Tuesday, 1 March 2011

Indymedia London | Articles | Show | OffMarket Opens New Space: Access & Info

Tagged as: accessibility free_spaces
Neighbourhoods: clapton hackney offmarket
Published by group: GroupOffMarket

We, the OffMarket collective, take disused buildings and turn them into open resources. We have just moved in to 111 Lower Clapton Road E5 ONP.  It is a small space, only a shop front consisting of a main front room and a very tiny room a the back, but there are lots of ideas about what to do with this space! [Read more & accessibility info ...]

Opening hours: Sunday 12-6pm, Monday 12-6pm, tuesday 12-8pm
Open meetings are on monday at 7pm if you want to meet us, check the space out, or have any proposal to use the space!

Offmarket_front2-medium
OFFMARKET

Initially we want to try and link to local and broader struggles that are happening in Hackney around issues like the coming cuts, housing, employment, gentrification, supermarket invasion etc. There will also be a FreeZone, where you can bring what you don't need any more and take what you need ; an InfoLibrary with literature available about various political subjects ; promoting and defending squatting ; skill-sharing etc.


Accessibility information about the OffMarket building on 111 Lower Clapton road, E5 0NP

OffMarket

111 Lower Clapton rd, E5 0NP
offmarket@riseup.net / 07706279299
Opening hours: Sunday 12-6pm, Monday 12-6pm, tuesday 12-8pm
Open meetings are on monday 7pm if you want to meet us, check the space out or have any proposal to use the space!


#PARKING#

Parking is limited. Not allowed at all on the street outside (although quick drop-offs are possible). Side streets nearby are pay and display between 7.30am and 6.30pm, with a 1 hour maximum rule and no return within 2 hours. However there is a church opposite (across a fairly busy road) with a car park out front where people
seem to park for free - albeit unofficially.


#PUBLIC TRANSPORT#

One bus-stop is 150 feet from our front door (via a zebra crossing, in a side street). Bus 242 stops here en route to Homerton Hospital.

Another bus-stop is on our street but on the other side (via a zebra crossing), 90 feet from our front door. Buses 48, 55, 106, 253, and 254 all stop here en route to Cambridge Heath.

FInally there is a bus-stop on our side of the street, 50 feet from our front door. Buses 38, 48, 55, 106, 253, 254, 425 and 488 all stop here en route to Clapton Roundabout.

The zebra crossing is 40 feet from our front door.

Nearest train stations are Clapton and Hackney Central, each are at least 15 minutes walk or a short bus ride to our front door.


#ENTRANCES#

Main entrance is a shop front door, with a 13cm high step. Please see below for further details.


#DOORS#

Front door step is 13cm high. Front door is 80cm wide and 196cm high, and opens into the shop.

This takes you straight into the main space. A smaller room, used as a reading room, to the rear is accessed through a doorless doorway which is 62cm wide and 226cm high. Toilet and kitchen area is accessed via this room.

Door to both kitchen and toilet area is 70cm wide and 223cm high.

The door to the toilet is 56cm wide and 193cm high. The toilet is 92cm from this door, which opens into the toilet room. The toilet seat is 42cm high. The light switch is 140cm high. There is a small sink on the left just inside the door, which is 85cm high.

The door to the kitchen is 68cm wide and 190cm high.

There is a back door in the reading room, which leads out into a small backyard with quite uneven floor (part soil, part broken stones and concrete). This back door is 69cm wide and 192cm high, and opens into the building.


#INSIDE BUILDING#

We are entirely on the ground floor of the building. There are no steps inside the space, only the one at the front door.


#ROOM DIMENSIONS#

The main room at the front is 364cm x 888cm. The reading room is 356cm x 304cm. The toilet room is 70cm x 164cm. The space between toilet, kitchen, and reading room is 76cm x 104cm. The kitchen (excluding cupboards) is 157cm x 71cm.


#FLOOR SURFACES#

There is laminated flooring throughout the main room, carpet in the reading room, and linoleum in the kitchen and toilet.


#LIGHTING#

Lighting is currently patchy but quite bright, via florescent lights in the ceiling, although this may change soon.

There are large, shop-front style, windows at the front of the building/main room. There are also medium sized windows at the back of the main room and in the reading room (one in each). The toilet and kitchen each have a small window.


#SEATING#

There are various types of seating available, from sofas to plastic chairs to stools. None are higher than an average office chair and most are significantly lower.


#HEATING#

We have one small electric heater.


#PARTICIPATION#

We do not regularly have sign language interpretation available, although it is possible we could arrange this for a particular event/a particular time with some advance notice. We do not have braille documents. Neither do we have any experienced finger-spellers or lip speakers yet.


#HELPERS#

We would be happy to provide assistance as required from the local train station, bus stops, or at the front door.  Our telephone number is 07706279299.


#CRECHE#

We are not currently providing creche facilities, although children are welcome with their grown-ups.


#FOOD AND DRINK#

We do not usually provide food although snacks are sometimes available on an ad-hoc basis. Water and cups of tea are usually available. We have a no-alcohol policy during shop opening hours.


#SMOKING#

We are a smoke-free space.


#STRUCTURE OF ACTIVITIES#

We are open from midday-6pm on sundays and mondays, and from midday-8pm on tuesdays, as an info-shop, free-shop and open space. At other times we are available for meetings and workshops. We have an open meeting every monday evening from 7pm for anyone wishing to get involved and/or propose an event.

Email Contact email: offmarket@riseup.net