Destroying Local Services Means Wrecking People’s Lives
Call for Newham MPs to Support EDM on Independent Living Fund
Newham Stroke Club is calling on local MPs Stephen Timms and Lyn Brown to support the Early Day Motion (EDM) 1231 to stop the closure of Independent Living Fund (ILF).
Government cuts to the ILF will affect thousands of disabled people who may be unable to continue to live independently in the community. The local community group is asking individuals and organisations to write to the MPs and has produced a model letter.
Forthcoming Anti-Cuts Action in Newham
MONDAY 31st JANUARY
6.00.pm Old Town Hall in Stratford
Protest and leafleting outside Newham Mayor Sir Robin Wales’ last “we’re all in this together” public meeting (starts 6.30).
SATURDAY 12th FEBRUARY
Valentine’s Day Massacre of Jobs and Services.
12.00- 1.30pm Stratford Shopping Centre
SERTUC Day Of Action with street theatre and leafleting
MONDAY 28th FEBRUARY
March and Lobby of full council meeting setting cuts budget.
Assemble Plashet Park 5.00pm and march to East Ham Town Hall. (March and assembly point to be confirmed).
SATURDAY 5th MARCH
Street stalls and leafleting for TUC demonstration on 26 March
Stratford/East Ham/ Green Street
Vigil for London’s Advice Services
The Grants Committee of London Councils will be meeting on Thursday 25th November to make its final recommendations to the Leaders Committee on proposed cuts to the London Councils Grants Programme.
BAN (BME Advice Network) is co-ordinating a lobby of this meeting:
Thursday 25th November 2010
10.30am outside the London Council offices
591⁄2 Southwark Street
London SE1 0AL
BAN opposes the cuts because:
- Vulnerable Londoner’s will be hit hardest and the impact of this has not been fully considered
- The categorisation of services as local, sub-regional and pan-London is inaccurate
- There is no guarantee repatriated funds will be ringfenced for the voluntary sector
- The proposals are not cost-effective as many advice services are significantly cheaper to provide on a pan-London basis
- London Councils should maintain grants until the end of the original contracts to allow organisations enough time to find alternative funding for the future
All London Councils funded projects including staff, volunteers and service users are invited to join us at this lobby to ensure the voice of those affected is fully represented and heard by the decision makers. Whilst many of us have taken part in the London Councils consultation, there have been limited opportunities for us to show our unified opposition to the proposed cuts and the manner in which the consultation process has been conducted.
The lobby will also be handing in a petition, which can be signed at
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/londoncouncilsfundingcuts/
BAN is a network of over 40 quality assured advice services delivered by and for people from London’s BAMER migrant and refugee communities. More details about BAN and why we oppose the cuts can be found at:
www.bmeadvicenetwork.org.uk/stopthecuts.htm
For queries about the BAN lobby, the liaison contact is Estelle du Boulay, Newham Monitoring Project 020 8470 8333 / spw@nmp.org.uk
NUT calls public meeting against cuts
Newham Teachers’ Association, the Newham branch of the NUT, invites public sector workers and residents in Newham to attend its meeting:
‘No to Cuts in Public Services’
Thursday 2nd December
6.00-8.00
Conference Hall,
Credon Centre,
Kirton Road, London E13 9BT.
5 minutes from Upton Park tube station.
Speakers: Tom Taylor (PCS), Peter Smith (NUT and Newham Joint Trades Union Council), Tom Nixon (Newham UNITE), Steve Hedley (RMT)
Download Flyer [PDF]
No New School Campaign 2010 – Little Ilford School
Find out more here.
Welcome to the ‘Save Newham Services’ Campaign!
This evening’s planning meeting at Durning Hall has formalised Newham’s new local campaign against cuts in public services. The ‘Save Newham Services’ campaign aims to:
- Publicise, encourage, support and provide solidarity to local opposition to cuts in the London Borough of Newham.
- Provide a point of contact and coordination for local opposition to cuts in the borough.
- Research and publicise the potential impact of cuts on people living in Newham.
- Put pressure on local elected representatives to stand alongside local people to insist that cutting services is dangerous, unnecessary and must be opposed.
- Ensure that our local experience is fed upwards to all regional and national opposition to the government’s cuts programme.
- Call for greater transparency and accountability within public services in Newham.
As a first step, we have produced a window poster (with the design above) for display by everyone who opposes cuts imposed on the public sector and on voluntary, community and faith sector organisations receiving funding from public bodies to provide services. Hopefully, we will soon be able to print copies to distribute but you can download a PDF version from here.
We are also urging community groups and staff in local services to start gathering support from service users, members and supporters NOW, rather than waiting until individual providers face the threat of cuts. A standard petition form that can be customised for your use is available in Word format here.
The next planning meeting is on Thursday 18 November at 6.30pm at Durning Hall Community Centre and is open to anyone who wants to get involved in developing and widening the campaign.
