Door’s work more necessary than ever before.

Jo Carter, Glass Door’s CEO, said: “Sleep Out is our largest fundraising event of the year, raising vital funds to support the work we do to end homelessness in London. Every year we see all kinds of people taking part, including those with personal experience of homelessness, local businesses, and schoolchildren who want to get involved in supporting their local community and many of our volunteers. Everyone taking part, will do so in the knowledge that the number of people experiencing homelessness in London, continues to grow. Through this event, we will raise both awareness and money to provide emergency shelter and advice to those experiencing homelessness.”

 
Bridge Baker wins award

So not only has Bridge Baker opened another branch (Fulham Road if you didn’t read our last issue or haven’t spotted it yourself) but they’ve only gone and received another Great Taste Award. Their seeded crackers were described by the panel as “a beautifully crafted artisan cracker, thinly baked, full of seeds and buttery notes. The cracker had crunch and texture from the seeds, yet melted in the mouth. The flavour was well seasoned and balanced. A rustic-looking cracker with an appealing homemade quality and a generous and interesting variety of seeds. We enjoyed how the flavour of each seed came through, and found the thinness and snap very pleasing”. I mean who doesn’t love a very pleasing snap in a cracker? Congratulations Bridge Baker!