Entries tagged with “campaigns” from Working For Walthamstow
"Hi
Stella, If I
may give you an overview of the UCKG HelpCentre's 2009 Christmas Carols appeal,
it should answer most of your questions. We are very happy for you to pass this
on in full. This
is the first time that UCKG has undertaken a large scale licensed street collection
in London, and
it has been both fruitful and a valuable learning experience. To
start with the necessary licences were sought through the Met Police and granted for London wide collections
during the period 1 - 24 December. This means having to guarantee that
you are able to collect in at least 20 of the 32 London boroughs. In addition some licences were obtained for mostly small scale collections in towns and
cities outside London
where UCKG has branches. Different rules apply in each location, and I suggest
that we do not need to go into these as the bulk of activity was in London. Nationwide,
UCKG fielded a total of 2,194 registered volunteer fundraisers, drawn from its
church members (obviously they were not all on the streets at once). A generous
public and help from various organisations that
allowed them to collect on private premises enabled them to raise just under
£404,000. I can advise you that funds collected are designated to help in
supporting community services at the 22 full time UCKG HelpCentre branches in
the UK
and for maintenance of the buildings. Two
projects that will be supported heavily are the 24 hour telephone Helpline [call:
0207 686 6000] and the completion of a new Youth Centre in Peckham, south London. There are notes
on both of these activities at the end of this email, which you may like to
share with people who ask you about the UCKG's work. As
regards the two young girls you encountered, we can only apologise most sincerely, if they - or any other UCKG collectors -
behaved badly. There were a lot of collections going on in London over the 2009 pre-Christmas period and
unfortunately UCKG is aware of instances where its collectors were also treated
to rudeness in what may at times have been overly competitive and stressful environments.
A full review of the collectors' feedback is under way so that UCKG may
learn from them and take appropriate action. Other post-collection work
currently in progress includes the calculation of expenses and preparation of
accounts. Supporting the UCKG Helpline UCKG
community services that will benefit from the fund raising include our 24 hour
Helpline, which dealt with over 7,400 enquiries in 2009. In December 797 calls
were mostly about depression, however the Helpline regularly responses to a
wide range of concerns about family and marriage problems, illnesses, financial,
career, faith and immigration difficulties. As appropriate we provide support
and advice, or refer callers to a range of specialist charities and organisations including some who help with homelessness. An ambitious development programme Funds
will also go towards upgrading UCKG HelpCentres so that they better serve their
local communities. A top priority is the HelpCentre in Rye Lane, Peckham and the immediate task
there is to complete the long awaited Youth Centre that will focus on training,
academic excellence, and life skills for young men and women aged 14 - 25. The
Peckham branch of the church's Victory Youth Group will operate from this
new Youth Centre. It has an excellent track record in helping young people, including
former offenders, and giving them a new outlook so they become law abiding
citizens, eager to contribute to the life of the community. Kind
regards, Jenny
Jenny Walton
Director (Public Relations)
D: +44 (0) 1962 893 907
T: +44 (0) 1962 893 893
http://www.remarkablegroup.co.
Please note that despite earlier indications from the local authority, there is no further news as to when the UCKG application to convert the EMD into a church will be heard at a planning meeting. This is despite the deadline for objections being over three months ago in September 2009. I will continue to update this site with any further information on this issue I receive.
I write in support of the view that the restoration of Walthamstow Dog Track as a viable commercial enterprise is both possible and desirable, and would be in the best interests of the people of Walthamstow.
For many visitors and tourists the Dog Track defines E17, and the story of its development is for many the story of the changing East End of London. It has entertained not only local residents but brought people and investment to the area. It was also one of our major local employers with many jobs that were part time or flexible, so suitable for those with family commitments. Its closure in 2007 meant Walthamstow lost an iconic piece of local heritage and nearly 500 people lost their livelihoods.
Regeneration should not only be about the physical investment such as transport links or high quality housing but also the provision of "places to go, and things to do". Walthamstow struggles to offer many activities to fit this description meaning local residents often leave the area for leisure pursuits. This also means there is a lack of inward investment from visitors. Despite the challenging economic conditions of the last eighteen months, there has been persistent interest from commercial organisations in restoring the Dog Track. This highlights how there is not only a social but an economic case for action and that any such development would be highly likely to prosper. Indeed, the site is well suited to such activities, being close to main roads and transport hubs yet contained away from nearby residential properties.
I recognise that Waltham Forest is in desperate need of affordable housing and I want to participate in finding viable solutions to this challenge for our community. I also know it is difficult to identify other sites locally that could provide the opportunity for large-scale leisure facilities. I am hopeful that an acceptable deal for the site could be reached which could in turn finance alternative local housing provision.
As a local community activist I fear Walthamstow becoming a "dormitory town". It is why I have campaigned for many years to retain and expand the provision of venues that can offer jobs as well as entertainment for local residents. I hope that both the prospective buyers and the current owners of the site, London and Quadrant, will commit themselves to negotiations to see if a sale could be achieved for the benefit of our local people and ultimately our local economy and community.
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