Current Community Campaigns
I have the passion and the experience to make things happen for Labour and for Walthamstow. Every campaign I have run or contributed to reflects both my commitment to both the people of this constituency and my commitment to the politics of social justice. I believe we can't just talk about how things could be different, we need to act too. These are just a selection of some of the current campaigns I'm involved in, putting into practise my Labour values.
Local regeneration: Fighting for Transport, Jobs and Investment for Walthamstow
As a local campaigner I have long been involved in campaigns seeking to regenerate our local area. Whether fighting for the future of the EMD cinema and a nighttime economy for Walthamstow, the campaign to Save our Stow and restore Walthamstow's Dog Track or proposals to re-open the Hall Farm Curve which would open up a station at Lea Bridge and a new transport connection between Walthamstow and Stratford I believe there are clear ways we can make Walthamstow a great place not only to live or play but also to work and do business. I continue to support these projects as well as the need to capitalise on the benefits the Olympics and its legacy of investment in East London can bring our area and support in partnership with local residents, the local authority and local business the future of our town centre and world famous market.
Helping the vulnerable in our society: Action to
tackle homelessness and poverty
Working in partnership with
local faith communities I am seeking to support efforts to help those families
in our community at risk of debt and poverty as well as those who find
themselves homeless.The causes of these issues locally are complex and many.
That's why I want to pay tribute to the volunteers, especially those currently
running local day and nightshelter services. We've recently set up a campaign
to help the shelter by gathering donations of food which you can find more information on here. I am also helping a new
project offering advice on free debt and financial management for local
families which is being set up by Christians Against Poverty here in Walthamstow.
If you would like to know more about this or the shelter please do get in
touch.
The 120 Campaign: Give Walthamstow Our Fair Share of Police,
Boris!
I am supporting a new campaign to increase the numbers of
police in Walthamstow. This has been triggered by a Met Police report that
shows we have one officer for every 24.76 serious crimes against an average in
The Road to Copenhagen: Can We Change the World from Walthamstow?
In
2012 the Kyoto Protocol to prevent climate changes and global warming runs out.
Government
cannot act alone to address these challenges. We must act together to all
contribute to securing a safer, more sustainable and more socially just society
for every human being. This process of making choices doesn't have to
happen overseas. We can start it here too in Walthamstow for the sake of our
families, our friends, our community, our fellow citizens across the world and
our climate. Last year ahead of the Copenhagen summit we debated this issue with Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. Now in 2010 we're looking at how we can cut Walthamstow's carbon footprint. f you would like to be part of activities to support this work
over the course of the year ahead please get in touch.
Our Youth, Our Future: Supporting Walthamstow's Young People To Thrive
As well as being an active school Governor at Sybourn Primary School and Children's Centre I've been working with the residents of
I also helped set up a project working with young muslim men in Walthamstow, seeking to encourage them to achieve their potential. This club now attracts hundreds of young adults to its activities, and has helped not only address concerns around radicalism and Islam on our streets but also gang crime and anti-social behaviour. I'm proudest of the fact we've helped many young men also succeed in life including getting several now to train to become police officers and PCSOs. Recently a journalist from the Times came down to meet the group and wrote this article about them: Article at www.timesonline.co.uk
Our
Children, Our Future: Community Engagement and Empowerment
There
are many changes taking place locally and nationally that will affect families-
from the new parental leave rights, to changes in tax credits and benefits as
well as the new surestart and childrens centre services - and I want those in
power to hear first hand from people in Walthamstow what they think of these
changes and what our priorities for our locality are. That's why every year I
organise an "our children, our future" event to enable local children
and parents to have their say on what services and support they need to
thrive. So far Harriet Harman MP and James Purnell MP have come to
Walthamstow to respond to the issues raised by local families. This year we're planning another similar event in March 2010 so please get in touch if you would like to come. And its not just
about national government listening to local people- I'm keen too
that those who work with families participate so that they can bring their
experience to our discussions and also get to know each other too. At every
event we've had hundreds of local people along with politicians and officers
responsible for services and the ideas and issues raised are then fed back to
local and national service providers. I hope in time this event will become a
key part of empowering Walthamstow's residents to shape public services to fit
their needs- and as their representative I would work hard to make sure those
voices are heard.
I've also written an article about early years
provision and youth work which is rooted in my experience of campaigning on
these issues in Walthamstow. You can find it here on the Labourlist Website.
