Chair's Report

Five years ago, on 23 May 2006, a group of people who had met through a local forum got together at the Dartmouth Arms and put into motion the formation of the Society.

A few months later, they had delivered 10,000 leaflets throughout SE23 and surrounding roads, held the first Annual General Meeting and published the first newsletter.

Since then, the Society has achieved a lot. Notable highlights include a successful campaign to retain the swimming pools on Dartmouth Road, persuading Southern Railway that we needed at least five trains per hour in the evening peak and a respected presentation at the Tyson Road planning enquiry.

Other highlights include:

• Organising evenings out, history talks and nature walks
• Campaigning to improve park facilities at Horniman Triangle and Honor Oak Rec
• Keeping the rear stairs open from platform 2 at Forest Hill station
• Responding on a range of planning applications in the local area
• Decorating the Christmas Tree in Forest Hill
• Planting the raised beds outside Forest Hill station and entry into the RHS "It's Your Neighbourhood" scheme
• Pop Up Forest Hill, an evening when we matched drummers with estate agents, puppets with pubs and generally created a buzz in Forest Hill

There is also the less glamorous attending of Council and other meetings, ensuring that our local needs are heard and addressed. We continue to push for improvements to the underpass and the high street environment, better winter gritting and preservation of Honor Oak Rec. Thank you for your support - please spread the word and encourage your friends and neighbours to join.