With a Little Help... Warden Buddies
On Thursday 22nd of July the Warden Buddies were invited to help out at a Clean Up and Gardening initiative in Pett Close by Jeff Jones, the Housing Officer responsible for the area. Through the Central Residents and Tenants Association it was requested that some improvements were needed for the planters in the Close, residents asked Green Gym to help give the flower beds and surrounding areas a well needed make over. Three Neighbourhood Wardens took eight Buddies in total and one volunteer from the Crew Club.

We first had to clear the area of litter and fly tipping and managed to fill one van load. Then we broke up into groups, with some buddies watering the soil in preparation for the plants and others trimming the hedgerow around the pavements and planters.

We stopped for lunch, which was kindly provided by the Robert Lodge Residents Association and then it was back to work, digging holes for the plants to go in and then providing them with sufficient water. We were only supposed to stay for two hours but we stayed for longer as the buddies were enjoying the day and seeing the benefits of their hard work.

It's a Knock Out! (at the Crew Club)
Slightly regretting two months ago saying "Yes, I'll be an IT'S A KNOCK OUT team member!" when I reached the Whitehawk playing pitch my fears were confirmed. Laid out across the pitches were ten or so 15ft stripey inflatable humiliating torture chambers, like some Clown Army assault course. The rest of my team turned up looking equally daunted by the fact that most of our opponents where male twenty somethings in matching team colours and we were eight (mostly single) Mums from Whitehawk, press ganged that morning by a PEP Community Development Worker.

Over eighty people flooded the pitches on Saturday the 20th, with eight teams of ten contestants climbing, net scrambling, Kangaroo bouncing, water sliding, side split laughing and yes, a little bit of cheating (mostly by us, sorry Stoneham,) their way through the most excellent display of team spirit Whitehawk has seen in a long time.

The event was organised by the Crew Club to promote the designs for their proposed new Youth Club Building and invited comments and future commitments for this long awaited and much needed youth facility. The X Mob (made up of the Community Safety team) admitted quiet confidence with Neighbourhood Warden Jason claiming they had been in intensive training for a week out on the beach. The Crew Club all girl Pussy Cats team were no quiet kittens: "You're gunna be trouble!" announced the compere at the start of the games.

The All Stars (strapping Whitehawk lads) claimed the It's a Knock Out victory of 2004. We the PEP team came in a brilliant 8th and can't wait for the next one in Easter 2005 - All Stars watch out!!
Winning order from the day:
1st All Stars, 2nd Stoneham Park Safe, 3rd Brighton & Hove Coaches, 4th X Mob, 5th Pussy Cats, 6th Vikings, 7th Ten Green Bottles, 8th PEP.