I want to thank every woman in Walthamstow who took part in our first event last week. This is a spreadsheet with all the comments from the participants - over 100 local women took part along with Harriet Harman, Tessa Jowell, Diane Abbott, Meg Hillier and Joan Ruddock. I've not censored the comments so you can see the full range of issues we discussed and ideas we shared. I'll also be sharing these with Harriet who made her own notes (also included) about the discussion. 

what women in walthamstow want feedback.xlsx

This coming Saturday 1 May I and a number of the women council candidates will be holding another drop in event to continue these conversations. This will be a great opportunity to meet with other local women and also have your say on what matters for Walthamstow. If you would like to take part in this event please do get in touch for further details. 

All Walthamstow residents are invited to join us for an informal evening to discuss their hopes for our children's future and what we think the Government's priorities should be to help our young people achieve their potential.

This is the fourth such event I have organised in this series to make sure Walthamstow's residents have a direct opportunity to discuss children and young people's services. Our special guest will be the Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families and it is the fourth such event we have organised to bring Government ministers directly to Walthamstow to listen to our views on these issues.

This free event will be held on Thursday 25th March between 6.00 pm and 8.00 pm at the Queens Road Community Centre, 215 Queens Road, Walthamstow, London E17 8PJ. The evening will be very relaxed with no long speeches and you can drop in anytime during the two hours to take part. It is Walthamstow's chance to meet the man responsible for schools and for policies affecting children and families and to tell him directly what we would like the Government to do for our children. Local teachers, school governors and youth workers are also invited to attend so that they can inform the discussion.

Light refreshments and children's entertainment will be available and the event has kindly been sponsored by our local trade union Unison. The founder of a new local Origami Club, Yoko Mihara Neckles, will be on hand to teach children the Japanese art of paperfolding so do please bring them along for some fun and to give their thoughts as well.

If you would like to attend, please RSVP to amy@workingforwalthamstow.org.uk or call 07530 707515 to help us ensure we are able to cater for the numbers of people who wish to participate. 

Thank you to everyone who came to our community meeting with Ed Miliband last Thursday. Over 250 local residents participated in the discussion, representing many different aspects of Walthamstow. It was inspiring to hear them come together to talk with such knowledge and passion about how we can tackle climate change. A big thank you to Willowfield School, staff, parents and pupils for their help and participation as well. 

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As well as questioning Ed on all sorts of issues we also we gathered feedback from the tables on how we want ourselves to see things change in order to be able to live a lower carbon lifestyle. I've now sent these ideas to the Government and the local Council for their feedback on the points people made. When I get their responses, I'll circulate them via my e-newsletter so do get in touch if you would like to receive this information.
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 If you'd like to respond to the ideas in this document - or correct any misreadings of handwriting - you can find it all on Facebook here As we mentioned at the event, I'll be attending The Wave this Saturday 5^th December, along with Ed Miliband. The Wave has been organised by the StopClimate Change Chaos coalition. It's a rally for action on climate change and part of a global series of public actions.
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The Wave will call on world leaders to take urgent action to secure a fair international deal to stop global
warming exceeding the danger threshold of 2 degrees C.  We will be leaving Walthamstow at 11.30am on
Saturday to join the rally in Grosvenor Square in central London before the march starts at 1pm. The nearest tube is Bond Street. If you would like to join me and other local residents on this event to show your support for action on climate change, please getin touch.  

If you're a regular reader, you'll know how concerned I am that the UK Government negotiates a deal at the Copenhagen climate change summit in December. The reality of the damage climate change is doing to our world is already becoming apparent. If we don't act now to cut our carbon emissions, countries such as Bangladesh will disappear. A third of animal and plant species will become extinct. Life here in Britain will change forever too. Whether we're facing extreme weather, food shortages or flooding, no area of our lives will be immune from the impact of climate change if it is left unchecked. If we adapt our lifestyles to meet this challenge, we can create a cleaner and greener future for our children.

These issues affect every person on this planet. That's why I think it's vital we come together as a local community and decide how we want our government and our local council to act to stop climate change, and talk about what we can do ourselves. With the help of other local residents, I've organised a special public meeting to help us start this discussion. It's taking place between 7.30pm and 9.30pm on Thursday 26^th November at Willowfield School on Clifton Avenue. It's open to all local residents. 

I'm delighted to say that joining us at the meeting will be Ed Miliband MP, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. Ed has been leading the Government's work on building a low carbon future for Britain. He'll be leading the UK's push for a deal at Copenhagen, along with the Prime Minister. Because of their work through the Climate Change Act, Britain is the first country in the world to introduce legally binding carbon budgets. These commit us to carbon savings of 34% by 2020 and at least 80% by 2050.

If you have questions or concerns about what the Government is doing to tackle climate change then this event is your chance to put them directly to Ed.

But this event isn't just about Ed. It's about us, as residents of Walthamstow. So also joining us at the meeting will be representatives from a number of organisations including development charities Oxfam and Action Aid, and our local Waltham Forest Transition Towns movement.

The event will be a deliberative forum. That means it's a chance for us all to talk together and share ideas, tips and plans for building a more environmentally sustainable future for Walthamstow. It also means you can turn up and contribute at any point during the two hours, and you can stay for as much or as little of the meeting as you like!

There will also be stalls and information about climate change and there'll be plenty of refreshments. I'm extremely grateful to the students and staff of Willowfield for hosting this community meeting. If you would like to attend, please email me or join this group on Facebook so that we can let the school know how many people to expect.

I hope you will join us. And I hope that together we can all play our part in tackling climate change and building a more sustainable future for Walthamstow and ultimately the world. Why not start by checking your own carbon footprint and what you can do to lower it? Or you can sign up to the 10:10 campaign and pledge to cut your own carbon footprint by 10% by next year.

I'm organising a street stall on Saturday 7th November to tackle the threat the BNP pose to our society.

I recognise that there are many differing and complex reasons why people consider supporting the BNP. I feel it is beholden on all of us who are involved in mainstream politics to accept responsibility for addressing this and play our part in tackling them. I'm proud to live in a part of Britain that benefits from being so diverse. I don't want to see these people claim to speak for my country.

On the 7th, we'll be holding a leafleting session to gather support for action being taken by Hope not Hate. Organisations like Hope not Hate, and Unite Against Facism, are taking on the BNP and the politics of hate and fear that they stand for. They're bringing people together from a wide variety of backgrounds to say that this vile party has no place in modern Britain. If you feel the same, please come to this stall on Saturday between 11am and 2pm to take some leaflets to deliver to your neighbours. Together we can spread the message about what we can all do to help the fight against the BNP, both here in London and across England. Please email if you would also be able to help with staffing this stall during the day itself.

Today I have been told the planning application to turn the EMD cinema into a church is being submitted this week. Now that the application is formally happening, The McGuffins are proposing to do a weekly email update on the issue and how you can participate in the planning process.

As we head towards this year's E17 Art Trail in September, there are many local groups and artists working on exhibitions. The E17 Art Trail launched in 2004 as a one day event. The annual event now covers nine days with over 150 exhibitions and events already listed for September 2009.  Image17, a group of photographers based in Walthamstow, London have set out to document the huge variety of local leisure and social groups within the Borough and have been awarded a grant from Arts Council England for an exhibition. The photographers would like to hear from local residents about the groups they belong to, and to involve them in this exhibition. Therefore, if you're part of a group within the borough and are interested in being photographed, please email Katherine Green, info@katherinegreen.co.uk.

You can see a short film of Florrie at the award's ceremony here on youtube.

In recent weeks Walthamstow has been in the news for a spate of attacks against women, including the horrific murder of Michelle Samaraweera. In response to this, a group of local residents has organised a "reclaim the night" march. This is an event will involve giving advice and information on how to keep safe, and some time to remember the victims of these crimes. Whilst the ongoing investigations into these crimes is clearly the priority for police resources, I believe we also need stand together as local residents to show these events will not break the spirit of the local community. The march will start by the big screen in Walthamstow Town Centre at 9pm on Friday 10 July and finish near Kelmscott Leisure Centre on Queens Road. Representatives of the local police, Neil Gerrard MP and I will be speaking at this event so hope to see many other local residents there. 

In 2012, the Kyoto Protocol to prevent climate change and global warming runs out. On 7 December 2009, the UN Climate Conference will open in Copenhagen. This week scientific projections about global warming were published showing that by 2080, even at a low emissions scenario temperature increases in southern England could be around 3 degrees. If we follow a high emissions path, the increase could be 5 degrees.  That means we're likely to see hotter drier summers and warmer wetter winters in the UK, coupled with increased frequency of extreme weather such as heatwaves, dry spells, heavy rain and flooding. Furthermore, the world's poorest communities suffer the most from climate change; without a strong agreement, our capacity to end world poverty is also at risk.

The messages from these projections are stark.  Firstly, cutting global greenhouse gas emissions is vital- the more successfully we move to a low carbon economy the less climate change to which we will need to adapt.  Secondly, however, cutting emissions is not enough. We need to adapt to the inevitable climate change we will face and plan accordingly. The 2008 Climate Change Act made Britain the first country in the world to set legally binding 'carbon budgets', aiming to cut UK emissions by 34% by 2020 and 80% by 2050.  The Government will also set out shortly its aims for Copenhagen and in July there will be a white paper on how we can as a country meet our carbon budget targets.

But I believe that Government alone cannot tackle this issue. All of us will have to work together to change the way in which we live if we want a safer, more sustainable and more socially just society for every human being. That's why as well as seeking to support local environmental action organisations, I'm also working with other local residents to develop a range of activities on the "road to Copenhagen" to encourage everyone here to support action on climate change. This group is now planning activities for the months ahead including a visit by Ed Miliband MP, the Secretary of State for Climate Change to Walthamstow. He will be leading the efforts of the Government to achieve a new international climate agreement at Copenhagen in December. If you would like to be part of this discussion and help we're meeting this Saturday in Daisy's Café in Hoe Street at 11.30am.

The Waltham Forest Cycling Campaign (WFCC) wants Waltham Forest's cyclists to tell them what they like, and don't like, about cycling locally. The WFCC, part of the London Cycling Campaign, organises local social rides and campaigns to make cycling better in Waltham Forest. They will be handing out survey questionnaires at the popular Tour de Waltham Forest, Sunday June 14, 10.30 am - 5 pm in Walthamstow Town Square. They want to find out what's needed most to improve cycling in the borough. And they want your views, whether you're on a rusty bike out of the shed, with the family in tow, or a Lycra-clad whippet.

The Tour de Waltham Forest features three guided rides around the borough (and to the edge of the Olympic site) for different levels of cycling ability. Rides kick off from 11 am. Also in the Town Square will be free cycle training taster lessons, music and "Dr Bike" check- ups. The WFCC will be presenting the results of the survey to key council officers and councillors, who'll also be going out on a series of bike rides with Waltham Forest Cycling Campaign volunteers during Bike Week (13-21 June) to see for themselves what's good and bad about cycling in the area. Other Bike Week events planned by the Waltham Forest Cycling Campaign include a "Bike Breakfast Ride" for hungry commuters (16 June), a ride to Borough Market (20 June) and a family bike ride (21 June). More detail on all of the events is available at www.wfcycling.org.uk

The vote for the European parliament is across the whole of London. There are eight seats in the European parliament to be won. These are allocated to parties according to the proportion of votes they receive overall. This means the BNP only need to gain eight per cent of all the votes cast in all of London to win a seat in the European parliament. If they do win, they will receive £250,000 of public money to put towards their campaigns of hatred and division. You can help stop this. Any vote cast here in Walthamstow for any other political party will make it harder for the BNP to get eight per cent of all the votes cast in London.

On Saturday 23 May we will be having a big day of action in Walthamstow with a stall in the Town Centre next to central library running from 11am to 3pm. If you can spare an hour to help hand out leaflets please do get in touch or sign up via the Facebook group. And even if you can't help on the day, you can also come to the stall to take away bundles of leaflets to be delivered to local community and voluntary groups. 

Want to see if you can vote in the European elections on June 4? You can check you're registered by calling the Electoral Services at Waltham Forest Town Hall on 020 8496 4562 / 020 8496 4433 / 020 8496 4223 between 9am and 5.30pm every weekday.

Thank you to everyone who came to our event this week at Tumble in the Jungle. Over 350 children, parents and carers came along to have fun and have their say on our local play areas and children's centres. You can see some photos from the day here.  I will post up on here the details of all the comments made both through our online survey and on the day as well as feeding them back to local and national Government. One idea raised by local parents that got strong support was the proposal smoking should be banned in children's play areas. I would be interested in what you think of this idea so let me know.

Our children our future 2009 andy burnham.pdfI'm pleased to announce that this year the Our Children, Our Future free fun day for families in Walthamstow will take place at Tumble in the Jungle (245 Wood Street) on Thursday 30 April 3.30pm - 5.30pm. Our special guest this year will be Andy Burnham MP, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Along with plenty of activities for children of all ages, there will be the opportunity to have your say on the provision of play facilities and parks in Walthamstow as well as tell the minister first hand what you think would help Britain's young people excel in the fields of culture and sport. Many local voluntary groups will also have stalls there providing information and of course there will be plenty of tea, squash and cake for everyone!  Children of all ages and their parents or carers are welcome so I hope to see many of you there. If you have any questions about this event, or would like to run a stall there please do get in touch.

Ahead of Andy Burnham's visit to Walthamstow in two weeks time, I've put together a short on-line survey about provision for young people in Walthamstow. You can fill it in here. I'll be feeding back the results to Andy directly as well as the local authority. If you can't come along on the 30 April personally to take part in the event this is also a great way to have your say on these issues. The survey will be open for responses until the 29 April.

I'm going to post below a number of emails and documents relating to the future of the EMD that I have been sent. Apologies in advance if the formatting is difficult to read.

----- Original Message ----- From: "Seamus Lalor"
To:
Cc: "Anne Byrne" ; "Ian Ansell" ; "Jon Price" ; "Maree Sargent" ; "Sam Neal"
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 2:42 PM
Subject: EMD Cinema

Dear Mr Martin

Thank you for your e mail dated 22 March 2009 regarding the EMD Cinema
which has been passed to me for attention.

The plans which are currently on display form part of a pre application
discussion with this Council and a response is currently being framed.
UCKG have advised that a formal planning application is likely to be
submitted within a month. During that month it is likely that
additional information will be prepared for submission and the plans may
have altered. However, when that finalised application is submitted
there will be a further opportunity for the public to submit
representations which will be assessed as part of that application.
Your current e mail will however be retained for consideration.

It is intended that the local community will have access to parts of
the building and the attached pre application summary has been submitted
as part of the pre application submission as a statement of intention.
It is certainly the applicants intention to retain and renovate this
important listed building which is now on the English Heritage
"Buildings at Risk Register". It is clear that it is not in the best
interests of the Town Centre for the building to remain disused and fall
into further decay which is one of the reasons why the current
proposals, which differ from those submitted in 2003, must be given
careful consideration when the application is submitted. Part of this
assessment will be traffic and pedestrian impact as outlined in your e
mail.

The Council is statutorily obliged to respond to any application
submitted for the building but cannot impose the inclusion of a cinema
in the development proposals as the Council has no legal interest in the
site. A planning application considers the uses to which the building
will be put but the existing or proposed owner has no relevance to the
consideration of the land use issues. Any planning decision rests with
the land and not any individual or organisation as this would be
discriminatory. The applicant has stated that it is uneconomic to
restore the building as a cinema venue but that there would be the
opportunity to show film in one of the converted spaces, but this would
be ancillary to other uses. However, plans for the adjoining Arcade
site are progressing and presently intend the inclusion of a cinema
which will be accessible for all sections of the community. It is also
intended to create a leisure centre (including two swimming pools), some
small retail units and residential uses. An application is anticipated
over the summer.

I trust that I have responded to the points raised at this stage but
please look at the final plans when submitted and let me have any
further observations you would like to be considered as part of the
applications assessment and eventual consideration by the Council's
Planning Committee.

Yours sincerely

Séamus Lalor
Interim Head of Development Management
Development Management
Environment and Regeneration
Waltham Forest Council
GO4 Sycamore House
London E17 4JF

Tel: 020 8496 6700
Fax: 020 8496 6902

Dear Stella,

In response to your emails, I regret that I must decline your invitation to participate in a public meeting on March 29 as we simply do not have the resources to send anyone along. All of UCKG's senior management team have long standing engagements for that day, which were arranged many months ago as part of our ongoing pastoral work.

As I advised back in February, when you first mooted the idea of a public meeting, "we are fully committed to communicating widely with the community and stakeholders as soon as possible, and will provide opportunities for local people to question our development team and receive individual answers."

I am expecting to finalise details of a prime opportunity for information sharing within the next few days, with confirmation of the date of our upcoming public exhibition.

We believe that this format is preferable to a public meeting because it enables all attendees to receive individual attention from the professional team without having to stand up and speak in public. That way the more retiring members of the community will be heard equally with those who are most articulate, which we believe to be both fair and democratic.

While we appreciate that you did not want an advance briefing on our plans, we would still welcome you to the exhibition.

I enclose a statement from the UCKG HelpCentre to be read in full at the meeting.

Yours in Prayer

090327 _ Public Meeting Statement.pdf

In partnership with the McGuffins I have arranged a meeting to discuss the future fate of the EMD Cinema Building. The present owners - the UCKG - have so far  not given details of how and when they would meet with local residents. In spite of this we believe local people have much to offer in planning for the future of this building. That's why we've organised this event to help identify common concerns that local residents have about plans for redevelopment of the site and what, why and how they would wish to see the future of this local landmark. This meeting will be chaired by Neil Gerrard MP on Sunday 29 March 4.30pm at St Mary's School, Rectory Road. It is free to attend and all are welcome. If you can help distribute leaflets highlighting this community debate please do get in touch.

Walthamstow Family Bike Club is back for a fifth season. They meet on the second Sunday of every month at 1pm outside St Mary's Church (at the Orford Road/Church Lane Junction) for a sociable ride. The maximum distance is around eight miles a round trip, but is tailored to those who turn up, so can be considerably shorter. The events are child friendly and the organisers suggest bringing water and something to eat as they usually stop for a snack along the way. The dates for rides this year are: 8 March, 12 April, 10 May, 14 June, 12 July, 9 August, 13 September, 11 October. To find out more please contact Sarah Vincent on snewtonvincent@googlemail.

I intend to update this blog with the details of the discussions I've had with the UCKG regarding a public meeting. Below is the full transcript of my last email correspondence with them. You'll see I've declined the offer of a personal briefing in favour of a public meeting because I believe everyone who is interested in this issue needs the chance to ask questions - not just me! To make sure that the UCKG understand the strength of feeling in Walthamstow on this matter we need to show the strength of interest in this matter. So far I've had over nearly 200 responses from people wanting to come to any public meeting on this issue. Please help me to show the UCKG that its not just me but hundreds of local people who care about the fate of the EMD Cinema building by posting the link to this correspondence/Re-Tweeting it/Facebooking it/RSS feeding it to other local residents and asking them to sign up to attending a public meeting on this matter by emailing me.  I will update this blog as and when I hear more from the UCKG.


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: stella creasy <stella@workingforwalthamstow.org.uk>
Date: Wed, Feb 18, 2009 at 12:43 PM
Subject: Re: 186 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, London E17
To: Pr Paul Hill <pph@uckg.org>
Cc: Neil Gerrard <gerrardn@parliament.uk>, Terry Wheeler <cllr.terry.wheeler@walthamforest.gov.uk>, Nick Rule <ruleco@dial.pipex.com>, Jennifer Walton <jenniferwalton@remarkablegroup.co.uk>, Matthew Turpin <Matthew.Turpin@remarkablegroup.co.uk>


Dear Paul,

Thank you for your email and for setting out your intention to engage with the community. I think it is important for me to be clear about my requests and my interest in this matter and to state that I would have to decline an offer of an an individual briefing on this matter. Given the interest in the future of the EMD cinema building, I believe it is vital any discussions are open to as many local residents so I would prefer to equally participate in a public meeting along with other local residents.  Therefore if you are available to come to Walthamstow to give such a briefing I would urge you to use the time this would take to accept the offer as made by Neil Gerrard to chair a public discussion on your plans that could be open to all interested parties. Indeed, as I appreciate how much work goes into a planning application I believe you may find it useful to have such a discussion early on in your project planning so that you could gather feedback from local residents and ideas for how best to use this much loved local landmark. My experience of working with local residents in Walthamstow shows that they can often challenge and inspire in ways which bring fresh and valuable insight and ideas to any project!  

I look forward to hearing from you as to whether you will accept the offer, even in only in principle, of such a public meeting as chaired by Neil Gerrard. I will as you request pass on your views to the local community and would of course be happy to help with identifying dates, venues and times for such a public meeting as and when appropriate in the planning process.

I look forward to hearing from you in due course,

kind regards

Stella




On Wed, Feb 18, 2009 at 12:15 PM, Pr Paul Hill <pph@uckg.org> wrote:


Dear Stella

It concerns me that you appear to be making assumptions about the content of our ongoing public engagement programme.

In acknowledging your email I wanted you to appreciate that you, Neil Gerrard MP and the constituents of Walthamstow are important to us.  

As I said, it is our intention to offer you and Mr Gerrard an individual briefing at the first possible opportunity within a wide ranging consultation programme that started with the recent informal meeting with Waltham Forest Council members and officers.  

For the interim, I would advise that we are fully committed to communicating widely with the community and stakeholders as soon as possible, and will provide opportunities for local people to understand our proposals, question our development team and receive individual answers.  

As regards timing, I'm sure you will appreciate that there is a lot of work in preparing and drafting a planning application to the stage where it is ready for public consultation.  We are working on proposals that will deliver a range of high quality facilities for the community including performance space as reported in the local media, within a fully restored Art Deco building. The UCKG HelpCentre is strong on community outreach and conservation as demonstrated by the Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park.

If you wish to update the people who have contacted you with the content of this email, please do so.  For our part, we will contact you about a briefing date within the next few weeks.

Should you have any further questions in the mean time, please feel free to call me on the number below. Alternatively, you are always welcome to speak to Matthew Turpin, a member of the project team, on 07887 846 699.


Yours in Prayer


 | Pastor Paul Hill  United Kingdom  | pph@uckg.org    www.uckg.org

Property Acquisitions Manager

d  +44 20 7686 6006 ext 6108  |  f  +44 20 7686 6035  |  m  +44 7595 511 291

a  UCKG Office Suites    24 Coleridge Road    Finsbury Park    London N4 3NP

As an active participant in the campaign to save the EMD cinema back in 2003, you might expect me to have strong views on its future. It's also why I'm hoping Cllr James O'Rourke has done his homework before giving his support to plans put forward by the UCKG to reapply for planning permission to turn the building into a church. On his blog he outlines their intention to resubmit plans for how they want to use this building - which judging by his description alone sound little different to the original proposals they submitted. 

Like many local people I'm keen to see cinema brought back to Walthamstow - and also to see this important Walthamstow landmark building really is open for the use of all the local community. The ownership of the building by the United Church of the Kingdom of God means we are at their mercy in finding a way forward. However, my investigations into quite what community involvement meant in practice in Catford and Finsbury Park as well as the details that came out during the original planning application show we as local residents have grounds to be concerned about this turn of events. If the UCKG are serious about contributing to Walthamstow's social fabric we need to see explicit guarantees built into the planning agreement that will ensure the theatre and film screen they propose are open for hire on a regular basis to people of all faiths and for all forms of entertainment without threat of censure. 

So unlike James I cannot welcome these developments because at present we have few details to judge whether the UCKG's plans really would work for Walthamstow. And I know many local people who were also involved in the campaign to save the EMD feel the same way too. We need answers urgently. That's why Neil Gerrard and I are asking them to agree to a public meeting with local residents to discuss their plans and quite what their intentions are for this prized building ahead of any new activity at the site. If you would be interested in attending such a meeting please email me with the word "EMD" in the title so I can judge the size of venue we'd require.

In 2012 the Kyoto Protocol to prevent climate changes and global warming runs out. On 7th December 2009 the UN Climate Conference will open in Copenhagen and the world community will try to agree a solution to the gravest threat it has ever faced; global warming.Up to 15,000 officials, advisers, diplomats, campaigners and media personnel from nearly 200 countries, joined by limousine-loads of heads of state and government from America's President Barack Obama down, are expected to meet in the Danish capital in one of the most significant gatherings in history.

This summit isn't just a matter for those who are concerned about the environment. The world's poorest communities suffer the most from climate change, and unless we act as a world community our capacity not only to tackle climate change but also world poverty is at risk.

As citizens we need action in Copenhagen to agree tough new targets on cutting CO2 emissions. And as consumers we also need to act ourselves. Over the course of the next year in the run up to Copenhagen 2009 let us work together not only to lobby Government for change but also ask how we can support each other to make choices in our everyday lives about how we use resources. 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. If you would like to be part of activities to support this work over the course of the year ahead please get in touch.

Event With Douglas Alexander MP, Secretary of State for International Development,Thursday 11 December 10.30am-12.30pm

Vestry House Museum, Vestry Road, Walthamstow Village

 We all know that there are difficult economic choices facing countries across the world. Some would argue it's at times like these that we should as a nation turn inwards and only look after ourselves. I take a different view. When we see a drought in Australia cause the price of bread to rise here in the UK or  that one in five children die before the age of five in the Democratic Republic of Congo we know we need to work together as a world community to survive these challenges. 

International development is vital to securing a better future not just for those who live in developing nations but for all our sakes. I know from the emails and conversations I've had with many local residents that you too share a concern for the fate of those less fortunate who often bear the brunt of a global economy. In recent months I've had many discussions with you on issues such as climate change, supporting the campaign to Make Poverty History, or raising awareness about the needs of people in Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Darfur and Burma. So as an activist here in Walthamstow I know how many of us care passionately about the injustices that still damage the lives of too many people in our world.

That's why I've organised a special public coffee morning on Thursday 11 December at Vestry House Museum from 10.30am until 12.30pm. Douglas Alexander MP, the International Development Secretary, will be joining us to talk with local residents about what we can all do to end world poverty and fight injustice along with our local MP Neil Gerrard, Amnesty International, local faith communities and international development campaigners.

The event will be informal and free - with refreshments kindly provided by the Waltham Forest Fairtrade Campaign Group - so you can drop in anytime for a coffee and have your say. This is your opportunity not only to discuss directly with the Cabinet minister responsible for international development but also to look at what we can do in our everyday lives to help - whether through buying Fairtrade goods, sponsoring development charities or supporting the campaigning work of Amnesty International or ACTSA. Children will also be very welcome and catered for in activities!

If you would like to have a stall to publicise your local campaign group please do get in touch. I hope many of you will join me for what should be an inspiring and engaging morning.

Now in its fourth year, I'm proud to be a sponsor of the E17 Art Trail, a firmly established event on the cultural calendar for Waltham Forest. This year there are 138 listings in 86 separate venues, representing an estimated 300 artists in total! The launch for the Art Trail will take place on Friday 5 September at the Vestry House Museum 6-9pm and continue afterwards at Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre Pub on Hoe Street.

The E17 Art Trail website is excellent and provides full details of all the different exhibitions. You may also have seen around Walthamstow the maps for the trail which show activities range from small showcases in people's houses, such as one taking place on Sunday 7 September of the work of local artist Alke Schmidt at 7 Aubrey Road between 12 - 6pm, or major exhibitions featuring a range of artists like the one at Inky Cuttlefish Studios which will showcase works by many local artists and will move on to Berlin and Durban, South Africa. You could have a go at being creative yourself at the craft workshops at the Hornbeam Centre on Hoe Street throughout the Art Trail for residents of all ages. Registration for workshops is appreciated, so to let them know you're coming or to find out more contact: 020 8558 6880, info@organiclea.org.uk.

Or if you would like to support our local artists when you're in central London, David Sullivan  is exhibiting in the The Threadneedle Prize exhibition at the Mall Galleries. The exhibition finishes on the 6 September. David will also be part in the e17 Art Trail, exhibiting at North Tutorial, a show of Royal College of Art painters which will be taking place at a brand new space for contemporary art in Walthamstow at The Red Room, on Richards Place which is behind the Rose and Crown.

As a passionate advocate of Walthamstow, I'm always interested in learning more about our history. You may not know that Walthamstow can lay claim to be the birthplace of British aviation. In fact, the Lea Valley Corridor has been the site of over one hundred industrial firsts with half of these being in transportation. In 1909 Edwin Alliot Verdon Roe became the first Briton to fly an all British build plan on the Walthamstow Marshes, and there are plans afoot for a celebration of this in 2009. The Pump House is a local museum run by volunteers dedicated to celebrating our local engineering talent and Walthamstow's place in industrial history. The museum, based at Low Hall Lane, will be holding a public open day on the Sunday 30 March to celebrate Motor Cycle Day 11am-4pm, £2 for adults, free for children. The museum are currently looking for volunteers to help with their work and the centenary celebrations. Find out more by calling Lindsay on 07930 662252.

Last week I attended a consultation on the North London Waste Management Plan. There are lots of elements to this - how much waste we recycle, whether we make energy from it or reuse it - so it's vitally important to have a say early on in this process to ensure our voices are heard.

 

The organisers of the consultation can come and meet with local groups who are interested within the next six weeks. At the meetings they would present the proposals for feedback and answer questions about both the issues facing our waste management services in the future and any potential options.

 

If any local groups would like to invite them to attend a meeting so their members can get involved please let me know. You can read more about the proposals here on the North London Waste Management website.

The Hornbeam Centre will be hosting a Tree Festival this Saturday 26 January (10am-5pm) to celebrate our local trees. There will be talks, workshops, demonstrations, activities for children, folklore and art, as well as freshly made treats and tree related refreshments!

 

Amongst its many great contributions to public life, Walthamstow has played a key role in the development of the British film industry. You can learn more about this at the free one-day film festival which is being run by the McGuffins's this Saturday, the 5th January 2008 at the Victoria Bar, 186 Hoe Street (adjacent to the EMD Cinema). This event will also commemorate five years since the closure of the EMD Cinema and celebrate the contributions to film made by the people of Waltham Forest. There will be a quick photocall outside the cinema at 5pm and festival will start at 5.30pm. The bill includes a documentary on the EMD "A Cinema Near You", a look at the role of Walthamstow in the development of the film industry "Hollywood E17"; Alfred Hitchcock's "Number Seventeen", a biopic on William Morris called "News from Nowhere" staring Timothy West and "It was an Accident" a gritty urban black comedy starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton and James Bolam filmed almost entirely on location around Waltham Forest. Further details about this event and the McGuffins group can be found at the McGuffin website: www.mcguffin.info.

Our local Amnesty International campaign group will be having a meeting to help raise awareness about the work its members are doing in Walthamstow. It's an opportunity to find out more about their current campaigns, meet other members of the organisation who live locally and take part in a question and answer session on terror, security and human rights issues. It's on next Wednesday the 14th November at the YMCA at 642 Forest Road and will start at 7.30pm. There will also be food and drink for all attendees so it should be a great opportunity to find out more about the role that we as local activists can play in progressive campaigning which together with others across the globe makes a difference on the international stage. You can find out more about our local Amnesty International Group from their website or by emailing walthamforestamnesty@yahoo.co.uk.

This weekend there will be an "apple day" at the Vestry House Museum in Walthamstow Village organised by the East London Organic Gardeners. Apple Day is a national event organised in local communities to celebrate and preserve our local environment and healthy, nutritious, high quality local produce. If you've not been before it's a great day out with lots of fun things for kids as well as adults. This time attractions at our local event will include a 70 year old bonsai apple tree and locally produced honey as well as homemade apple cakes, juices and chutneys. The event will run from 11am until 4pm and there's a suggested donation towards the costs of £1 per person. I'll be going along so hope to see some of you there.

I'm often out and about campaigning locally as well as speaking at national events. If you're in the area for any of these, do say hello as it would be great to get your views about what matters for Walthamstow

• 1/2nd September - Walthamstow Festival, Cleveland Park Avenue, Forest Philharmonic Stall


• 5th September - keynote speaker at the National Council Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) national conference University of Warwick,


• 8th September - Speaker at the Fabian Democracy day, Royal College of Surgeons, Lincolns Inn Field, WC2A


• 10th September - Speaking at the TUC Conference, Brighton


• 13th-15th September - Annual Co-operative Party Conference, Westminster Centre Hall


• 19th September - Friends of Lea Bridge Library Committee Meeting, Leabridge Library


• 19th September - Waltham Forest Police Consultative Committee Community Safety Board Meeting, venue tbc


• 22nd September - Meet the members event, venue and details tbc


• 23rd September - Make Votes Count Fringe, Labour Party Conference with John Trickett MP and John Denham MP 8.30pm Trouville Hotel, Bournemouth


• 23th-26th September - Annual Labour Party Conference, Bournemouth


• 21st October - Forest Philharmonic concert, Walthamstow Assembly Hall, E17


• 27/28th October- Speaker, Battle of Ideas conference along with Sir Bernard Crick and David Aaronovitch, Royal College of Art, London - for more details follow this link 


• 31st October, Royal Society of Arts Conference on Risk and Childhood, Royal Society of Arts, The Strand
  27th November - Speaker Progress Event "Labour in Local Government: How Do We Rebuild Our Base?" With Hazel Blears MP, Sir Richard Leese (Leader, Manchester City Council) and Gerry Stoker, Committee Room 9, House of Commons


• 8th December - Lea Bridge Library Free Festive Fun Day Lea Bridge Library, Lea Bridge Road E10. From 11am until 4pm all welcome


• 12th December - the launch of "Participation Nation: The Challenge of Reconnection" - a collection of essays I have edited. Speakers include Hazel Blears MP, Matthew Taylor the Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Arts and Shaun Bayley, the Conservative Candidate for Hammersmith at the next election.


• 5th January 2008 - McGuffin's Walthamstow Film Festival, the Victoria Pub


• 28th January 2008 - Consultation on North London Waste Management plans, Queen's Road EduAction Centre 6.30pm


• 24th February 2008 - Tea and cake stall at Walthamstow Farmers Market for Worth Unlimited


• 25th February 2008 - National Council for Voluntary Organisations Advisory Council  


• 1st March 2008 - Speaker at the Fabian Society Labour Party Spring Conference Fringe Event "The Child Poverty Challenge" with James Purnell MP and Kate Green (CPAG) Birmingham Novotel


• 10th March 2008 - Safer Neighbourhoods Team Meeting, Douglas Eyre Sports Centre Coppermill Lane, 7pm


• 12th March 2008 - Voluntary Action Waltham Forest and Better Neighbourhoods Initiative Childrens Conference Leyton Orient Football Club 10am - 5pm


• 17th March 2008 - Walthamstow and Lea Bridge Community Council, Southgrove Primary School


• 22nd March 2008 - Speaker at the Compass Youth and Party of European Socialists Conference, TUC, Russell Square


• 26th March 2008 - Walthamstow CLP Fundraising Dinner David Aaronovitch and Neal Lawson "Do Political Parties Matter Anymore?" Waltham Forest College 7pm


• 29th March 2008 - Churchill Nursery and Childrens Centre Fun Day 11.30am - 4.30pm 
  
• 17 May 2008 Blackhorse Road Action Group Family Fun Day Douglas Eyre Sports Centre, Coppermill Lane 3pm onwards
• 18 May 2008 Friends of Lloyd Park Summer Fun Day, Lloyd Park 12pm - 4pm
  
• 22 May 2008 Forest Road and Essex Close Tenants Association Meeting Forest Road Community Hall 7pm
  
• 18 June 2008 Schools Forum Meeting, Queens Road Education Centre 6.30pm
  
• 28 June 2008 Churchill Nursery School Summer Fair, Woodbury Road 12pm - 3pm
  
• 13th July 2008 Walthamstow Village Residents Association Summer Garden Party Vestry House Museum 2.30pm
• 14th July 2008 Walthamstow and Lea Bridge Community Council Henry Maynard School 7.30pm
  


• 16th July 2008 - Speaker at a Cumberland Lodge Charitable conference "Trumpeting the Voluntary: Social Conscience and the Third Sector" on "Pricked Consciences: How to turn concern into action"
• 20 July 2008 Friends of Lea Bridge Library Summer Fun Day, Lea Bridge Library Gardens 1pm - 5pm
  
• 6th - 13th September 2008 E17 Art Trail 
• 24 November - Walthamstow and Lea Bridge Community Council, South Grove Primary School 7.30pm
• 25 November - Children and Young People's Services Meeting
  for local youth service providers, Forest YMCA, Forest Road 4-8pm
• 27 November - Voluntary Action Waltham Forest Meeting, The Alpha Centre 6pm
• 28 November - E17 Designers Market at the Asian Centre, Orford Road 7.30pm onwards
• 29 November 2008 Chairing a session at the Progress National Conference at the TUC Congress House
• Friday
  19 December 2008 Active Change Foundation Young Muslim Women's Discussion
  
  Forum, 7.15pm Lea Bridge
  
  
  Saturday 20 December 2008 Senior Asian Citizens Multi Faith Gathering Asian
  
  Centre, Orford Road 4pm onwards
• Saturday
  24 January 2009 Walthamstow youth group workshop, The Outset Centre, Grange
  
  Road E17
• Sunday 25
  January 2009 Street surgery in High Street Ward
• Tuesday
  27 January 2009 - addressing the Home Affairs Select Committee Inquiry into
  
  tackling knife crime.
  
  
  Saturday 31 January 2009- Hoe Street police team crime prevention community day
  
  from 11am onwards at the junction of Vestry Road and Church Path.
• Sunday 1 February 2009 - on the Eddie Nestor programme, BBC Radio London
  94.9fm 10pm- 11.30pm
•  Monday 2 February 2009 - South Walthamstow Branch meeting
  8pm the Lighthouse, Markhouse Road
•  Wednesday 4 February 2009 - Sybourn Primary School and
  Children's Centre, Governors Meeting 6.30pm
• Thursday 5 February 2009 - meeting the Co-operative
  Banking Society in Walthamstow
•  Saturday 7 February 2009 - dropping in to see volunteers
  training event at St Luke's Church, Greenleaf Road and then Essex Close Tenants
  
  and Residents Association Annual Lunch, Essex Close

• Monday 9 February 2009 The Walthamstow and Lea Bridge Community Council at Henry Maynard
  School, East Walthamstow Labour Party Branch meeting at 23 Orford Road and also
  popping into the Waltham Forest Friends of the Earth Birthday Celebrations at
  the Hornbeam Centre on Hoe Street

• Tuesday 10 February 2009 visiting St Mary's School on The Drive and then dropping into the
  Waltham Forest LETS Social at the Rose and Crown Pub from 8pm onwards

• Monday 16 February 2009 Waltham Forest Co-operative
  Party Annual General Meeting, Waltham Forest Town Hall, 8pm

• Saturday 28 February 2009 Progress Conference Labour
  2.0 Net Campaigning for the Next Generation East Wintergarden, 43 Bank Street, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5AB
• Sunday
  15 March 2009 helping out on the St Luke's Farmers Market Stall raising money
  
  for Worth Unlimited, Walthamstow Market
• Wednesday 22 April 2009 - Willowfield School for the ActionAid "send my friend to school" event
• Saturday 25 April 2009 - NCT (National Childbirth Trust) branch meeting at the
  Rose and Crown, Hoe Street and then Walthamstow Parents Forum meeting
  
  The Limes Children's Centre
• Wednesday 29 April 2009 meeting
  representatives of CREST Waltham Forest and the School Governors
  
  Briefing meeting, Kelmscott School 7pm
  
• Thursday 30 April 2009 Free Family Fun Day at Tumble in the Jungle, 245 Wood Street from 3.30pm
• Thursday 21 May 2009 - Attending the Annual General Meeting of Waltham Forest Council
• Friday 22 May 2009 - The Age of Stupid screening at the Asian Centre, Orford Road
• Saturday 23 May 2009 - Leading Walthamstow's Day of Action against the BNP in our Town Square
• Saturday 6 June 2009 - Village Pre-School Summer Fair, Church End Walthamstow
• Sunday 7 June 2009 - Thuso Garden Party, 37 Grosvenor Park Road
• Saturday 13 June 2009 - chairing a session at the Compass Conference for the Co-operative Party
  
• Saturday 20 June 2009 - Church Hill Nursery Re-opening Summer Fair, Lloyd Park Children's Centre BBQ and the Trencherfields Allotment Association Open Day.
• Saturday 18 July Attending the Priory Court Family Fun Day and the Elmsfield Road Street Party
  

• Sunday 19 July attending the Waltham Forest Green Fair (1pm until 7pm in Lloyd and Aveling Park.)
• Monday 20 July meeting in parliament with DesBrowne MP and Neil Gerrard MP to discuss the current situation in Sri Lanka with representatives of our local Tamil community
• Sunday 26 July at the Waltham Forest Mela in Aveling Park and then conducting a street surgery in the Markhouse area
• Tuesday 28 July at the Walthamstow Asian Senior Citizens Annual Meeting in Harmony Hall
• Thursday 30 July visiting Queens Road Children's Centre and meeting with Walthamstow Citizens Advice Bureau
• Saturday 1^st August at the Solomon Music Project Show at Harmony Hall
• Thursday 6^th August Voluntary Action Waltham Forest Board Meeting at the Alpha Centre
• Saturday 8^th August attending the Friends of Lloyd Park Jazz Picnic and the Lea Bridge Safer Neighbourhoods Team Community Fun Day
  
• Sunday 23 August volunteering on the St Luke's Stall at the Farmers Market in Walthamstow Town Centre
• Saturday 29 August at the rescheduled Solomon Music Project Show at Harmony Hall
• Friday 4 September at the launch of the E17 Art Trail at Vestry House 6.30pm until 9pm
• Saturday 5 September attending the opening of 'Meet' at the Old Glass Factory on Hoe St
• Thursday 10 September at the Walthamstow Labour Party Monthly meeting 23 Orford Road 8pm
• Saturday 12 September taking part in Slet with the Scribble and Smudge team at Chestnuts Field behind the town hall
• Sunday 13 September at the E17 Designers Fair, the Guerilla craft tea and the McGuffins Day of Action regarding the EMD Cinema (3pm onwards at the Rose and Crown pub, Hoe St)
• Tuesday 15 September meeting with representatives from Olympic Legacy2020 and then participating in the 4Children Family Commission
• Friday 18 September at a Macmillan Cancer Support Coffee Morning in Chapel End.
• Monday 21 September at the Waltham Forest Co-op Party Bi-Monthly meeting at Waltham Forest Town Hall
• Thursday 24 September at a Road to Copenhagen planning meeting
• Friday 25 September at the opening of the "Going to the Dogs" exhibition at Vestry House Museum
• Saturday 26 September, the Lloyd Park Children's Centre Open Day to find out more about their plans for an outdoor play area. Then,  the Senior Asian Citizens Pakistan Independence Day celebrations in Harmony Hall
• On Monday 28 September at the Labour Party Conference speaking on the Radio Five Live Victoria Derbyshire Programme at 12pm, then the Centre for Cities Discussion on the future of London at the Hotel Du Vin, and the Channel Four Fringe at the Grand Hotel.
• On Sunday 4 October at 2pm, at the Shakir Youth Trust Eid Milan Party at Walthamstow Asian Centre on Orford Road. Then the service for remembrance for Merlita Jo at St Mary's Church.
• Friday 9 October speaking at the World Mental Health Day event in Walthamstow Town Square
  

• On Saturday 10 October, at the Apple Day at Vestry House Museum.
  
• On Sunday 11 October, at the Help for Heroes event at the Warrant Officer Pub, Higham Hill.
• On Wednesday 14 October, the Frillseekers event at the Rose and Crown Pub.
  
• On Thursday 15 October, speaking at the Young Fabians seminar in Westminster on the future of the Labour movement in Britain.
• On Tuesday 3 November, attending the Walthamstow Village Residents Association Annual General Meeting at the Asian Centre in Orford Road.
• On Saturday 7 November, organising an anti-BNP Hope Not Hate stall in Walthamstow Town Centre.
• Sunday 8 November attending the Remembrance Sunday Service at Lloyd Park at 10am.
  Wednesday 11 November subject to work commitments attending the Waltham Forest Schools Forum at Waltham Forest Town Hall
  
• On Friday 13 November attending an event for Eid at Walthamstow's Delta Club offices organised by the British Pakistanis Foundation.
• Saturday 14 November visiting the Fairtrade Craft Fair at St Mary's Welcome Centre.
• Tuesday 24 November helping Neil Gerrard MP to host an evening showcasing the talent of Black and Ethnic Minority residents of Walthamstow as part of our "Together E17 is stronger" project.
  
• Thursday 26 November organising a open public meeting with Ed Miliband MP at Willowfield School. 
• Friday 27 November attending the E17 Designers Market at the Asian Centre on Orford Road.
• Saturday 5 December attending the Waltham Forest Senior Citizens Asian Group Multi Faith Social Event at The WFIA Hall on Grove Road.
• Sunday 6 December going to the William Morris Craft Fair
• Sunday 13 December attending the William Morris Hall event and the EMD cinema campaign Christmas Demo
• Monday 11 January speaking at the BAME Labour event on how to address the threat posed to community relations by the BNP along with Peter Hain, Keith Vaz and Neil Gerrard MP.
• Tuesday 12 January attending the Waltham Forest Senior Citizens Asian Group Qaed-e-Azams Belated Birthday and New Year's Day reception at Truro Road Community Centre.
• Saturday 16 January participating in a rally for the future of Walthamstow Dog track
• Wednesday 20 January attending the Walthamstow Women's Business Forum meeting at Walthamstow Central Library
• Sunday 31 January officiating at the Tamil Community referendum at Waltham Forest College. 
• Monday 1 February at the Walthamstow Green Drinks discussing how we can cut Walthamstow's carbon footprint
• Saturday 27 February attending the cultural evening at St Barnabas Church in Markhouse.
  
• Sunday 28 February attending the Walthamstow British Legion Veteran's Day event in Higham Hill.