Wednesday 4 January 2017


Not just health, housing & social care – but now schools & nurseries face cuts!


Southwark Save Our Services campaign                   Monday 2 January 2017



For many people, 2016 finished with a sense of foreboding of what this new year has in store…but there are grounds for optimism - the government has backed off key parts of the Housing & Planning Act, and in Southwark the Council has been forced to recognise its failings over housing provision and now say they will ensure that property developers’ promised social housing will be delivered (report here). However, estate demolition still threatens, and campaign groups meet this month to challenge it. (See below.)

Pressure on health services through underfunding are often well-documented (as this recent article shows) and a national demonstration is being organised, but cuts to education are now increasing: nursery school in south London face closure and Southwark’s council-run schools face a budget cut of £5m this year under a government plan to take funding from city schools (recent news coverage here) Academy schools’ cuts have yet to be announced. All these campaigns need your support, so please get involved.



EVENTS LIST


Tuesday 3 January

8am. Protest/leafleting at Waterloo Station, opposing cuts to services and staffing plus fare increases. Part of a national day of action, calling for a publicly owned railway with affordable fares. While fares keep rising, cuts to services and staffing are taking place across the network – with more ticket offices closing, removal of guards from trains, extension of driver only operations and fewer staff at stations to provide help when we need it. Organised by Action for Rail. #railripoff.


Thursday 5 January

1pm. Emergency - protest against eviction of homeless charity and food bank Divine Rescue which is about to be evicted from their premises on the Aylesbury Estate by Southwark Council. Join Sister Catherine to stop the eviction at Thurlow Lodge community hall, Wendover, corner of Albany Road and Thurlow Street, SE17. Read about the charity’s work here.


Friday 6 January

10am. for 10.30 start. ‘Social Care in Southwark’ meeting organised by Southwark Pensioners Action group. Cllr Richard Livingstone will outline local provision of social care. There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion. Venue: Southwark Pensioners Centre, 305 - 307 Camberwell Road SE5 0HQ. (Two minutes from Camberwell Green.)



Wednesday 11 January

7pm. Anti-demolition estates meeting. Venue: Bread and Roses pub, 68 Clapham Manor Street, SW4 6DZ. map here. Come to this meeting if you are fighting demolition, redevelopment or social cleansing. For more information contact Angela Forrester at forrester63@outlook.com



Thursday 19 January

7pm. The People's Question Time - Brexit: What are our Demands?

Panel to include: Emily Thornberry MP - Shadow Foreign Secretary, Labour Party, Amelia Womack - Deputy Leader, Green Party, Kevin Courtney - General Secretary, National Union of Teachers, Lindsey German - People's Assembly, Malia Bouattia - President, National Union of Students, Steve Turner - Assistant General Secretary, UNITE, (more tbc) Venue: St Pancras Church, Euston Road, NW1 2BA. Organised by the People’s Assembly. Click here for more info and to book your place.



Thursday 19th January

7pm - 9pm. Lambeth Keep Our NHS Public organising meeting. (Contact lambethkonp@gmail.com for venue.) The Lambeth group but covers some NHS Services in Southwark. There is a Southwark Facebook group here. If you want to help set up a Southwark KONP group, reply to this email or contact the organisers at lambethkonp@gmail.com. Lambeth Facebook here.



Thursday 19 January

6.30pm -8.30pm. Old Kent Road to Rotherhithe demo organising meeting.  Venue: The Links Community Centre 353 Rotherhithe New Rd, London SE16 3HF. (This is a planning meeting for a demonstration in solidarity with the Old Kent Road and Rotherhithe communities faced with "regeneration" and demolitions). map here.


Tuesday 24 January

7pm. London Keep Our NHS public meeting. To discuss and plan: What next in the campaign against STPs, News from campaigns against closures and cuts, Building London wide backing for the 04 March Demonstration. Venue: Camden Town Hall, Judd Street WC1H 9JE. More information from www.defendlondonsnhs.wordpress.com and www.keepournhspublic.com



Friday 27 January

Time tbc. South London Community Screenings of Ken Loach's powerful, must-see indictment of Britain’s benefits system, 'I, Daniel Blake'. Venue: Ruskin House Croydon. Get ticket info from contact@southlondonpa.org



Tuesday 31 January

7pm. Southwark Defend Council Housing - organising meeting. NOTE THE CHANGED VENUE: Canada Estate Tenants’ Hall, Columbia Point, Moodkee Street, SE16 7BB. More information from southwarkdch@gmail.com For info about the national Axe the Housing Act campaign See websitetwitter and facebook..



Further ahead



Saturday 4 March

National demonstration to defend the NHS, in London called by Health Campaigns Together and supported by Unite. More information at http://www.healthcampaignstogether.com/



Saturday 11 March

Benefit event for the Aylesbury housing campaign. Venue: Doubtfire Hall, Tatum Street, SE17. Details of time and acts tba.



Other local campaigns

Ritzy strikers. Contact ritzylivingwage@gmail.com or Twitter @RitzyLivingWage. Keep up to date with the campaign here .



Save Our Nursery Schools. New cuts could mean the closure of nursery schools in Southwark as well as in other areas. (See website and petition link at http://www.savenurseryschools.org/).  If you want to help setting up a Southwark action group to campaign against this, email southwarksos@gmail.com to be put in touch.



South London People’s Assembly. Contact secretary@southlondonpa.org or reply to this email for more information.



Southwark Pensioners Action Group. Usually meet monthly at Southwark Pensioners Centre, 305 - 307 Camberwell Road SE5 0HQ. (Two minutes from Camberwell Green.) More info at http://www.spag.btck.co.uk/



Southwark Trades Union Council For details of meetings contact the secretary, Nick Phillips at stucsec@gmail.com



Stand Up for your Rights – free training for claimants. Further info from 020 7467 1283 or email Nick at nickplus007@gmail.com