Tooting Newsie Weekly Newsletter
Developments at St George's, charity events, local offers, and much more in Tooting!
The Tooting Delivery Cup ⚽️🏆🎉 launches in June, a 7-a-side charity football tournament bringing local restaurants together to support Tooting’s St George’s Hospital Charity!
Tooting Delivery founder, Syed, says, “this promises to be a fantastic football clash of local titans this summer!
“We’re asking local residents to tag your favourite restaurants in Tooting, Balham, Earlsfield, Colliers Wood, Wandsworth Common, or Mitcham, to encourage them to sign up today!”
“It’ll be a great day out, and will raise money for the amazing St George’s Hospital Charity in Tooting!”
The Tooting Delivery Cup takes place on Monday 16th June at Tooting & Mitcham United FC. More info / sign up here.
Tooting Delivery is a local delivery service for restaurants in Tooting, Balham, and the surrounding areas. For more info and to download their app, visit their website.
‘Nappy Hour', a relaxed weekly meet-up where new parents can unwind with a drink while keeping their little ones close, takes place at Tooting's Goldfinch Bar every Thursday! Enjoy a cocktail, mocktail, or glass of wine in a welcoming space designed for parents and babies.
The Goldfinch opens exclusively for this event every Thursday, 3.30pm-5.30pm, offering cocktail and sparkling wine deals, like a Negroni or Margarita for £7, or a glass of English sparkling wine for £8! The Goldfinch’s full cocktail menu is also available, along with wine, beer, low-alcohol and alcohol-free options available too.
And of course, there are baby-changing facilities, with plenty of room to park your buggy in their covered and heated courtyard.
Bar Manager, Lewis, says, “we want to welcome new parents into the bar for a relaxed drink, as well as giving them a chance to meet other new parents! We can’t wait to welcome you!”
Booking is essential – visit here to book.
The Goldfinch is located at 145 Mitcham Rd, SW17 9PE. More info via their website.
Local resident Hannah has launched BERT&bud, adaptive clothing designed for children with disabilities, including easy access for changing, hidden feeding tube access, and sensory-friendly fabrics.
Hannah tells us, "With a mission to make every child feel seen and celebrated, BERT&bud offers a bold, inclusive collection, designed for comfort and accessibility. We use hand painted prints and carefully considered, eco-friendly fabrics; we want our clothes to empower kids to express themselves with confidence – no limits, no exceptions.
"Let us hear your thoughts and ideas. Every child deserves to feel sensational!"
For more information on BERT&bud, and to shop the collection, visit her website or email info@bertandbud.co.uk
Congratulations and good luck, Hannah!
South Western Railway (SWR) is advising customers to plan ahead during the next two weekends in January due to engineering work, which will affect services across their network (including through Earlsfield), with many services in South West London and Surrey replaced by buses, on:
• Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 January
• Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 January
Services between London Waterloo and Chessington South, Dorking, Hampton Court, London Waterloo via Kingston, and Woking (stopping) will not run.
Rail replacement bus services will operate between Clapham Junction and:
• Chessington South via Wimbledon
• Worcester Park via Wimbledon
• Surbiton via Kingston
• Surbiton via Wimbledon (Saturdays only)
• Surbiton (non-stop)
• Hampton Court via Surbiton
• Effingham Junction via Surbiton
• Weybridge via Surbiton
• Twickenham via Kingston (Sunday 26 January only)
You can plan your journey via the SWR website.
St George's Hospital in Tooting will open a specialist centre for kidney patients as part of a major revamp, reports My London. Wandsworth Council has approved plans for a new renal unit at the hospital, to transform kidney care for patients across South West London and Surrey.
Renal services currently provided at St George's and St Helier Hospital, in Sutton, will be moved to the unit under the plans from St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (SGUH). The move aims to improve care and dialysis services for kidney patients.
Full story via MyLondon.
A new ‘pocket park’ could open in Earlsfield, after a petition was signed by 279 residents, reports South London Press.
Swaffield Pocket Park would have new plants, benches and play equipment under the plans from Wandsworth Council.
The plans would see the former Brocklebank Nursery on Swaffield Road, which shut in 2020, demolished to make way for the park.
Full story via South London Press.
Happy 10th birthday to Riverside Radio! Launched on 12th January 2015 as Wandsworth Radio, the community digital station has grown into a vital voice for South West London, connecting communities across Wandsworth, Merton, Richmond, and Lambeth!
Founded by former local BBC presenter Jason Rosam, Riverside Radio has provided a platform for local stories, music, and voices, while supporting aspiring broadcasters through training and mentoring.
To commemorate its 10th anniversary, Riverside Radio is launching a charity appeal in support of Sound Vision CIO, the station’s long-time charity partner. Sound Vision funds the Riverside Radio club for local young people, providing them with the skills and confidence to thrive in media and beyond. The charity appeal aims to raise funds to expand this vital programme, ensuring even more young people benefit from creative opportunities.
More info via Riverside Radio.
Meet Robert. RSPCA South London Branch were called out to rescue him last week as a local stray with a nasty neck wound. They got him to the vets for treatment and the wound is healing nicely.
They say on their social media, "As you can see, he’s still a bit battered and bruised so we’ll get him into a foster home asap to give him time to recover and get used to being in a home again.
"He’s scared at the moment but we think he’ll become a lovely friendly boy once he settles in."
If you'd like to help the local RSPCA, then you can donate via their JustGiving page.
Bounce is back! 🏓 Get together a team for an evening of ping pong at St George's Hospital Charity's second Bounce St George’s Cup on Tuesday 25th February, in partnership with Bounce Battersea, in support of the charity's Time for a Change children’s appeal!
The tournament promises to be an exciting and fun-filled evening with friendly competition, team building, and of course the chance to be Bounce St George’s Cup champions 2025, all whilst raising funds for a great cause!
Teams consist of 4-6 players, at £250 per team. Find out more via their website.
Meet Geisiely, a cleaner in Tooting, who's offering 10% off your first clean!
Geisiely tells us, "I provide a reliable and quality service, with 3 years experience in cleaning houses, flats, Airbnbs, and all other sorts of accommodation! I have fantastic references from my work (and my many regular clients!), and I offer weekly and fortnightly cleaning."
Geisiely can provide references upon request. To claim 10% off your first clean, email geisiely.alves@outlook.com, or DM her via her Instagram page.
SPECIAL OFFERS GALORE at German Doner Kebab Tooting, 225 Upper Tooting Road!
• ALL MAIN DISHES just £5.99
• MEAL FOR TWO: 2 mains + 2 canned drinks + 2 portions of fries or hash browns for £17.99
•FEED THE FAM: 2 Boss Boxes + 2 Boss Junior Boxes for £29.99
• MEAL DEAL: your choice of Doner Box + 1 canned drink + Garlic or Chocolate Waffle Bread for £9.99
German Doner Kebab serves gourmet kebabs using lean beef and chicken fillets, which are all imported directly from Germany to maintain quality and consistency. They only use fresh vegetables, sourced as locally as possible, that are delivered and prepared daily, along with their special "Doner Kebab" bread. All food is halal, and vegetarian options are available. Full menu via their website.
Open 11am-11pm Sunday-Wednesday, and 11am-2am Thursday-Saturday. Ts and Cs apply. Offer valid on eat-in and takeaway only at German Doner Kebab, 225 Upper Tooting Road, London SW17 7TG. Offers available all day, every day, until 31st January 2025.
Herbs & Harmony have been providing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) services, through the form of acupuncture and herbal medicine, to local residents since 2010. Their focus is on helping people with pain relief, with fertility support (and to increase the chance of successful IVF), and with losing weight.
Located on Balham High Road, the family-run business, which has fantastic Google reviews, have a team of highly-experienced acupuncture practitioners and specialists in using acupuncture, acupressure, cupping and ear candling treatments, and also in the provision of Chinese herbal medicines, to help achieve these goals.
The team at Herbs & Harmony tell us more:
"At Herbs and Harmony, we help with a wide range of pain relief, including that cause by sports injuries & nervous system problems, including lower back pain, arthritis, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, neck pain, headache, sciatica and multiple sclerosis. To achieve the fastest and most effective result of pain relief, we choose a combination of our therapy methods, according to each client’s own body condition.
"Many people turn to Traditional Chinese Medicine for infertility treatment and to increase the chance of successful IVF. Acupuncture can help by regulating the body’s system, aiding the blood flow to the reproductive organs, stabilising hormone levels and easing stress during the attempt of conceiving or IVF treatment. This helps to increase women’s ovarian function as well as men’s sperm production. We have a strong track record of successful stories, and many people visit us for this purpose, based on others recommendations.
"Regarding helping with weight loss, we offer a unique and effective customised slimming package, consisting of acupuncture and herbal tea. We target both the fat burning and the root cause of the excess of unused calories store in our bodies in form of fat. The treatment aims to restore the internal harmony of yin and yang within the body, so that the body’s metabolism and digestive system functions properly again, regaining the balance between food consumption and physical activity.
"We would like to help more local residents achieve any of these goals. If you would like to chat and find out more before going ahead, simply pop in and and our team of practitioners will answer any questions you have!"
Herbs & Harmony are located at 8, Station Parade, Balham High Road, SW12 9AZ, open 7 days a week, 10am-8pm.
You can also find out more in their website.
Tooting Bal Sanskar Group celebrated Makar(a) Sankranti festival at the weekend, the annual Hindu festival which marks the transition of the sun from the southern to the northern hemisphere, which is celebrated every year on the 14th of January.
The occasion is celebrated with kite flying, so children created beautiful kites, as well as presenting a PowerPoint presentation about the festival. A vegetarian dinner was served along with cake and mixed chikki (sesame seeds, peanuts & coconut).
Dr Ashish Patel of the group tells us, "Makar(a) Sankranti is considered an auspicious time. Makar translates as 'Capricorn' and Sankranti means 'transition'.
"It is believed that on this day, Lord Vishnu defeated the demon Sankarasura, symbolising the victory of good over evil. Devotees observe this triumph through prayers, rituals, and visits to holy rivers for spiritual cleansing.
"Sunlight is a major source of vitamin D, which is considered to be good for health. It is also believed that flying kites is a way to express appreciation and gratitude to God."
Tooting Bal Sanskar Group is a group of volunteers that deliver Hinduism and Gujarati classes to the local community. See Tooting Bal Sanskar Group on Facebook for more info.
A brief history of Zan's Snooker Club in Tooting (now London Snooker Tooting) where Jimmy White played as a kid and made his first-century break, aged 13. Be warned though, this blog is not for the squeamish (the club is thankfully a much safer and family-friendly place now)!
Full info via Snooker Loopy, a snooker blog by Elliott West.
A wonderful photo of a robin on Tooting Common, captured by @christinachamb24 (Instagram) – thanks for sharing!
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