Having spent a top night at Gigalum (Clapham South) on Friday night I thought I’d let you know about a seriously hot ‘must be there’ night coming up next weekend. On Sunday 11th September, Italian DJ, Manuel de la Mare is being flown in specially to get Gigalum jumping with his beats that mix somewhere between house and techno.  Already a familiar face at global venues like Ministry of Sound in London, Womb in Tokyo and Fabrik in Madrid, Manuel has managed to procure a worldwide fan base that has enabled him to perform his music throughout Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, as well as North and South America. With a soaring profile and constantly growing international followers and fans Manuel launched his own labels 303Lovers and Hotfingers back in 2007 along with Alex Kenji and Marshall. The labels has now showed themselves as one of the key names in House and Techno Music with a never-ending flow of quality releases which fire the dancefloor. So if you want to party it up with one of the hottest DJs on the planet then head over to Clapham South this Sunday and great news – its free!

The fruit juice and nectar company, Simply Nectar is sending a banana to hand out FREEBIES to Clappers this Friday!! All you have to do is head over to Clapham Common and say happy birthday to a large, human banana! The fruity character will be based in the area throughout the day handing out freebottles of Banana Simply Nectar and ‘other goodies’ to passersby in celebration of company’s tenth anniversary.The festive giveaway is also being held in a bid to promote a healthy lifestyle and to encourage people to opt for pure fruit juices and nectars rather than sugarfilled alternatives. Simply Nectar van and the large banana will start making its wayround Clapham Common and the surrounding areas during the morning of Friday 26 August. They will also be donating some drinks to local charitable organisations. For more information on Simply Nectar click here or read their blog follow this link.

Nectar has always looked for the UK’s Savviest Shopper; people would email in their top tips and hints to save money. This year Nectar decided to expand the campaign, this time to find the “UK’s Savviest Family”. Over a period of two months, up to eight families are going head-to-head in a competition to see who can be the savviest with their saving and spending. Families are blogging their savvy experiences online at nectar.com and are in the running to win prizes such as flights, cash and obviously loads of Nectar points! One of the eight families is the Owen family from Clapham. Tabitha Owen commented ‘- In a town like Clapham, it’s really easy to be Savvy. I make the most of the local charity shops, where I buy all my books and the park is also an easy and free day out. It’s great how you can make use of the wide open spaces of the common. I also grow my own vegetables with the help of my son, which really helps to cut costs’. The competition runs to the 31st August when one family will be crowned UK’s Savviest Family. To find out more about the Savvy family competition, the Owen family and lots of money saving tips click here.

As an official partner of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Sainburys are throwing a big celebration to mark one year to go until London 2012. Bringing together some of the UK’s biggest music acts and Paralympic sport, this is a unique family festival that is not to be missed!

On Saturday 10th September, 11am-9pm, Clapham Common will be the place for an action packed day – with live music from some of the hottest pop acts around, the chance to try out Paralympic sports and the opportunity to meet our London 2012 hopefuls, there will be something to keep everyone entertained. The Saturdays, Pixie Lott, Olly Murs, Chipmunk, Taio Cruz and the Sugababes are just some of the acts secured so far, with lots more to be announced. If the music isn’t enough already, theres plenty more to do including an inflatable obstacle course and slide, face painting, arts & crafts area, zorbing, bungee trampolines and an inflatable sticky wall. What a day! If you’d like to purchase some tickets click here.

In a few weeks time the wait will finally be over for thousands of teenagers across the country to see if their hard work has paid off on GCSE and A Level results day. One school that results day will be extra special for is Lambeth Academy, who will be celebrating the graduation of its first ever pupils.

There was some controversy prior to the opening of the school in 2004, with neighbours in Elms Road objecting and saying that they didn’t want a comprehensive school on their doorstep. But parents pushed back and campaigned for the school to be opened, saying that there were not enough places for pupils in the area, with an excess of 300 pupils having to go outside the borough.

Seven years on and the school, run by educational charity The United Learning Trust, is going from strength to strength. Of its first pupils to take GCSEs in 2009, half of them achieved five about grade C and last years Ofsted report commented that it was making an “outstanding contribution to the promotion of community cohesion”. Two weeks ago, 120 of the first ever students came together to celebrate the academy’s success and ‘coming of age’. A YouTube video has been made by staff and pupils at the academy sharing their experiences, memories and opinions and can be viewed here. Good luck to all those getting their exam results in August!

I’ve found a fitness gem in the heart of Clapham … how could I possibly not share with you all! Over a year ago I very rarely did sport or any form of exercise. I had a gym membership which I used pretty sporadically – one week I would go every day then I wouldn’t go for a month (I’m sure many of you know the feeling!). But in spring last year I decided that was it – I needed to get fit! I decided to try a personal trainer in my gym – wasn’t for me, there never seemed to be enough room to work out and I didn’t really feel like I had the encouragement I needed. Then I discovered Revolution Personal Training on Abbeville Road and more importantly – training with Tim. He trains his clients in a private studio which is open seven days a week all day, which was perfect for me to fit sessions in around work. I explained exactly what I wanted from my work outs and he devised a brilliant plan, which involved training twice a week. He also advised on nutrition and gave me home work out guides to complement my studio sessions.  I can’t actually believe how far I’ve come – not only have I reached my toning and fitness goals, Tim has also given me the confidence to compete in a 5k, 10k, half marathon and last week I did my first triathlon! I’m still training twice a week and love it! Sessions are varied, fun and I would highly recommend it! For more information or to book some sessions visit http://www.itrainwithtim.com/. You can also follow him on Twitter @itrainwithtim. Tim will be giving a FREE consultation and a FREE session to his 100^th Twitter follower!!!

The British Gas Big Dip has teamed up with Speedo, as the National Swim Partner, to create a fantastic fun fuelled challenge for all the family.

Speedos Swim It To Win It Challenge -  a pool-based obstacle course is set to be the most fun you can have in the pool. Swim It To Win It will commence on Saturday 3 July 2011 and close on 10July 2011 on the Common. This challenge is part of the British Gas Big Dip major urban swim festival that promises a fun, swim-based day out for all the family. Speedos Swim It To Win It challenge, will provide Big Dip visitors (kids and adults) with the opportunity to take part in a fun water challenge with great prizes. The challenge involves contestants completing an obstacle course in the swimming pool, in as quick a time as possible. All entrants will be entered on a leaderboard for each category and the fastest in each category over the course of the day will be awarded a Speedo Black Aquabeat 1GM MP Player worth £65.00

This weekend The Big Feastival arrives on Clapham Common and LoveClapham wanted to let you know about  Matt Carroll a local travel writer and presenter who will be doing a reading from his latest book – Escape Routes, a selection of hand picked bike rides around England – with each route starting and finishing at a gorgeous B&B, counrty inn or independent hotel. The rides take you on scenic loops through the countryside, past farms, markets, historic houses and costal routes to hidden beaches. As well as a reading, Matt will be giving us a taste of what Escape Routes is all about with an enticing selection of specially created canapés and delicious wines from a local vineyard he discovered en route. Following this he’ll be giving a Q&A on what it takes to become a travel writer. Matt’s session takes place on Sunday 3rd at 3pm in the WI tent. For more information on Matt’s session and The Big Feastival click here.

Trinity Hospice, the Clapham-based charity which provides end of life care for the community in South West London, is recruiting a number of volunteers to assist staff with a variety of roles. Most of the positions will be based at the hospice itself or at one of its 22 shops. Commitment can be as little as three hours a week and there are lots of different roles to choose from.

Reception Assistant – This position involves working closely with the receptionist to welcome visitors to the hospice. The role will also include some administrative tasks.   Ebay Volunteer -A volunteer is needed to help the retail team to sell selected donated goods via the online auction, Ebay. Good computer and internet literacy is required as well as the ability to photograph items. The volunteer will need to be a good researcher in order to help price the goods. Duties would be during office hours. Breakfast Volunteer - This position involves working closely with the ward team to provide breakfast to patients once a week. The volunteer will help prepare and serve breakfast between the hours of 8:00 am -10:00 am. Applicants should be reliable and an ability to empathise with patients and their families. Mulberry Café Volunteer – This role is completely new with the opening of the hospice’s café area. The volunteer will work as part of team providing refreshments and snacks for patients and their families as well as for volunteers and other visitors to the hospice. Duties will include monitoring stock levels, welcoming visitors and basic food preparation. Shop Volunteer - The retail team are looking for more volunteers to help out in their 22 fashion and furniture shops across South West London. The volunteer will work closely with the shop manager helping customers, pricing the merchandise as well as operating the cash tills. The volunteer needs good customer service skills as well as being trustworthy. To volunteer or find out more information email Anne Marie on volunteering@trinityhospice.org.uk.

On the 24th of June, The Suburbians play their biggest show in London to date. With an audience capacity of 1,250, The Clapham Grand is thought of as one of the UK’s most prestigious venues for touring artists and The Suburbians are ready bring the house down. The band burst on to the scene last year brimming with Essex charm and heaps of musical talent, these boys are aiming high and on a mission to ‘save good old fashioned anthemic and euphoric rock’! This show represents a big step forward for The Suburbians in 2011. Performing for steadily increasing crowds, and bigger and bigger venues, the Clapham Grand will be a night not to miss. Performing this Friday - for more information and tickets click here.