Barham Pop Up Library to open on Saturday

Friends of Barham Library will be opening a Volunteer POP UP Library on Saturday 21 April 2012 in a former nursery building next to Barham Primary School in Danethorpe Road Wembley.

Barham Library situated in the popular Barham Park is one of the 6 libraries closed by Brent Council last October. The friends of Barham Library have been campaigning ever since to get the Library reopened and have offered to run it with the help of volunteers and through fund raising effort. Brent Council have kept the former library building empty for over 6 months and have so far refused access to local volunteers.

According to Francis Henry, from Friends of Barham Library as over half of Barham Library's active users were young people under 19 years of age it is the local youngsters who have been hurt most by the closure.

Although the Volunteer Library will serve the whole community irrespective of age and background it the loss of a library for young people in particular that is the driving force behind Friends of Barham Library determination to get their library back. It is planned to operate the Saturday Library from Saturday 21 April 2012 until the end of July 2012.

"Barham Library was originally opened on 31 May 1952 and just like the Queen the Library is celebrating its Diamond Jubilee this year. Opening a Volunteer run Saturday Library next to a local school of helping to provide a much needed library service for local people" says Francis Henry who lives in Sudbury with his family.

Local people are being urged to show their support by coming to the opening of the Barham Volunteer Library on Saturday 21 April based in the old Nursery Building next to Barham Primary School accessed through the school entrance in Danethorpe Road Wembley. The library will be open between 10:30am and 2:30pm. on its opening day.

Friends of Barham Library are also urging local people to help by becoming volunteers, donating books, DVDs and CDs and by helping to fund raise.

Meanwhile the Independent has a story on pop up libraries elsewhere LINK

Getting Brent Youth Parliament involved in climate change issue

BCACC supporters - I am in disguise!

 In my role as Chair of Brent Campaign Against Climate Change I went with Jeff Bartley of Brent Council to talk to the Youth Parliament.

Along with the College of North West London we are planning a Conference on Climate Change for 6th formers and college students. The Conference will take place in March 2013 and we  want to get young people involved in the planning.  It is essential that we have their ideas at an early stage so that the Conference is participative and involving and based on young peoples' concerns.

I introduced the idea and Jeff gave a PowerPoint presentation on the plans so far. BYP members expressed support for a debate to be included in the day and like the idea of  hands on experience with green technologies. Younger members aged 11 and 12 had plenty of comments and contributions as well as their older colleagues and some fundamental questions were asked including 'Is the aim to prevent climate change or deal with its impact?' and 'What has careers advice got to do with climate change?' 

We hope to work on a separate event for primary schools to take place in Autumn this year.

Years ago I was involved in the group which set up the Youth Parliament and so it was good to see it in action. The Parliament reflected Brent's diversity but girls predominated today - perhaps because of the football match happening just down the road at the same time!

Wembley drinking ban unenforceable

 

The ban on public drinking of alcohol for this weekend's semi-finals proved difficult to enforce today in Bridge Road, Wembley.

At 11.30am fans were openly drinking on the street and I asked several police officers what was happening with the ban.

One officer said that they could not possibly enforce it but could try and limit it to certain areas, so drinking was going ahead on the shops side of Bridge Road, where the crowds were, but the ban was being enforced on the Ark Academy side where mainly locals were walking to avoid the fans.

Bridge Road, railway bridge

On the railway bridge officers stood by while drinking carried on but further down the road two officers were making fans pour the contents of their cans onto the pavement.

An officer told me that the Council could pass all the laws they like but it was 'impossible' to enforce with so many fans drinking.  A more senior officer said that it was crazy that drinking was banned on the pavements which belonged to Brent Council but allowed on Olympic Way which was privately owned. He said that it risked confrontation to make someone empty a drink on the bridge pavement, while below fans were openly drinking on the approach to the stadium.

When I remarked that it seemed quiet and peaceful at present, he said the real test would be after the match. Meanwhile fans were leaving the area to claim their seats in the stadium and left their public drinking evidence behind.

Another perspective was provided by a shopkeeper who said that his business had been affected by the ban. He relied on pre-match drinks sales for revenue to keep his business afloat and said because of the ban and the parking restrictions he was thinking of closing. Shops were told to close their off-licences one hour before the match.

The shopkeeper was particularly incensed that ASDA around the corner was able to continue selling alcohol. He felt that the street drinking ban was introduced by Brent Council at the behest of Wembley Stadium where drinks are sold at exorbitant prices.

Missing Lib Dems: cock-up, cop-out or conspiracy?

Despite queries from our assiduous local newspaper reporters, we still don't know why the Lib Dems aren't standing in the Barnhill by-election on May 3rd.

Greens will be pleased though as the failure of Lib Dems to stand will mean that several forests will be saved given the usual scale of their leafleting in by-elections.

Perhaps they realise that they have contributed to a rise in Brent Council's recycling rates through their Wembley Central and Dollis Hill campaigns and no longer want to contribute to Cllr Powney's PR offensive.

If anyone out there knows more about this political mystery please drop us an e-mail or comment below.