Back To School With Rugby On My Mind

Councillor Ron Mushiso is blogging this week

September is back to school

I am one of a handful of teachers who can admit that they are happy to be back in school. We have been back now for three weeks and all the training, talks and inset are behind us. We have been acquainted with our new classes, got our heads around our new timetables and of course started our 2019/20 rugby programme. It is good to be back in a routine.

The one thing that has been constant over the summer has been my council casework. It is frustrating when you still have to keep badgering officers about potholes, anti-social behaviour and bins on green spaces such as Turnham Green and Chiswick Back Common. Frustrating yes, but I have no intention of stopping. The council knows by now that Chiswick councillors are a vocal bunch. We are hardworking and relentless.

I was surprised that the September Borough Council meeting was cancelled, straight after the summer recess. For the second time in just over a year, Labour has no council business to debate. The lack of accountability and disregard for opposition are alarming. I hope that people around Hounslow are watching and taking note.

Saturday 14th September : Rugby season and World Cup

This summer I resigned as head coach for Old Emanuel Rugby Club who play in London 2 (the same level as Chiswick RFC). Therefore, it was a bittersweet occasion this past weekend when I returned to watch the boys take on Eastleigh at the Blagdons ground in New Malden. They lost 27:29 with virtually the last kick of the match but I was encouraged by the fact that they have remained a close knit group and the club as a whole was in a healthy state. As you read this the Rugby world Cup will have begun in earnest. I am not sure how much of it I will actually watch due to the time differences and unfavourable kick off times. However, I will be fully behind England to bring home the trophy.

Sunday 15th September : Supporting Abundance London and the Cook Book festival

I wasn’t able to drop in on the Devonshire Road charity street party on Saturday but Cllr Ranjit Gill and I volunteered to help with the Turnham Green Terrace street party, organised by Abundance London alongside Chiswick’s fantastic book festival and cook book festival, setting up in the morning and packing away the gazebos at the end. The weather was with us and hundreds of residents – many families – came to join in the fun.

Turnham Green Community Clean Up Day : Sunday, 29th September 2pm to 3pm

The rest of my week was dedicated to reaching out to residents and friends around Chiswick to join us on our next Clean Up initiative. Incredibly, it is almost a year since we began these monthly clean-ups. To mark the occasion we have decided to return to Turnham Green where it all began.

This time we are joining forces with Hounslow Highways and GreenSpace 360 to make it our biggest event yet. We are hoping for fair weather and a decent temperature to encourage everyone to come out. Of course, these get-togethers are not all work and no play as many of our regular volunteers will attest. They are great community occasions with loads of conversations and interactions, energy and enthusiasm, and the restoration of civic pride in our community.

We originally set out to lead by example and to educate our future generations. However, the table turned very quickly. Indeed, it is our young helpers who are generating the altruistic zeal for caring about our local environment. I urge you all to come along next Sunday and bring along a young person, a neighbour, a friend or a family member and see the transformative nature of a community action.

Our tasks next Sunday will include thistle pulling and weeding the rockery and the war memorial flowerbed. We will also sweep and tidy up the entire perimeter of Turnham Green and the verges along pavements near Arlington Park Mansions and Sutton Lane North. Litter pickers, gloves, bin bags and safety equipment will be provided on the day.

We are thankful once again to Christ Church W4 for offering us a community space to congregate after the clean-up. Tea and cakes will be served at the church from 3pm and it will be a wonderful opportunity to catch up. Please put it your diary:

· 2.00pm – meet at Christ Church W4.

· 2:10pm – start

· 3.00pm – finish with refreshments at Christ Church.

I look forward to seeing you there!

DATES FOR DIARIES

Clean Up Day: Sunday, 29th September at 2pm on Turnham Green

Borough Council: Tuesday, 29th October at 7.30pm in Hounslow House

Chiswick Area Forum: Postponed, new date to be decided

Surgeries

· Chiswick: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick library, upstairs in the private room.

· Gunnersbury: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Triangle Club, The Ridgeway, W3 8LN, usually a group discussion but privacy can be arranged.

Councillor Ron Mushiso

Turnham Green Ward Email: ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk

Phone: 07976 702887

September 21, 2019