What do we know about ourselves? How do we compare with the rest of London, and with the rest of England? Are we getting older or younger? (The answer is both!) The Forum has built a profile of our area, so that we can base our policies on sound facts. 

Thank you to all the many Forum members who attended our second annual general meeting on 5th March 2015. Your support and participation are vital to the success of our community effort to build a Neighbourhood Plan for Hampstead and South End Green. We're also grateful to Rachel Allison and Simon Briscoe of the Highgate Neighbourhood Forum for coming to tell us about their experiences so far.

Please save the date for our second AGM.  We will hear a summary of the work we have accomplished during the first year and objectives for the year ahead.  We also have invited guests from the Highgate Neighbourhood Forum, who have just published their Plan, to share with us their experience and advice.

The Mayor of London is offering up to £20,000 to communities for projects to improve their high streets. The Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum will bid for this money for SEG. A winning bid will promote a vibrant, attractive high street, nurture business and enhance civic life. Please give us your view on how to bid.

We have already consulted traders and local groups, who have suggested some ideas. The deadline for responses is 25 January. (This initiative has now expired).

At the Forum's meetings, residents have often suggested Play Streets on which children can play safely. For years, some streets have been designated as Play Streets, but this has not meant much. Now, Camden has a new initiative. We asked them to explain what it involves. 

The Forum held a community conversation on 20 November 2014, with about 60 people meeting at Hampstead Community Centre. We shared the results of our consultation on our Vision document, and then hosted discussions on the aims and objectives in the document. Here's our report on what was said. 

More than 400 people sent in responses to the Forum's Vision document, which was distributed to all households in our area. The results show a strongly positive response to the objectives that were set out in the document. Here we present the detailed results.

The Forum presented the results of its "Vision" consultation on Thursday 20th November at the Hampstead Community Centre. Thank you to all the people who came and offered their views. These will help us to take the next steps in developing planning policies that will support our aims and objectives. The presentation on responses to the Vision document will appear here soon. 

The votes are in on our Vision document. We sent the document to every home in the Forum's area, and about 400 people sent in responses. We will present the findings at a 'Community Update' event at 6.45pm on 20 November 2014, at the Hampstead Community Centre, 78 Hampstead High Street.

Do come!

To give a flavour, there was very strong support for the objectives expressed in the document, though some people had reservations on particular issues. Many residents took the opportunity to express their views on a number of points. 

Camden Council has given its formal approval to Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum. This important step followed a period of public consultation that the Council conducted in summer 2014. The outcome was that Camden 'designated' the Forum, clearing the way for us to create a Neighbourhood Plan for our area.

For a forum to be designated, the Council must approve the boundaries of its area, and its constitution. It must be satisfied that the forum has consulted widely with residents in its area and is making strong efforts to understand local concerns. Now that Camden has given its approval, the boundaries of our area are fixed.