Green Party Willesden Green Election Action Day Sunday June 17th

Action Day for Willesden Green by-election. Join us, take pics, help out, ask questions, grab posters & find out about @TheGreenParty! Sunday 17th June 11am-1pm Willesden Green station.

Sian Berry (Green Party Assembly Member) and Rashid Nix (Green party activist from Lambeth) will be joing us. 

Our candidates are Shaka Lish (above), William Relton and Peter Murry.

Brent receives share of migration funding

Unedited press release from Brent Council

Brent has been awarded over £440,000 of funding over three years from a £19 million government pot to help support emerging communities in Brent.


Aiming to ease pressure on local services from recent migration, the fund will help Brent Council provide services to meet the growth in new communities and put support structures in place for new residents which promote independence and help them to adapt to life in the UK.


This includes a new community outreach team as well as drop-in sessions, Eastern European and Latin American fairs and recognised courses in English Language (ESOL), which will cover CV-building, employability and citizenship skills, designed to equip residents with the tools they need to participate in daily life.


Also on offer will be conversational English workshops and cross-cultural activities to celebrate and share community culture.


Cllr Margaret McLennan, Deputy Leader of Brent Council said:

Brent is one of the most diverse boroughs in London and we want to make sure that new residents feel supported and equipped to take part in everyday life. We work hard to make Brent a great place to live and work. At a time of stretched resources for councils across the country, this funding will help meet the challenges of a growing population as we take a joined up approach to easing pressure on local services.


This funding gives us the opportunity to provide a wealth of resources for new residents which they can rely on, reducing the risk of exploitation by rogue landlords or employers who pay below the legal minimum wage.

The funding will be delivered by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to support projects until 2020.

Lone Star reported to have received 7 first-round bids for Quintain

Property World LINK is reporting that seven investors have lodged first-round bids for Quintain, the developers of Wembley Park.

Quintain  is currently owned by US company Lone Star. Property World report that the bids include offers for the whole business, an offer to become a business partner and and an offer  to acquire the whole of the 5,000 home Wembley Park development. 

It appears that  Guy Hands' Terra Firma Capital Partners has not after all made an offer through its Annington Homes company. LINK

As reported before on Wembley Matters there is also the possibility of new owners for Wembley Stadium and the FA is said to be looking for further offers at a higher price than the initial one from Shahid Khan and is also seeking assurances that the stadium will remain the home of English football as part of the deal. It appears to be inevitable that any bid will include an increased number of events at the stadium to maximise the income of the new owner. Meanwhile Spurs will play its first home match at Wembley on August 18th before transferring to their new stadium. LINK

See the Property News 'Big Interview'  with Quintain HERE

An evening with novelist Kamila Shamsie Preston Library June 19th

Preston Community Library is delighted to be hosting an evening with British/Pakistani author Kamila Shamsie who will be reading from and talking about her prize-winning novel Home Fire. This will be one of Ms Shamsie's first public appearances since Home Fire won the Women's Prize for Fiction (formerly the Orange Prize) which is the world's most prestigious award for women's writing. The event is in Preston Library next Tuesday, 19 June, at 6.30pm.

Brent Mencap Open House Friday 22nd June

Support school music in Brent - Brent Makes Music June 27th at the Arena

At a time when high stakes testing is narrowing the curriculum and financial cuts often mean cutting the arts first it is wonderful that the Brent Music Service continues to work with so many children in Brent schools with additional classes at weekends.

An appearance at the iconic Wembley Arena (sorry SSE Arena) will be a memorable event for nearly 1,500 Brent children on June 27th and I hope that as many people as possible can come along and support them as well as reinforce BMS's claim that making music changes lives.

Tickets are available HERE

Paul Fensom, the powerhouse behind Brent Music service who has overseen its survival and transformation will be retiring this summer after 40 years promoting music in the borough and BMS is planning a big and well-deserved goodbye party:

From BMS Facebook:

FAREWELL TO MR FENSOM - Have you got your tickets yet? 7.30pm Saturday 14th July 2018. Book today as spaces are running out: https://farewell-to-mr-fensom.eventbrite.co.uk/

SHOUT-OUT TO BMS ALUMNI - Are you a past student, staff or ensemble member of Brent Music Service? Then join us for this perfect opportunity to offer Paul your best wishes for his retirement and to catch up with BMS friends and colleagues.

Such a special celebration - Paul's 40 years of dedication and commitment to bringing music into the lives of the children of London borough of Brent Council. #MakingMusicChangesLives

Please share so others don't miss this opportunity.

A buffet, music and a cash bar are all available to enjoy, so book your tickets today at: https://farewell-to-mr-fensom.eventbrite.co.uk/

Clean Air for Brent welcomes expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone but North Circular should be included

Reacting to London Mayor Sadiq Khan's announcement about the upcoming expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone, Clean Air for Brent Chair Fiona Mulaisho said:

We welcome this announcement which will help to protect Brent residents in the south of the borough from toxic air from October 2021.  A stronger, larger Ultra Low Emission Zone will go a long way to tackling the currently illegal and harmful levels of air pollution.

However, we are concerned that as the ULEZ will not cover the North Circular itself, more dirty diesel powered vehicles will choose to use this already busy and hugely polluted road.  As hundreds of Brent residents live right by or very close to the North Circular, we will be challenging the Mayor and Brent Council to work together to ensure these people’s air quality does not worsen when the new zone comes into effect.

The Mayor now needs to turn his thoughts to what he is going to do to ensure those who live outside the North Circular can also breathe cleaner air.

Given that there will be no sunset period for people living within the extended zone to change their vehicles, CAfB also calls for strong engagement with residents and through drivers on the practical issues which arise, starting now.

Note from Martin Francis

I feel strongly that the North Circular and beyond should be included.  When I worked at Brentfield Primary School, close to the North Circular at Brent Park, I was very concerned about the number of children with respiratory problems. At the time, 20 years or so ago, about 2/3 of the children in my class had 'pumps.' It was noteworthy that when we went on a residential trip to Brent's Gordon Brown Outdoor Education Centre in Hampshire they did not need to use them but when we returned and approached the outskirts of London they began to ask for them.

Free English classes in Wembley Park - enrolment on Saturday

This is a FREE course - rarely available as such  - and accredited which is an excellent opportunity for those seeking work to improve their English and get better possibility of a job. It is free. Quite a time commitment but maybe a rare opportunity.