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Harriet Tubman was born Araminta Ross, to enslaved African-American parents in the state of Maryland, probably in 1822. The only grandparent we know about, her maternal grandmother, Modesty, had arrived on a slave ship from Africa. Maryland was one of a middle-tier of Staes where slavery existed, but less prevalently than further south. Tubman’s home was – very relatively speaking – a short journey to Pennsylvania , the closest of the free states of the North. It was conceivable, and at very great risk, possible for slaves to flee over the state border to win freedom. The famous black activist, Frederick Douglas, who Tubman went on to work with, escaped from Maryland in 1838, a little more than a decade before Harriet.

The sheer amazingness of Harriet Tubman’s life starts simply with the fact that she was one of the tiny minority of slaves before the civil war, rebellious and confident enough to flee her owners. It continues with the fact that , very unusually, she made the journey to Philadelphia alone. She did this despite the severe headaches, seizures and bouts of unconsciousness that plagued her continually through her life after a skull fracture inflicted by an overseer when she was 13.

Tubman escaped alone in 1849, but developed to her full stature as a leading figure among a growing activist movement to overthrow slavery and transform US society through the 1850s. After decades of beleaguered organising and slow growth, abolitionism and those influenced by it became decisive in the revolutionary crisis of the 1850s and 60s. In 1863, after the North’s war took a more radical turn towards destroying slavery, Tubman became a spy and guide for the US army. She led black soldiers in a raid on the Combahee River in South Carolina, rescuing many hundreds of slaves on one expedition. She was the only woman to lead troops during the civil war. Tubman lived to 1913, campaigning for women’s rights and women’s suffrage as well as black rights.

More so than ever, many people are needing help with welfare benefits. We are looking for volunteers who can train to be Adviceline telephone assessors and be the first point of call for local people in need. Is this something you could do?
The training takes place over one month, for about 20 hours in total, and once you are trained you can help your local independent community advice centre, 170 Community project to support local residents.
Call Jonny on 0207 732 9716 or email him at jonwicken170cp@gmail.com.

We have the following subsidised courses scheduled before the end of the year. These will all be delivered from New Cross Learning to ensure full social distancing.

Food safety – Friday 6 November Book here
Safeguarding of children – Friday 4 December Book here
Emergency First Aid – Friday 13 November Book here

The cost of the courses is £10 if you are currently unwaged, or £50 if you are waged.

ESOL classes are also ongoing. There is no charge for our ESOL programme. simply turn up Tuesday 4.00-5.00pm or Wednesday 5.00-6.00pm for an assessment and we will fit you in to a class according to your ability. We are currently running a combination of online and COVID secure in-class lessons (small groups).

To book your ticket, please click here and complete your details on our Eventbrite site

Goldsmiths are holding an event to discuss the above question on 18 November, 16:00 until 18:30. This event is primarily aimed at Lewisham youth, community and education leaders. Click here for more information and to book.

Welcome to our regular column where a local resident has their say about something on their mind. This month Donna starts a discussion
about taking personal responsibility for helping manage the Covid crisis.

Whose Responsibility Is It Anyway?
A restaurant was recently closed down for a deep clean, food was thrown away, staff were put on hold and income was lost. Why? Because someone who had just been tested for Coronavirus decided to go out for dinner and a few drinks rather than wait for her test results.
It is likely that other people were infected by her as she sat eating dinner and as she travelled to and from the restaurant. This is how the virus spreads, people mixing with each other and not taking seriously the guidelines about washing hands, wearing masks, going into quarantine etc.
To force the virus back to a manageable level we all have to take personal responsibility for our actions. There’s more than plenty we can blame the government for over the whole coronavirus episode but we do all have a personal responsibility too if we are to ensure the virus stays at a manageable level until we have a vaccine.
Another discussion would be around the anti-vaxers, the flat earth society. They really do need to read some real science instead of conspiracy theories. It is science that will come to the aid of humanity regarding this virus not giant Lizards or drinking bleach. Who would drive a car without wearing a seat belt? Only fools, nowadays! So why would you not follow the guidelines on handwashing, staying home if waiting for test results and so on?
Well, of course, some people – far too many people – will have to choose between taking the awful risk of going to work knowing they might be infected and/or infect others and paying the rent and food bills. That’s not a real choice, not a fair choice.
We need the government to guarantee full pay for all workers if they have to isolate, regardless of their contract or status. Else, the poorest paid, least protected will remain in the frontline of fire with this virus. If we are to avoid a second spike this winter we do all have to believe that it’s all our personal responsibility to help keep the Covid virus under
control.
There are things we can do individually and there are things we must do collectively. Supporting campaigns to make sure the workplace is safe, that schools are safe, that care workers and other frontline and key workers have full employment rights with decent pay and benefits etc is an essential way to put pressure on the government to deliver what we need.

NXG Trust is overseen by a board of Trustees, mainly local people all giving their time voluntarily. The board recently elected a new Chair, Helen Mathie, Helen works for a national homeless charity.

I was down at Besson Street a few weeks ago – the sun was shining, the garden was in full colour and it was easy to forget for a moment that we were still living in the pandemic. It reminded me how lucky we are to have such a wonderful, restorative and welcoming space on our doorstep. I’ve been reflecting on this as a relatively new Chair of the NXGT Board. When I took on the role back in February, I had little idea how things would pan out. Within four weeks we’d gone into lockdown, we had to take the difficult decision to suspend many of our services, and plans were quickly being put in place to deal with the many unknowns we faced as a charity. We know how hard this period has been so many in our community and the pressures will still be felt for some time to come.

It has however been an incredible privilege to see the dedication and creativity of the staff and volunteers at Besson Street who have made change happen quickly and kept as many activities going as possible. I was lucky enough to be on the Board for 3 years before becoming Chair, but my new role has given me an even stronger sense of pride about everything we do and the community who make this area of New Cross so special.

We definitely have challenges ahead but 6 months down the line, I’m really excited about working more closely with the team here to achieve the ambitions we have. If you want to find out more about the Board and the other trustees, please check out the governance section of the website (more info will be added soon about who we all are!). I hope there’ll be an opportunity to meet more of you – residents, partners, and volunteers – over the coming months.

Keeping our community safe is our number one priority right now. We want to be able to deliver the best possible services to the community and that means doing things slightly differently. Many of our courses, classes and clubs will be starting back from September but all will be smaller to respect social distancing, and hand sanitiser and face coverings will be essential.

Stay and Play Sessions will be every Monday 9.30am to 11.30 am, every Tuesday 9.30am to 11.30am and every Wednesday 1.30pm to 3.30pm, starting 7 September. There will be 2 one-hour slots. You will need to book your space via our Eventbrite site. Sessions will be released for booking one week in advance.

ESOL Classes (English for speakers of other languages) will continue as blended courses with some face-to-face and some online classrooms. Call on 0207 639 7605 or email Helen for details – helen.keenan@nxgtrust.org.uk. You can also just call in for an assessment on Tuesdays, 3.30-4.30pm or Wednesdays 5.00-6.00pm. During registration week (1-4 September) you can turn up any day between 10am and 3pm.

Adult Learning Courses will be running throughout the next term though they will all be delivered from New Cross Learning, 283 – 285 New Cross Road, SE14 6AS to allow for greater space and social distancing – click here for further details of the courses on offer.

Gardening Club will continue to meet every Monday 1pm to 3pm and every Wednesday 12 noon to 2pm and we are pleased to say we are adding two new gardening clubs on Fridays and Saturdays (times to be confirmed). As always all volunteers are welcome.

Ukulele and Drumming for 7-13 year olds will be running every Tuesday from 3.45pm to 5.15pm, there will be two groups and the classes start back on Tuesday 15 September at Besson Street Community Garden – still only £1 per session.

Employment Support and Advice continues to be a priority service. We offer support with job searching, applications and interview skills by phone and Zoom. Please email elisha.mcqueen@nxgtrust.org.uk to book an appointment.

IT skills training can sadly not be provided face-to-face at present, due to the difficulties in social distancing in our IT suite. However, we are able to provide virtual IT teaching. Our tutor will support you to set up Zoom, and will then provide ongoing support to address your IT skill needs. Call Jenny on 0207 639 7605 or email jenny.couper@nxgtrust.org.uk for further information.

Introduction to Bee Keeping will take place on three Monday evenings starting Monday 14 September at 6pm until 8pm and then on Monday 21 and 28. We have four thriving bee hives on site at Besson Street Community Garden. We want to help increase the urban bee population and encourage as many local residents as we can to understand bees, and the plants and flowers that bees need and enjoy. We are also keen to support any local residents who want to establish their own honey bee hives. The course is taught by Camilla Goddard from Capital Bee. Book your place here. Please note that numbers are restricted to ensure social distancing. The classes will also take place outside only, so please dress appropriately for the weather.

Mental Health First Aid Training is an internationally recognised qualification at level 3. It will take place over two Mondays, 5 and 12 October, starting at 9.15am to 4.15pm. You can book here or call 0207 639 7605

Mindfulness will be starting again in October. We will be offering an 8-week course. Further details will be put on our website shortly. Alternatively, please ring 0207 639 7605 for further details.

Sewing classes will be starting back, although we will have very restricted numbers, and you will need to book your place in advance. They will run Monday 10.30 to 11.30 or 11.40 to 12.40. Please call 0207 639 7605 to register or for further details.

Adult learning courses are starting back up, and our new courses for September/October are now available for booking here. Please note that they will be delivered from New Cross Learning, and NOT Besson Street Community Garden. This is due to the need for a larger space to maintain social distancing between participants.

Courses:
Food Safety – 25 September
Emergency First Aid – 2 October
Customer Service – 9 October
Safeguarding of Children – 16 October
Fire Safety Workplace Training – 6 November
Paediatric First Aid – 10 and 17 October