Deptford Creekside New Plans/ New Planning Update

Just got news, that Lewisham Council is seeking to turn Deptford creekside into a Conservation Area.. this is at clear odds with the fact, Lewisham Labour Council, have been building Luxuary flats on every bit of free space it can sell of for years, with no community benifit, it was this wreckless planning policy of turning the area into one giant development, that got so many people active in Lewisham People before profit..Lewisham Council after the huge public pressure from Lewisham People before Profit members and supporters who have built up a huge campaign to protect Convoy Wharfs Marine history, and our demands for a new school, real long tern jobs for local people, and real Affordable Housing.This week English Heritage and the GLA, all came out in support of our proposals, Lewisham Council under huge pressure...who had given a nod and a wink to the developer, have had to go back to the drawing board, as the planned submission for planning on December 8th has been Scrapped, a clearly pissed off PR company who at first seemed to warm to our plans, and then dug in when they realized our campaign could stall these plans, have ignored requests for the listed Marine Wharfs to be given to us on a 25 year lease to create real long term green jobs, restore the historic ship works area to repair boats and to build a Maritime Museum and turn Convoys into a Green Energy Enterprise Zone. Hopefully Locals will further support our Plabns, when we put forward Candidates in next Mays GLA elections, and further along the Lines, when we Fight to win Every Lewisham Council Seat and Steve Bullocks Mayor post.. Although our Plans for the Mayor to to save money by abolishing the post if we win, and going back to local Councillors electing a different mayor every year.. But thats a while off...Just make sure you are on the Voters roll to vote; People before Profit...We have a Great Exhition on the Impact of the Olympics on Greenwich park, just drop by the Cafe..its free.. We also have this week launched the Internet Cafe at 50 pence per hour, and from Monday our Green Energy will see our first 5 members start training...With so much going on at the cafe, it is hard to keep up...But aftyer starty up problems, the CVafe and the Community work is going very well, the advice centre has had huge success as has our CV workshop and out Training programmes are starting 3 months early.. All this is due to the local people who come day after day to the cafe to buy a Take away Tea, Have a Meal, or attend events and services we offer.This small amount of money you spend, Helps us do so much, every penny you spend goes directly to the local community and the Local economy, if we can get more people in mornings and afternoons and over the weekends, we could give more jobs to local people.. So if you have not been,...Come soon, and to you wonderful regulars, i cannot thank you enough, and i only wish you could see the amazing thinks your money has allowed us to do.. In Deptford and New Cross you have a Huge Choice, but the Only Place that Gives its money back to the Community is ...Come the Revolution..We charge you less than anywhere else.. So why eat or Drink anywhere else?

Has Deptford Got Talent?

Hot on the heels of the young peoples film night,Packing the cafe out from 7pm every Thursdays at Come the revolution Community cafe on New Cross Road Deptford, we are just setting up an Open mike night, and a Alternative fun Talent night for Saturday nights,called has Deptford got Talent..? if you are terrible or fantastic, in the new year this is going to be, South Londons most fun place to perform. We are Looking for Stand up, Performance, Musicians and Singers as well as Poets..Please drop by the cafe if you wish to take part, we are also looking for People to perform at our Christmas Fund raising Party on Saturday 17th December from 7pm at the Cafe.. We also have some tickets still left at £5, which also gets you a drink and a mince pie, with fantastic food on offer, hopefully with a licenced bar...

German Readers..And Other Global Readers

I am increasingly surprised by the huge number of readers reading my Blog across the world, last month the number one readership was Austria, whilst this Month, it has been Germany, Spain and India and the Middle east as well as Asia increasingly feature,Which is odd, as my Blog is mainly about a very Small but Very Political and Happening part of South London.Lewisham People before profit is Huge in France, and People before Profit have 3 MPs elected in Ireland, so building the Movement across the Globe is great and welcome, but i and my readers would love to hear about what you are doing in your Country, what Campaigns, What protests, the more we can link and forward news, the more success we can have with our campaigns and our Politics, the main stream media has no interest in seeing small political partys win Elections, but i would welcome your contribution to my Blog.Hopefully you can link your blogs and websites to ours and contribute ideas, news and support...The Wonderful part of doing my blog, is getting home after a long day, to see my stats and the huge number of people who read my Blog..If you do get to come to the UK, Come to our Community Cafe Come the Revolution in Deptford London.. a huge warm welcome awaits..

George Hallam People before profit Feltham & Heston By-Election.. To Win?

Over the Past week,the number of positive profiles of London People before Profits Candidate George Hallam in the Feltham and Heston By-Election, (Hounslow to most people), has Seen George come from nowhere to having a real chance to cause an election upset. The only Candidate who is a member of the only Political Party to support the 2 million public sector workers on strike this week, in an area with a huge number of Public sector workers, George is gaining ground, with Local union branches backing George with Donations and offers of Help. The Internet is packed with Groups and Voters saying they will be Voting London People before Profit on 15th December. as this election is not about changing the Goverment, local, Residents have a chance to make a real protest against the 3 main political partys who have caused this mess. Many local residents still remember, that it was the Labour party that ignored the 1 million people marching against the Iraq War. It was the Labour Party who started PFI, which has bought the health service such problems, and it was the Labour party who started the Student fees.. Today it is Lord Hutton a Labour Minister whose report has lead to the savage cuts in pay and Pensions for the public sector. So Clearly if you hate the Bankers, so loved by the last Labour Goverment, and you like me, hate everything about the BNP, then you will do what ever you can to elect George Hallam, the Only Candidate who will put People before Business Interests...this Election is a no Brainer.. George deserves to walk this, and shake the Political establishment to the Core, a win for People before Profit, would be the most powerful protest any Individual could ever do.If you have friends, Family in this area,make sure they vote, do not expect National Media Coverage for George, the Idea of George winning scares them ridged.. We can do this via Blogs, Twitter..Emails , Websites, Facebook, Etc, Remember People Before Profit was set up, not by Politicians, But by Community Campaigners across South London angry about Goverment and Political Leaders who simply put the Interest of Big Business before community Need...Vote Vote Vote London People Before Profit not just on 15th December, but at the GLA next May, Set up a Group, this is a real movement with a real alternative, George is also one of the UKs best Economists, he clearly understands Finance and the Lies our Media and Goverment feed us.

Feltham & Heston By-Election

At long Last London Voters have the chance to vote for a real alternative, to the 3 main stream political groups, that gave up on representing the interests of the working Class years ago. At a meeting held last night, it was agreed that Lewisham People Before Profit, would put forward a candidate on the People before profit agenda, Campaigning in support of Public sector workers, to see investment in house building, and capital expenditure to give people real long term jobs. to see Council estates and public buildings used to generate green energy to cut back on fuel poverty, to see a programme of building new council homes to deal, with a very real housing shortage, and to see the huge numbers of jobs this would bring,. it must be better to have people in work, paying tax, THAN A NATION OF WORKERS ON BENIFIT.. . We also are looking ahead to the GLA elections next May, and with PR, we have a real chance across London to win seats on the GLA.Our Candidate is the economist George Hallam. He will play a very pro active campaign, seeking to build a new grouping in Feltham and Heston, and to use the publicity to build People before profit Campaign groups across London and were ever people are looking to build a real alternative. At this election voters will have the choice of voting for 3 main political groups, none of which are willing to come out and Support the 2 miilion people who will lose a days pay to stand up against the Goverment. It is to the Labour partys shame, that we are having to put forward a candidate who will put people before the interests of big business.. Voters can vote for something very different.. if you can help with our campaign, make a donation, or would be interested in building a people before profit campaign group in your area, please email me.Further details on our party website;www.lpbp.org.uk

Poverty..Who Cares?

What does it take to make you angry? I do not think I am alone in being disgusted at the story in this week's news, in which an elderly couple just gave up and killed themselves after spending 18 months trying to sort out the disability allowance to which they were entitled. They were living in one room because they were unable to heat their house and were walking 6 miles a day to get a food parcel because they had no money for the bus fare. In the same month a young person who was unable to pay their tuition fees threw themselves under a train. The growing despair that the worsening financial situation is causing is simply terrifying. It is clear that the three main political parties have become the parties of Big Business. I would not have thought that in my lifetime I would see a Labour Party sacking staff en masse as they rush to privatise local services and close libraries that are the last remaining and crucial public space for all local people, whatever their income. Labour's record is truly shocking, as is their current failure to back the thousands of teachers and public sector workers who are considering striking for a decent pension. We have all seen the appalling reports in the media about the poor care being provided by the NHS in certain areas. If you listen to management consultants rather than medical experts, if you sack full-time nurses and rely increasingly on agency staff, what do you expect? How can you expect a ward of 390 very ill people to get the care they deserve from just 1 ward nurse? If ever you should make a stand, it is NOW. Please get ANGRY and ACTIVE. Come to Lewisham People Before Profit's next meeting. These are held on the first Monday in every month at 7pm at Come the Revolution Cafe. Please support us in any way you can. You can make a donation, you can visit our cafe, or you can e-mail us your support. Please start voting for people who care about you and our community. Bad times are HERE FOR REAL. We must stand together, we must campaign together, and we must help the thousands around us who are in great need. E-mail: raymondwoolford@aol.com

Green Jobs Coming to Lewisham Deptford and New Cross

The Good News We should get funding for People Before Profit Energy Solutions so our plans to create jobs in New Cross and Deptford by training local residents in traditional trade skills and the installation of home insulation are certain to happen in the new year. We have already made an application for a full-time worker and are presently working on being in a position to announce our job-creation scheme in the new year. If you are interested, please e-mail Ray Woolford for more details at raymondwoolford@aol.com.

Londons Best Cafe, Tea Room and Coffee Bar/Gallery

Your Cafe Needs You! Come the Revolution offers tea and crumpet for just £1 and a hot meal every day for just £2. It provides free Wi-Fi, a gallery space, a book exchange, free meeting space for local groups and campaigns, and the best drinks and food in the area. It also gives jobs to local people and helps to keep money in our community. Any profit the cafe makes is used to support community campaigns. There is a free advice surgery every Friday at 12, a free one-to-one CV workshop with Ray Woolford, a cookery school, a Mum and Children's Group every day from 9.30 am, and a Critical Thinking group every Tuesday at 11am. We are doing a good job but, as we receive no funding, we are having a really tough time. This project is about supporting local people, helping the most vulnerable residents, and giving people healthy food at bargain prices, but we can only stay open if people come and have their breakfast or lunch with us, or just morning coffee or afternoon tea. This is a wonderful, comfortable place with welcoming and helpful staff. Our gallery wall presently displays a collection of portraits of local residents by award-winning portrait photographer Peter Jones, which reveals the great richness and diversity of our local community. Please help us to make this cafe a success. We want to open longer and create more jobs for local people, but we can only do this if local people come to the Cafe, buy takeaway tea or coffee, or hold meetings, functions, parties etc. in this valuable and much-needed community space.

Utility bills Protest.. Stopped by Big Business

Biggest Consumer Protest In History Stopped By Big Business As readers may be aware, we have set up a Green Project to force down fuel prices, to look at ways of producing green energy locally, and to create long-term local jobs in an area with massive unemployment. We had planned to organise a day of action to get 100,000 people to switch energy suppliers in protest at the excessive profits the energy companies are making from us. The plan was to have 100,000 people sign up to switch energy supplier en bloc, which would mean we could negotiate to buy gas and electricity at near to wholesale prices. This was to be our first action in seeking to tackle local fuel poverty. (We eventually plan to produce our own local green energy.) The government has been encouraging consumers to organise and buy their own wholesale energy and said that ours was a very promising scheme. We had already engaged a logistics company and had arranged a press launch, but just two weeks before this was set to happen, the utilities companies refused to do business with us on the grounds that they do not like the tone of our campaign and felt that we would undermine their business. This is an outrage and a frontal attack on consumer choice. Nevertheless, we are determined to carry on the fight to bring down fuel bills and ensure that local consumers and not-for-profit groups are allowed to offer discount fuel.

Labour Councillors in Lewisham

Labour Abandons Advice Surgeries and Councillors Go AWOL Local councillors clearly expect to be kicked out en masse from New Cross and Deptford at the next local elections Labour councillors Long and Padmore are presently raking in over £10,000 a year for attending just 1 meeting every 6 months. In fact, as you can see on Lewisham Council's own website, they have the worst attendance record on the council, but they are happy enough to take the money, money that YOU pay them. Local residents are also complaining that Labour councillors are no longer holding advice surgeries, which is one of the reasons why Ray Woolford is holding a free help and advice surgery every Friday at 12 at Come the Revolution Cafe. If Labour councillors cannot be bothered to show up for advice surgeries, if they have no interest in community action campaigns for jobs, housing, schools and libraries, then what on earth are they doing on the council? They should all resign and let local people elect councillors who will do the job properly, who will stand up and fight for local people. After 13 years of a Labour government, with a Labour council and 3 Labour MPs, we have the highest level of youth unemployment in the UK, and every time we have a chance to create local jobs, build new council homes, and provide more school places, our Labour Council supports the Big Business builders of luxury developments, consistently putting private greed before community need. The Labour Party in Lewisham consistently acts against the interests of the residents who have voted Labour and it is time that residents in New Cross and Deptford finally wake up to this and vote for Lewisham People Before Profit in future.

Local Rents massive increase call for rent freeze

Local Rents at Record High The average rental in Deptford and New Cross is now £200 per week, while a 2 bed flat costs £250 -£400 per week and 3-4 bed flats start at £400 per week, and this is in an area where the average wage is just £24,500 per year. When the new Universal Credit comes in next year and councils are told to charge 80% of market rent for all new council tenants, we will be in the bizarre position of seeing the 17.0000 people in most need on Lewisham's housing list unable to get a council flat because they cannot afford it! Even more alarming are Labour's plans only to give council flats to people who are working. What about residents who are pensioners, disabled, in education, or recently unemployed? In the meantime, council rents have already increased by over 100% since Labour have been running (or failing to run) Lewisham. It really is no surprise that council tenants are talking about rent strikes as they are already unable to keep up with the recent increases. Lewisham People Before Profit continues to campaign to have local empty council buildings turned into new council homes or housing co-ops, to oppose the sell-off of land and other buildings which are needed to meet the rising demand for housing, and to battle with Lewisham Council with respect to new developments, where we insist that they must include the full 35% of social housing. We also demand that, when a builder gets planning consent, they include a sufficient proportion of homes that are genuinely affordable by local people who earn an average wage of £24,500, and that the council actually does something to deal with overcrowded homes, to enable house swaps and to free up larger properties for families.

Local Heroes, John Hamilton and Barbara Raymond

Barbara Raymond, John Hamilton, and Peter and Pat Richards Local Heroes up for Major Community Awards Lewisham People Before Profit campaigners have been nominated for The South London Press Community Awards for the huge amount of community work they do tirelessly on behalf of local people. Barbara has been an active, effective and deeply committed community campaigner for decades; John Hamilton was Lewisham People Before Profit's mayoral candidate at the last local elections and has been at the forefront of community action across Lewisham and South London for years, as well as being a founder member of Lewisham People Before Profit; Peter and Pat Richards have campaigned tirelessly at local, national and government levels to save our Libraries from cuts and closures. As far as we are concerned, they are all heroes and local treasures. We wish them the very best in the upcoming awards.