Saturday, 31 January 2015

Falling out of Councillors


Falling out of councillors

Children of the Great War film screening




Free film screening at Vestry House
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Children of the Great War film screening

Children of the Great War film screening

Wednesday 11 February, 6pm - 7.30pm
Vestry House Museum
Admission free


Vestry House Museum and Age Exchange invite you to a screening of the film Children of the Great War, an installation by artists Simon Puriņš and Ivan Riches.

Find out more and watch a preview of the film

Waltham Forest Echo

Waltham Forest Echo

Hollow Ponds in danger

The Conservators seem hell bent on destroying the natural forest and turn it in to a play ground. Surely the whole point of the way the forest has developed makes it a natural play area - it does not need to create one. The kids in Lloyd Park are crying out for more play equipment, the natural play area needs refurbishing so why not spend all this public money on where it is needed and not at Hollow Ponds which is appreciated for its natural beauty and not its play facilities.

Hollow Ponds already gets over crowded putting enormous pressure on its ecology so why damage it further?

Do we really have to get a CHANGE.org petition going to protect the forest - I thought that was the job of the Conservators, but they are working with WF to destroy Whipps Cross roundabout (mini Holland) and now to create a play park in the forest - have they forgotten what their role is?



Play equipment for Hollow Ponds

Consultation

Rejuvenation of the Borough

The Scene

Sun Trap

Suntrap

Woodhouse Players

To: WoodhousePlayers Membership <woodhouse.members@gmail.com>


Woodhouse Players logo


The Woodhouse Players present their Spring double-bill of one-act plays - 'Interview' and 'Five Kinds of Silence' -  6th, 7th, 11th, 13th, 14th March 2015

'Interview' by Jean-Claude van Itallie:
At a New York employment agency, four faceless interviewers interview four applicants seeking jobs ranging from Bank President to Floor-washer, but they seem to be just going through the motions. Elsewhere in the city, tragedies unfold unremarked. The interviews go on. . . Eight actors create a surreal and dreamlike snapshot of modern America using words, movement, music and dance, in this seminal work from the 1960s.

'Five Kinds of Silence' by Shelagh Stephenson: 
Billy is dead.
His daughters have shot him – once in the stomach, then once more, to make sure he’s really gone. His wife Mary knows they’ll have to call the police – but there’s his bottle of whisky to get through first... Five Kinds of Silence is a powerful play telling the story of a family living under the power of the vicious Billy; it explores the ideas of abuse being continued from childhood, how abused children may go on to abuse their own children, and isolation from the outside world.
This play explores adult themes of abuse and violence, and is not suitable for under-16s.

Performances are at the Welsh Church Hall, 879 High Road E11 1HR:
- Friday 6 March at 8 pm
- Saturday 7 March at 8 pm (BSL-signed)
- Wednesday 11 March at 8 pm
- Friday 13 March at 8 pm
- Saturday 14 March at 8 pm
Tickets £8 (£5 concessions)
Book online via the website www.woodhouseplayers.co.uk
Phone/email reservations 020 8504 3872/ tickets@woodhouseplayers.co.uk

www.woodhouseplayers.co.uk

Art Miles comes to WMG

Event Details

Art Miles is a new fundraising initiative organised by the Art Fund, the national fundraising charity for art, to help raise money for museums and galleries.  It is a fun, cultural walk of approximately three miles in the grounds of the participating venues for people to support their local museum or gallery by raising money. 
We’re running the first Art Miles events on Sunday 22 March 2015 at three London venues, just in time for spring:Chiswick House & GardensDulwich Picture Gallery and William Morris Gallery
Your Art Miles walk will take in several points of interest, including areas that are not normally open to the public, and will give you the the opportunity to test your art knowledge. You’ll also receive a fabulous Art Fund tote bag upon arrival to the event as a thank you for your good deed!
Need help? If you are unable to find the information you need in our FAQs, please get in touch with us at help@artfund.org.     

About the event
Osterley Park and House
     
 
The only public museum in Britain dedicated to the leader of the Arts and Crafts movement, the museum is based in Morris' magnificient childhood home, in Walthamstow's Lloyd Park.
The gallery was awarded the Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year in 2013. 
Raise much-needed funds for the William Morris Gallery while exploring your creative side in the beautiful surroundings of Lloyd Park. For one day only the park will be transformed into an arts and crafts activity trail for people of all ages. Along the route you’ll meet special guest artists and there will be one or two surprises inspired by our collections. You’ll leave with your own work of art, created step-by-step along the trail. For those who like an extra challenge, why not come in costume inspired by William Morris? There will be prizes for the best dressed. Wellies highly recommended!
Tour lasts approximately two hours.

Terms and Conditions
1. You must be aged 18 or over in order to register for an Art Miles event. 
2. An adult who has paid a registration fee is entitled to be accompanied by up to four children (aged 16 and under) at the Art Miles event. 
3. The payment of the registration fee for your Art Miles event will be processed and administered by the National Art Collections Fund, operating as the Art Fund, a charity registered in England and Wales (209174) and Scotland (SCO38331).
4. Half of your registration fee will be retained by the Art Fund and the other half will be passed to your Art Miles venue. 
5. Registration fees are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled by the venue for any reason.
6. You must not use borrowed, stolen, or forged payment methods to make your payment.  Should you do so, you agree to accept full responsibility for such action and to indemnify the Art Fund in respect of all actions, claims, damages, liability, fees, costs and expenses whatsoever that arise as a result of your actions.
7. The Art Fund is responsible for promoting Art Miles and for collecting registration fees.  Your Art Miles venue is responsible for organising the Art Miles event and for all other administration in connection with the event.  
8. One Art Miles bag per registered adult.
9. The Art Fund is not responsible for the content of third-party websites.
10. The use of this site is subject to the Terms and Conditions on the Art Fund's website.  
11. All data gathered and held by the Art Fund is managed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and in accordance with our  Privacy Policy.  

Do you have questions about ART MILES 2015 | William Morris Gallery? Contact Art Fund

Perform at the National

A fantastic opportunity to take part in a National Theatre performance as a community volunteer. Please feel free to forward this to your friends, networks and colleagues


Take the Stage at the National Theatre
Can't see this? view online
Take the Stage at the National Theatre
Passionate about performing?
Interested in making your mark on one of the nation’s great stages?
Ready to make a commitment to a once-in-a-lifetime experience?
The National Theatre is recruiting a Community Company to join an upcoming production of a classic play directed by Lyndsey Turner. The play tells the story of the English Civil War and of the men and women who dares to imagine a different future for our country.
We are looking for individuals to join our Community Company who have a passion for theatre, are able to sing, and are aged 21 andupwards. We are particularly keen for men to apply!
The Community Company will also be given the opportunity to make their own original show with an experienced director. Performed on one of the National Theatre’s famous stages. This show will be open to the public as well as friends and family.
We will be running open taster sessions at the end of January and beginning of February with individuals invited to join the second stage recruitment process in mid to late February.
Travel expenses and food will be provided but please note it is a voluntary, unpaid opportunity.
For more details please contact communitycompany@nationaltheatre.org.uk or 020 7452 3437
You have received this email as we have a record of your interest in the work of NT Learning. If you would no longer like to be contacted by NT Learning emaillearning@nationaltheatre.org.uk stating 'Community Company unsubscribe' in the subject line.
The Royal National Theatre is a registered charity, no. 224223 and is registered in England as a company limited by guarantee, no. 749504, with its registered office at Upper Ground, London SE1 9PX. Privacy policy

Our Community Our Schools





A roundup of recent activity from Our Community Our Schools...
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Our Community Our Schools: 
January bulletin - Two meetings this week

Dear all,

A belated Happy New Year to all our supporters from OCOS. Here’s a quick round up featuring two important meetings coming up this week:

 

The campaign for compulsory SRE: Saturday 24 January

The OCOS Charter for Education calls for a rounded education for all children as well as for schools to be safe places where our children are free from bullying and sexual harassment. We at OCOS believe that unbiased, fact based, SRE (sex and relationship education) is crucial if we are to achieve that aim. We believe that SRE shouldn't just be about the mechanics of where babies come from. We believe it should also address issues such as the importance of consent in sexual relationships, what abusive relationships are, and it should challenge sexist and homophobic stereotypes and bullying.

Our Community Our Schools welcomes the Our Bodies, Our Future conferenceat Frederick Bremer school on 24th January and we would encourage the many local parents who support our campaign to attend. In advance of the conference, we are delighted to welcome the keynote speaker, Laura Bates, as a guest blogger for OCOS on the campaign for compulsory SRE. 

Laura is founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, a collection of over 80,000 women and girls' daily experiences of gender inequality. She writes regularly for the Guardian, Independent, Red magazine, Grazia etc. She is Patron of SARSAS (Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support, formerly Bristol Rape Crisis). She works regularly with schools, universities and businesses and collaborated closely with the British Transport Police on Project Guardian, which has increased the reporting of sexual offences on public transport in London by 25% and the detection of offenders by 32%.
Read her guest blog for OCOS here..


Another Education is Possible: Friday 23 January

Our Community, Our Schools will be represented at a public meeting on the state, and future, of education called by Waltham Forest Left Unity this Friday, 23rd January at 7.30pm at the Epicentre, 41 West Street, Leytonstone, E11 4LJ.

Other speakers include Richard Hatcher from the Birmingham Campaign for State Education, Steve White, Secretary of Walthan Forest NUT and Simone Aspis from the Alliance for Inclusive Education. More details here...


And finally, Our Schools in focus..

For those who missed it first time round, a reminder to read our popular blog from late last year on one of our local community schools, Kelmscott School here..

All the best from everyone at OCOS.
All the best

Jonathan White
Scarlet Harris
Alison Emmett
Kiri Tunks
Mark Holding
Mickey Dean
Tom Davies and everyone else at OCOS


 

Copyright © 2015 Our Community Our Schools, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you have supported our campaign in the past

Our mailing address is:
Our Community Our Schools
Waltham Forest
London, Walthamstow E17
United Kingdom

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Asbestos in Town Hall

Asbestos in Town Hall

27 January 2015

Dear Mr. Esom,
In November 2012, we wrote to you about the potential conflict of interest inherent in concurrently you being chief executive of LBWF and board member of NPS London Ltd..
 You told us that you understood the risks, and had taken steps to mitigate them, explaining:‘I fully recognise my role as board director, and also Chief Executive of the authority and ensure that the two roles are not blurred. My deputy, Shifa Mustafa, acts as the lead client and she has a free reign to fulfil that task in the best interests of the local authority. She reports to a variety of Cabinet Members directly on the performance of NPS’.
Subsequently, in January 2013, we asked to see copies of the reports regarding LBWF-NPS London Ltd working arrangements that Ms. Mustafa had – as you indicated - produced for Cabinet members in 2011 and 2012, and were told that they were ‘verbal and therefore no formal paper reports exist’ (FIA, 2012/0874).
In relation to this admission, we note that:
(a) the Independent Panel report of 2009, which the Council accepted in its entirety, found that ‘Informal briefings appear to have replaced reports to Cabinet’, and warned that this practice was unacceptable and must cease forthwith;
(b) each year for sometime, LBWF has done millions of pounds of business with NPS London Ltd.;
(c) in 2012, you regarded NPS London Ltd as ‘our advisors on asbestos matters’;
(d) during its voluminous correspondence with us in 2012, LBWF showed marked confusion about highly  important issues, and, for example, was unable to date when it had received the key GBNS reports on asbestos in the Town Hall;
(e) on 19th January 2015, LBWF was found guilty on four counts concerning asbestos in the Town Hall under health and safety legislation, with the judge referring sentencing to a higher court in recognition of the severity of the offenses; and
 (f) according to the Waltham Forest Guardian, NPS London Ltd. now claims it has had ‘“nothing to do”’ with the asbestos issue in the Town Hall, thus explicitly contradicting your own earlier claim.
Against this background, the system of verbal reporting that you instituted seems to us to have been a significant misjudgment, which very likely will impose serious financial and human costs for years to come.
Taking these various facts together, we believe that you have failed in your fundamental duty of care to staff, their families, and members of the public, and accordingly should resign as chief executive of LBWF forthwith.
 We look forward to your response.
 Yours sincerely,
Trevor Calver and Nick Tiratsoo
PS Please note that this is an open letter, and we are circulating it to interested parties

Sign the petition to save our parks

Lloyd Park staff are being asked to sweep the adjacent roads leaving the park unattended - is this the first sign of WF cut backs in parks?




A new year's resolution everyone can make..Save and Protect UK ParksPlease join the effort by widely promoting the 'Save Our Parks' UK petition: http://chn.ge/TXdqhjLet's make the protection and improvement of our open spaces an issue in the May 2015 General Election.
And make a date in your diary for 2015's Love Parks Week - 24 July to 2 August


Promote the 'Save Our Parks' petition - let's make the protection and improvement of our open spaces an issue in the May 2015 General Election
The Government's cuts to Local Authorities for our local public services, combined with the lack of statutory protection for open spaces, are causing the most of the problems we are facing. So please sign and promote the UK 'Save Our Parks' petition to step up the pressure on the Government and all political parties to take seriously the future funding and protection of our vital green spaces. 

1. Sign the petition: http://chn.ge/TXdqhj 
2. Spread the news via Twitter: @LoveParks_Week  #LoveParks
3. Spread the news via Facebook: www.facebook.com/ukparkspetition - and: www.facebook.com/LoveParksWeek 
4. Refer to the Parks Petition webpage: www.natfedparks.org.uk/parks-petition.html - the page includes a Sign Up Sheet and leaflets to distribute

And please don't forget to support your local green space Friends Group or help set up one for any green space without one!


best wishes

Dave Morris
Campaigns Officer 
National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces
vice-chair@natfedparks.org.uk 
www.natfedparks.org.uk