Spare some time for Preston Community Library

Message from Preston Community Library

We are please to announce that Preston Community Library a charitable company, has now obtained Charitable status. 

The books from the pop up library and others are at 235 Preston Road which, subject to volunteers  and suitable safeguards to the office, is proposing to open initially from 10am to 1.00pm on Sundays from the 14th October and Thursdays 2.30pm to 4.30pm from the 18th October (we selected Sunday because there is free parking in Preston Road)

However as Saturday 13th October 2012 is the anniversary of the date when Brent closed the six libraries, 235 Preston Road will be open so residents can join the library and current members can borrow books.

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!!!!

There is much to do and even half an hour or an hour would help.  We have something for everybody from sticking labels into books, designing notices, keying information into the computer, moving furniture, putting up shelves, sorting books, etc.

The office is open from 8.00am until 3.00pm Monday to Friday and at times has to be closed when we are transporting books so volunteers are urgently required.

Volunteers are also needed to staff the office on the days the library is open to check books out, and tidy returned books etc.

CAN YOU HELP AT ANY TIME BETWEEN NOW AND THE 13TH OCTOBER?
 IF SO, WHAT CAN YOU DO?

IF YOU ARE ABLE TO HELP PLEASE GET IN TOUCH. 
IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER,
PLEASE FORWARD THIS LINK TO THEM 

Kind regards

Jacqueline Bunce-Linsell
Volunteer Manager
Preston Community Library
Tel:  020 8904 2229
Mobile:  07905 846483
E-mail:  prestoncommunitylibrary@live.co.uk

Natalie Bennett: The trouble with Labour... public sector pay freeze, NHS privatisation, green economy

Natalie Bennett on Huffington Post

As October begins, and the Labour Party conference is in the headlines, people across the country are preparing to unite for a march in London to stop austerity's attack on the UK.

And while the two are in the news, the obvious question is: 'Will Ed Miliband, Ed Balls and other shadow cabinet members express unequivocal support for the March for a Future That Works?'

The march, which takes place on 20 October, has been organised by the trades union movement and will see thousands of members of the public, union members, political organisations and campaign groups show their opposition to the Coalition's heartless, failed, false economies.

The government's cuts have not only failed the most vulnerable, who are forced to watch as the services on which they rely are taken from them, or even those who have lost their jobs as the government sets about trying to make the economy grow by removing money from it.

They have failed everyone. Even those of us fortunate enough not to have lost our job, or a benefit on which we relied, must face the fact that the coalition's policies have not even achieved what Osborne promised.
In June 2010, he told us that the cuts would hurt. They have. He told us that they were necessary. The Green Party disagrees, but if the chancellor lacks the imagination even to consider a 'plan B', he can perhaps be forgiven for thinking that they were.

But he also told us that his cuts would reduce the deficit. They have done the opposite. Instead of reducing the deficit by 4.6%, as the Chancellor promised, his economic illiteracy has instead forced it to grow by 22%t between April and August.

The Coalition promised 'change'. Instead, the government has given us more of the same privatisation, casualisation, and demonisation of the poor, people with disabilities, and public sector workers.
So much for the Coalition. But isn't this where we would expect the Labour Party to step in?

To take care of its traditional supporters, those who work, or want to but cannot, to build a better future for us all?

The opposition is in the middle of a 'policy review'. So far, it has taken since February 2011.

Nobody expects rebalancing the national finances to be straightforward. And nobody believes it's in Labour's interests to reveal policies which could be 'stolen' from them - even though it could be in the nation's interests to hear them.

But the problem with Labour at the moment is not what it is NOT saying: it's with what it IS.

Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls was RIGHT to warn that the coalition's austerity plans would crush any chance of a 'recovery'. But he has recently told us he would stick to public sector pay freezes, which will leave thousands of workers worse off, year on year, in the face of inflation.

And while Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham tells us he will 'repeal the Health and Social Care Act. Full stop,' the party's leader seems not yet to have made up his mind whether to reverse the effective privatisation of almost half of the NHS.

Perhaps he doesn't know. Maybe his Party hasn't yet made up its mind. But on 20 October, I and other members of my Party will be out on London's streets, supporting working people and making it clear that we understand you cannot put an economy back on its feet by throwing people out of work and undermining the public services that keep society ticking.

We believe that the green economy - vital in any case to avert international climate disaster - holds one key to tackling the deficit. The government's own figures show green business is the only sector bucking the recession, with 4.7% growth from 2010-11, providing an extra £5.4bn of economic activity.

We must get serious about reviving our manufacturing industries and bringing food production back to Britain. That's essential - environmentally and economically. And we need workers to be able to buy the goods and services they need. The Labour Party may not agree, although we hope it does. But whatever its view is, now is the time its traditional backers - and the country as a whole - need help.

We will be marching on 20 October. Will the Labour Party?

Why staff are essential to a safe London Underground

From  the RMT

A London Underground cleaner pulled a child to safety from a railway line just moments after a driver hit their trains emergency brakes and prevented what could have been a fatal incident.

The eight year old boy was pulled to safety from the Jubilee Line tracks at Stanmore just moments after a train was brought to an emergency stop by the driver a few feet away.

This incident comes within days of a young girl being hit by a train on the Victoria Line. Previously a child on the Jubilee Line who had fallen between the train and the platform at Finchley Road could easily have lost his life, had the driver not spotted him on CCTV moments before he was about to depart the station.

All of these incidents come at a time when the London Mayor Boris Johnson and London Underground are planning for driverless trains, and the drastic reduction of station staff.

A leaked document on LU management plans for London Underground gives detail of these plans and ideas. London's Mayor Johnson has spoken openly of his wish for trains to operate on the underground without a drivers cab. These plans would most likely mean having no driver at the front of the train to see any dangers or risks ahead.

All of these incidents could easily have been much worse had it not been for professional train drivers reacting swiftly to stop their trains, and station staff and contractors speedily dealing with these situations.

The cleaner who reacted without thought for their own safety - and in doing so pulled a young child to safety - is a hero. The train driver who reacted swiftly to stop their train having spotted the child on the tracks ahead is a hero too.

The RMT has long called for more staff, not less on the underground. These incidents demonstrate a few of the reasons - in the most real of terms - of why staff are essential to a safe railway

Greens call for renationalisation of all UK railways

 The  UK’s busiest intercity rail route should be taken back into public ownership, after a debacle which provides further proof that all UK railways should be renationalised, the Green Party believes.
 

The Department for Transport announced this morning that it will scrap its decision to award the West Coast mainline franchise to FirstGroup – at a cost of £40m.

Green Party transport spokesman Alan Francis said: ‘This debacle is further evidence that the privatised rail system is not fit for purpose – with passengers having to foot the bill for an increasingly expensive service and, as we have claimed for many years, that the franchise system itself is fatally flawed.’

The 13-year franchise was awarded to FirstGroup ahead of three other firms, including Virgin, which already runs it and will continue to until December 9. 

Mr Francis said: ‘The £40m cost to the taxpayer is to compensate all four firms for their expenses during the failed bidding process. However this is a tiny fraction of the money wasted on the privatised railways every year. Rail privatisation costs passengers and taxpayers £1.2bn per year more than it did in the last years of the nationalised system.’

The DfT‘s announcement came just 24 hours before a High Court challenge against the decision by Virgin Rail was due to begin.

And its decision leaves the franchise’s 31m passengers not knowing who will run the services they rely on from December 10 this year.

Mr Francis added: ‘The Green Party wants the franchise to be run by the government-owned Directly Operated Railways (DOR) from December 10th. DOR already operates the East Coast franchise, after the previous private operator withdrew prematurely, and as other franchises expire they too should be taken over by DOR. That way, we will get back a publicly owned and integrated railway without having to pay millions of pounds compensation to private operators.’

The Green Party stands for the renationalisation of all rail services in the UK, to ensure the best deal for rail users and all taxpayers. 

Since privatisation, public subsidy for rail services has doubled,while fares are higher than in any other country in Europe. 

Rail is vital to the UK’s transport needs, and this latest debacle shows that not only are private companies unable to deliver a cost effective, reliable service to the public, even the system by which franchises are awarded does not work.

Privatisation has failed the UK, and it’s time to bring a vital public service back into public ownership.

Butt blogs on his ambitions for Brent

Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt has posted his first blog as Council leader.  You can comment directly on his posting  which is on the Brent Council website LINK

This is what he has to say:

Welcome to my first blog as Leader of Brent Council.

Over the coming months I will be letting you know about the things we are doing in Brent, the problems we face and the solutions we are working on.

I know that the workings of Government, both national and local, can sometimes seem removed from our lives. The language used and the bureaucracy can make it seem like there is a gap between us.

I want this blog to be part of bridging that gap. Please feel free to email me your comments. I genuinely want to hear your views. It's probably helpful to start by telling you a little about myself and what I stand for. I think it is easier to understand the decisions people make when you understand where they are coming from, and what they are trying to achieve.

I am a Brent boy, born and bred. I was born in Wembley, went to school in the borough and studied at the old Kilburn Polytechnic. I live with my wife and children in the ward I represent, Tokyngton. My children go to school in the borough. I started off as an engineer at BT, and worked my way up to a project manager. I am passionate about Brent people because I am proud to be one.

I got involved in politics by helping out in my community. I started by assisting people with what we call 'casework' - getting potholes fixed in roads and ensuring people have access to the services they need. Realising that it is possible to improve people's lives with hard work and experience changed my life.

I work in politics because I want to make Brent a better place, and absolutely believe it is possible. I have a passionate desire to see three things for Brent and its people.

1. Fairness. The inequality and injustice I see as I travel across our Borough makes me angry. It is unacceptable that a child growing up in Stonebridge will live ten years less, have a household income of £28,000 less per year and are 17 per cent more likely to live in poverty than a child in Queens Park. If we have one duty as parents and as a community it is to guarantee that where you are born does not determine the chances you have in life.

2. Jobs, growth and fair pay. I want all residents to have the opportunities and the tools they need to access work that pays a fair wage. I want to attract more jobs to Brent, guarantee our children leave school with the skills they need to access work and ensure people who are unemployed have the support they need to find work again. I also believe in a fair days pay for a fair days work - work must pay enough for a sustainable and fulfilling life.

3. A strong sense of community. Like you, I know my neighbours and we help each other out, but this is becoming harder in the modern world. People who know their neighbours and look out for each other are happier, healthier and wealthier as a result. The bonds that tie us together as a community are our greatest asset. I want to nurture and strengthen these bonds, so that no one in our community feels isolated or alone. I believe we all - the Council, residents, businesses and charities - have a responsibility to make this happen.

These are the things I believe in and fight for. Of course there are many things that make these difficult to achieve - the struggling economy, huge cuts from national Government, increasing fragmentation of society and our ageing population amongst others.

I will explore these in more detail in future blogs. But I guarantee you every decision we make and every penny we spend is trying to achieve one of the three things above.

These are our ambitions and together we will achieve them.

'Stonebridge The Movie' promo launched

Healthy Chalkhill a step or two nearer

Chalkhill Park

It was the adults who started getting excited about the new Chalkhill Park this week when adult outdoor exercise equipment was installed close to Chalkhill Road.

As children see the park progressing on a daily basis they are now clamouring to know when it will open and already planning when they will be using it.

Is Central Middlesex A&E safe for patients to use?

Saturday's consultation meeting on Shaping a Healthier Future produced some passionate debate and full video coverage can be seen on the Brent Green Party blog HERE

What concerned me most, was the implication that Central Middlesex A&E as it now exists, is so devoid of staff and expertise that it is not safe for patients. Dr Mark Spencer listed a number of services that it could not provide and Dr Kong at one stage seemed to be saying that it was being closed because it was not  safe. When I questioned this  she retreated somewhat, saying it was just the overnight A&E that was unsafe.

Dr Spencer did not retract and later, asked about whether, despite not being in the options, it could remain open, said that if there was sufficient demand via the consultation and it could be done 'safely' then there was a possibility it could remain.

I immediately raised the point that there seemed to be a possibility that patients, individually, referred by schools or by workplaces; could be attending a facility that doctors themselves deemed unsafe. If this was the case it should not be open at all - patients are being put at risk.

I am strongly in favour of a full A&E service at Central Middlesex Hospital and restoration of a 24 hour service. An A&E is essential in an area of great deprivation, criss-crossed by major railway lines and roads and with one of the largest industrial estates in the capital.  It is a major concern if the A&E has already been run down to such an extent that doctors do not consider it safe for patients.

There is till time to comment on Shaping a Healthier Future but you need to act quickly as it closes on Monday October 8th.

Follow this LINK to the document and consulation form