Orson Nava Retrospective - Free Screening Friday 13th September at The Yellow Wembley Park

On 13th September, Other Cinemas are delighted to be hosting a retrospective of Orson Nava’s work. Orson will join us for a discussion and Q&A.

Orson Nava is a graduate of the Northern Media School and The National Film and Television School and has a background directing dramas and documentaries for the BBC, C4 and ITV and music videos for record labels including Polydor, EMI and Island Records.

Recent directing credits include the short political thriller ‘A Viable Candidate’ starring (Steve Toussaint), ‘Everyday Borders’, a one hour documentary exploring the impact of the hostile environment on migrant communities in the UK, music videos for chart topping urban/pop music artists Aggro Santos and Mumzy Stranger (nominated for best video at the UKAsian Music Awards), and ‘Hearts & Minds’, a fifty minute drama dealing with the radicalisation of a young Muslim boy produced for Khayaal theatre company.

Orson is currently completing a full time funded PhD at the University of East London focussing on Race, Innovation and the Creative Industries lead regeneration of East London, and is a visiting fellow at the Centre For Research On Migration, Refugees and Belonging.

FREE TICKETS  HERE

See James off from Brent Civic Centre tomorrow 10am on the last leg of his Save the NHS Walk to Parliament

James Corbett

 From Save the NHS Walk to Parliament Facebook

James Corbett is walking from Glasgow to London to protest against the potential full privatisation of the NHS. He has reached Brent and tomorrow at 10am will be starting on the last leg to Westminster - setting off from Brent Civic Centre. It would be great if people from Brent could go and see him off - or even better join him for some of his walk.

In 2012 the Health and Social Care act saw the removal of a clause (put there at its conception in 1946 ) which stated that the government had a legal responsibility to safeguard the NHS as free at point of use.

The removal of this clause leaves our Health Service somewhat vulnerable to the greed of profit led companies - and open to full privatisation. We simply cannot allow ourselves to slide into the adoption of the terrifying American system of health insurance. 

Quite simply all UK parties need to recommit to ensuring that our NHS stays ‘our’ NHS (free for those who need it) - and to ensure that it’s not put on the table as a sweetener to ANY other country during trade deal talks - They must do this by reinstating this clause and then putting their money where their mouths are ..

Please sign this petition   LINK- like the page - and follow James’ mad but inspirational trek (in dodgy trainers - he wouldn’t listen) lfrom Glasgow to London . Let’s face it It’s a seriously long way....

On the surface - it’s an insane and possibly futile enterprise - but you have to admire a person who has decided to get off the sofa to do something pretty challenging and at least try and change things. Sometimes it can just take just one (inappropriately shod) bloke to make a difference. And putting one foot in front of another for the greater good is never pointless . The NHS is for the greater good of all - irrespective of what political leaning you are - or where you stand on the brexit debate - so pleade do sign . If we get ‘enough ‘ signatures we WILL get a response from parliament . 🙏🤞🎉 Onwards and forwards .

THE PETITION
 
The Save the NHS petition to Parliament

"We, the undersigned, demand that ALL parties support a return to the provisions of the 1946 Act and return to the Minister of Health the legal responsibility to secure the provision of the NHS free at the point of use, and restrict access to the NHS for private service providers who are, effectively, profiteering from the suffering of British taxpayers."

The Original Act

"It shall be the duty of the Minister of Health to promote the establishment of a comprehensive health service designed to secure improvement in the physical and mental health of the people, and the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness.

The services so provided shall be free of charge"
.......................................................................................................................................................................

There is an excellent article about this great one man effort on Huffington Post HERE

Medirest staff to protest outside Northwick Park Hospital on Thursday 5 September over issues of wages, bullying and over work

Staff working for Medirest at Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow are set to protest outside the hospital on Thursday 5^th September from noon to 4pm over poor wages and what they say is overbearing management and heavy workload.

 

Porters, cleaners, ward hostesses and kitchen staff who are employed by the multinational facility management company Medirest say that they have had enough.

A recent meeting organised by GMB heard many workers from the 80 strong crowd tell of how their workloads have increased and that many were being paid the National Minimum Wage £8.21 an hour.

Other concerns over a bullying supervisor were raised following the GMB presenting a petition signed by over half of the staff of 400.

Tahir Bhatti, GMB Regional Organiser said:

Last year we started to speak to the Medirest about increasing the wages from the minimum wage, as well as other issues.

Medirest have a lot of staff paid only the minimum wage, staff who clean up after patients, transport deceased patients and make sure the hospital functions. We feel that there should be respect and fairness for all Medirest workers. 

The union are calling for equal wages and a root and branch investigation into the concerns of the workers. 

Workers will stage a respectable protest outside the main entrance to the hospital.

Messages from the crowd at yesterday's Stop the Coup protest at Westminster

GMB London Region to protest outside Wembley ASDA tomorrow against imposed contract

News

GMB to hold Asda protests against Contract 6

GMB London Region are holding a number of demonstrations in September across London and the East of England in protest against Contract 6. Asda employees are being faced with the sack if they do not sign the contract which strips away many of their terms and conditions.

Despite having a 63 pence per hour increase on the original contracts, Contract 6 would leave GMB members on other Asda contracts worse off due to changes to paid meal breaks, the loss of hours, changes to the night shift window and a flat rate for bank holiday work.

The flexible contract also means the company has the ability to change the number of staff working days, hours and their department with just 4-week notice.

GMB have undertaken two demonstrations at Asda House, in Leeds, on 1^st May and 14^th August to make the feelings of GMB members clear that they will continue to fight for better pay, terms and conditions.

The GMB will be demonstrating outside Wembley ASDA tomorrow September 5th 9am-4pm

Why Busy Rascals need space in any new development on the Queensbury site

Sharmine Choudhary-Tse of the community group Busy Rascals gave evidence on the last day of the Queensbury Public Inquiry at Brent Civic Centre yesterday.

In a powerful statement Sharmine told the planning inspector how the group had begun in response to a need to provide activities for the children of parents who were often socially isolated.  It not only provided children's activities but addressed  mental health problems associated with isolation by putting in place a supportive network where the problems as well as the joys of parenting can be discussed.

Busy Rascals provides dance and music classes for children as well as classes and information for adults. Ian Elliott, who has been speaking for Save the Queensbury at the public inquiry was himself a user of the service and Sharmine praised his support - without it Busy Rascals would not exist.

The group has won numerous awards for its work and any profit from money paid for classes is invested back into the provision.

Although Busy Rascals had spoken to the developer they had received nothing in writing assuring them that space in the new development would definitely be allocated to them. Such an assurance was needed for peace of mind. The developer had undertaken to undertake 'best endeavours' to provide an alternative space ,should the appeal succeed, while the redevelopment took place.

The QC for the appellant was at pains to point out that the new development would provide a bigger indoor space and an outdoor space superior to present provision. He also said the developer would pay any rent etc payable on the interim space.

I asked  a question from the floor on whether rent would be payable on the community space in the new development, particularly as it had been suggested that other community groups could use it as well as Busy Rascals. The inquiry adjourned so the QC could consult with his client on the issue.

I had to leave but closing statements followed from both sides and in the afternoon the Planning Inspector visited the site with the parties.

North Ealing vigil after racist attack Friday 6th September

Total of £1.47m Brent Neighbourhood CIL payouts announced

Brent Council Cabinet is set to approve a £1,471.608 total payout in the latest round of Neigbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy bids. The allocations are:

£366,975 to support the refurbishment of a new building for the Refugee Support Network in Harlesden. 

 

£250,000 to support the refurbishment of Challenge House in Harlesden for Crisis UK. 

£210,000 to support the refurbishment of the Silver Jubilee Park Clubhouse for Kingsbury Town Management Co. Ltd and Hendon Youth FC in Willesden. 


£109,833 to support the running of The Sanctuary Café for Hestia Housing and Support across neighbourhoods. 


£134,800 to support the installation of central heating of a community facility for St Michael and All Angels Church in Harlesden.

£170,000 to support the refurbishment of a community hall for St Cuthbert’s Church in Wembley 


£150,000 to support the building of a new Community Café and outdoor Space for St Catherine’s Church in Neasden 


£80,000 to support tree planting in the Dudden Hill area. This would be in addition to £30,000 allocated to tree planting in this area in NCIL’s 2018/19 round one, bringing the total spent by NCIL on tree planting in Dudden Hill to £110,000. 


Full descriptions of the projects can be found HERE

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