Can't wait for the screen to be on to watch films in Walthamstow? The Walthamstow Film Cafe will be showing a series of short films this Friday 1 August at the Rose and Crown Theatre Pub on Hoe Street starting at 8pm. Details of the programme can be found here.
]]>If you're a group working in a local park or green space you might also find the following website a useful resource of information on funding sources for your activities.
]]>Neil Gerrard, MP for Walthamstow, and Stella Creasy, local community campaigner, today welcomed the news that the Forest Road Post Office is to be kept open but expressed their anger and dismay at the decision that two Post Office branches in Walthamstow are to close. "We are pleased that the Forest Road Branch has been reprieved and that the Post office listened to the concerns we and others raised" said Neil and Stella "but we cannot understand the logic of the decisions on the other two branches. The arguments that appear to have been accepted as justifying keeping this branch open, such as the needs of elderly people living nearby, apply with equal force to the other branches. The result of these decisions will be that many local people will find it much more difficult to access Post Office services. The High Street Post Office is already inadequate to handle the number of people using it, and these closures will make that situation worse. When the review of the original closure proposals was announced Postwatch specifically asked that action should be taken to improve the queuing times at the High Street main Post Office. This was in recognition of the fact that more people will go there if other Branches are closed. This has been totally ignored by the Post Office. For many people who now use the Orford Road and Chingford Road branches it will be very inconvenient to have to travel to the High Street or other branches. We are particularly disappointed that the Post Office have ignored the strongly held views of local people and have simply failed to answer the clear and strong case that was put forward for keeping all three branches open. We want to thank those local residents who supported the campaign to keep the Post Offices open. We will now be seeking an urgent meeting with the Post Office about these decisions and will be asking what plans they have to improve the services provided at the High Street Crown Post Office.
]]>The current early closures have allowed the work to be speeded up and LU are aiming to have the bulk of the engineering finished by the middle of next year. Closures should become fewer over time, and probably the current period of early evening closures will not be repeated. There are still some uncertainties, arising from the fact that LU have taken over this project from Metronet, and so still have to satisfy themselves that everything is going to keep to schedule. The key point however seems to be that although the whole project still has 3 years or more to run, the latter part of that is the bringing in of the new trains rather than continued major engineering works. I hope this is of interest and I'll keep updating this site if I get any further information on these works.
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A recent independent study by the Institute of Fiscal Studies shows EMAs have encouraged thousands of young people to stay on in education, who would not have done so without the financial support and incentive. There's now even better news as, from 2008/09, a learner will be eligible for EMA at the same amount for a period of up to three years. This "EMA Guarantee" will be a minimum level of support even if their household income changes and represents a security in funding which will allow them to look ahead to completing their programme of study and progressing into employment or Higher Education.
More information about how to claim EMA can be found by visiting www.direct.gov.uk/ema or calling the hotline on 0800 121 8989.
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You
may have already seen how the shameful policies of the BNP seek to damage the
community relations in our capital city. This is our London, not theirs, and
we need to protect every citizen from their extremism and racism.
The London Assembly has 14 constituency members and 11 London-wide members. The London-wide members are elected depending on how much of the percentage of votes each party obtains. Any party with fewer than five per cent of the vote is eliminated. This is what happened to the BNP in 2004 when it polled 4.8 per cent of all the votes cast.
All votes for other parties will increase the total vote and therefore reduce the BNP percentage, so it is important that voters, wherever in London they are, use their vote to try and put the BNP below five per cent. On the Saturday 19 April there will be two different activities. Starting at noon there will be a stall in Walthamstow Market to publicise this campaign, followed at 2pm by a leafleting session in neighbouring streets. I hope those of you who are proud to be a Londoner and love the rich variety of this capital will come along to join in a day of action that will benefit us all.
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