Ray Woolford Author "Food Bank Britain's "campaign to end #criminalisationhungry

2,800 people charged with stealing food in London as food bank expert warns 'hungry people are criminalised' 

• FRANCESCA GILLETT 
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The Evening Standard

More than 2,800 people in London were charged with stealing food in London last year. AFP

Thousands of people were charged with stealing food in London last year in what a food bank expert has warned is a “criminalisation of the hungry”.

Hounslow was the London borough with the highest number of people charged with stealing food in 2016, figures from the Met Police show.

The borough was closely followed by Camden, Tower Hamlets, Brent, Southwark and Greenwich - all which saw high numbers of people charged with food theft.

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Ray Woolford, who founded the first food bank in Lewisham and has since written the book Food Bank Britain, said many of those who have been criminalised for stealing food only did so in order to survive.

“The cost of jailing people and putting them through the courts is incredible,” he told the Standard. “These are people who instead should be helped."

Mr Woolford, who lives in south London, added that many of the people charged had been caught rooting through supermarket bins.

“I was hearing more and more stories of people being arrested," he said. 

A Trussell Trust food bank in St Paul's Church in Brixton in 2012. (Getty Images)

“What I found was this was not just people going into supermarkets and stealing food off the shelves, these were people who were taking out-of-date food from the supermarket bins. 

“Food that the supermarkets would have to pay to take from the supermarket to the waste site. 

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Food from London's biggest stores donated to hungry at Christmas

“It makes no economic sense at all to prosecute these people.”

He added: “I still feel it is shameful we still haven’t tackled food waste.

“We need a bigger debate about what we can do with waste food.

“We are creating a society where people are throwing food into the bin and people being obsessed about people taking it, it’s crazy.”

147 people were charged with stealing food in Hounslow last year – the highest in any borough in London.

Barking and Dagenham, Bromley, Croydon, Ealing, Islington and Lambeth all had more than 100 cases of people criminalised for food theft, while Kingston Upon Thames had the fewest at 36. 

The figures, which come from a Freedom of Information request, show the total across London was 2,823. 

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1 day ago

percyporcelain

Some people need to sort out their morals here; we are getting into the realm of Liverpudlian energy theft, which they typically justify as some kind of political protest. I've every sympathy with people on the breadline who need food banks to help them, but zero sympathy with thieving scum who expect the rest of us to pay for them and pay for their unlimited children 

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1 day ago

SeaBee

So that is 2823 people out of a total population of 8600000.

How many people were charged with stealing clothing?

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1 day ago

sarntcrip

tiny% but enough for the tories to demonise al londoners

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Huffington Post Article part #fuelpovertyawarenessday a must read and share

Article for February Fuel Awareness Day.

In 2015 it seemed shocking that over the past 6 years the number of households forced to install key meters owing to debt for their gas and electric supply had exceeded 500,000. The utility regulator OFGEM, under pressure from the public, launched an investigation into the reasons for this and, as such, dissenting voices went quiet.  However, the outrage of 2015 has been replaced with an acceptance that fuel poverty is part of the so called “Third Sector” and that it is just something we have to get used to. But in the 6^th richest economy in the world, is it acceptable to just ignore this when 50% of these households have children?

You may feel that fuel poverty is someone else’s problem but whilst researching this article I became aware of the danger it poses and the impact it has on the lives of millions of people caught up in it.  Not only do those who are directly affected suffer but also households that adjoin the homes of people in fuel poverty can be put in danger too.   These facts should see us all demanding an end to talk and a real policy agenda put in place to address and tackle the causes of this very real concern.

In December 2016 ,the BBC reported that 37% of all households would be turning off their heating over the winter as they simply could not afford it.

Barbara Raymond, an 80 year-old People Before Profit activist and co-founder of We Care food bank in Deptford, south London reported that when the We Care food bank opened in 2014 they would regularly assist families in fuel crisis and top up elderly members’ energy cards.  However, by 2016 there had been a huge drop in demand because more and more people just stopped using gas and electricity altogether.   The reasons for this were not just the high cost of use, but also the monthly standing charges.  Barbara said ,“With 2 million people sanctioned in 2016 alone, according  to the government’s  own figures, increasing numbers of people just stopped using the supply altogether, choosing  to use sinks as BBQs, candles for light ,and plug sockets in communal stairways to boil kettles.”  This led me to raise a fresh freedom of information request to the London Fire Brigade who confirmed that in 2015 the Fire Brigade was called out 277 times to deal with fires caused as a direct result of people being forced to resort to the actions outlined above.  As a consequence, these fires left 95 people injured and 4 dead.   In addition to these tragedies, there is a clear risk to people living in flats and houses adjoining a household forced into desperate measures due to fuel poverty and this is of equal concern. Fuel poverty can no longer be regarded as just a concern for the poor but an issue that can impact on us all if we fail to address it quickly and adequately.  The only comfort from my Freedom of Information request to the Fire Brigade was that in 2016 there were only 2 deaths and 75 injuries.  However, the number of call outs had risen from 277 to 281.

A further freedom of Information request for this article discovered that since 2015 the number of homes in debt and forced to install key meters (the most expensive form of energy supply, costing an average household £60 a year more) was at 180,000 in 2015 and 190,000 in 2016, a staggering increase of 90% in just one year and yet why no outrage or concern? Gillian Guy from the CAB says that 50% of households in fuel poverty with meters have children.  Ms Guy, like Barbara Raymond, confirm that their own research shows that 1 in 6 pre-payment meter customers cuts off their own energy supply due to its high cost. Additional factors for terminating the supply included difficulty in topping up the meter and faulty meters.   Unfortunately, I found it impossible to discover the number of households in the UK which are no longer connected to the national grid because they are unable to pay their energy bills.  This was because all state bodies to whom I sent freedom of information requests,  had either not seen the relevant figures or been aware of the issues.   However, I have been told that due to my work for this article the figures for 2017 will be collected.

What can be done? One of the most inspiring ways in which fuel poverty has and is being tackled is by the We Care food bank.  The team held a public meeting on how to deal with this crisis and in 2012 launched a green, not-for-profit energy company. The company have installed solar panels on the roofs of churches, schools and community centres and use the Government feed in tariff to bring down the fuel costs of the buildings.  The resulting profit is used to tackle fuel poverty in South East London.   This model deserves to be rolled out nationwide because it tackles the problem head on. It does not take cash away from front line services, is good for the environment and, most importantly, it addresses the scandal of fuel poverty.

Given the scale of the number of UK homes with key meters paying up front for fuel, together with the rapid advances in technology, this must mean that energy for the poorest with key meters and regular consumers paying upon receipt of a bill should be reduced by substantially more than the £80 differential a year, suggested by the government, who appear clueless about the devastating impact this is having on the vulnerable and life chances of the children impacted.

Ray Barron-Woolford is author * Food Bank Britain *

Author  *Food Bank Britain * 

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Lewisham council Labour Development scandal .Mayor Steve Bullock resign petition goes viral

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/15041929.Calls_for_investigations_and_resignations_after_New_Bermondsey_false_funding_claim_revealed/

πlease sign this petition TODAY and get every one you can to share on social media and sign 

Lewisham Council gripped by Millwall foot ball Development scandal

This morning Sunday , i was interviewed by Police following on from the growing scandal around public funds the development company * Renewal*  involving a former leader of Labour Lewisham Council, and the present labour Mayor Steve Bullock, this is fast moving even though Lewisham People Before Profit got active in this campaign more than 10 years ago , but as this £1 billion pound development deal has got closer to reality the concerns raised by LPB4P have become of global concern , just 2 weeks ago i tabled a Question to full council calling for an Independent Investigation into how this deal has come about and to restore confidence in our borough, days later the latest local labour council;or elected in Blockley ward tweeted that the whole deal had a *Stink * about it and this week the story grew wings with Guardian exposing the fact £500,000 of Lewisham tax payers cash was funnelled via a dodgy charity set up with much of what was going on rubber stamped by the Councils own Labour scrutiny committee .
Lewisham People Before Profit have campaigned long on hard in seeking to expose the cosy relationship  between the Developers in our borough and a council lead by the all powerful Sir Steve Bullock  who has been able until this week to give jobs in his cabinet to like minded fellow Labour Councillors.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jan/20/millwall-stadium-foundation-taxpayer-money-misleading-claims?CMP=share_btn_link
This Week after the Guardian blew the roof of the scandal, The Charity Commission has launched an investigation  and this has kicked of a police investigation, although at todays interview i was told at present police are investigating allegations to see if a fraud investigation should be launched, in light of the huge about of paper work on this, much tweeted via my twitter feed Ray Woolford this is almost certain to happen this week.
Today in a further twist a senior Labour party official contacted me in private to state Sir Steve Bullock would be standing down, whilst many using the hash tags Millwall and LEWISHAM4 are demanding the heads of all the top people in Lewisham including The Chief Executive .
Councillor Alan Hall has been extremely brave in writing the letter attached to this blog copy

Charity Commission opens case into charity at heart of Millwall FC controversy

20 January 2017 by Liam Kay ,  Be the First to Comment

The regulator will not confirm the issues behind its probe of the Surrey Canal Sports Foundation

The New Den: Millwall FC's ground

The Charity Commission has opened a case into the sports charity at the heart of a controversial £1bn development scheme involving a compulsory purchase order of land around Millwall Football Club’s ground in London.

The sports charity the Surrey Canal Sports Foundation has claimed it received a £2m funding pledge from Sport England for a sports facility on the proposed development, but this has been denied by the funder itself.

Friday's headlines

• Jo Cox Foundation granted charitable status
• Technology committee criticises government over digital strategy delay
• Regulator opens inquiry into charity at heart of Millwall FC controversy
• Julie Harrison appointed chair of Big Lottery Fund’s Northern Ireland committee

According to Lewisham Council’s website, planning permission was granted in 2012 for the New Bermondsey regeneration scheme. The developer Renewal, which set up the Surrey Canal Sports Foundation in 2011, said this would provide 2,400 homes and an improved setting for Millwall FC’s stadium.

The council website says Renewal has been purchasing land at the site since 2004, and in a meeting on 7 September 2016 the council decided that a compulsory purchase order should be made for the rest of the land needed for the development.

Earlier this month, a council meeting to discuss the compulsory purchase order was adjourned, with a new meeting expected in February, according to the football club.

Council discussions about the development have cited the Surrey Canal Sports Foundation’s claim that it has a £2m funding pledge from Sport England towards a £40m sports complex on the New Bermondsey site.

But a spokeswoman for Sport England said: "In 2010 we received a funding application from the Surrey Canal Sports Foundation, but this was subsequently withdrawn in 2013. We therefore have no funding agreement, of any kind, in place with them."

In a statement from Steve Norris, chair of the Surrey Canal Sports Foundation, the charity said it approached Sport England in 2011 to seek a £2m funding commitment for the sports facility in New Bermondsey.

"In October 2013 we received a formal letter from Sport England which referenced their ongoing support for the project and that the application was now being moved onto the strategic facilities fund," the statement said.

"While the SCSF has made significant progress over the past four years, we have not progressed a more formal application since October 2013 due to the inordinate length of the compulsory purchase order process and ongoing land assembly led by Renewal. 

"We are still awaiting the outcome of the CPO process, but following this we intend to re-engage Sport England and will be making a formal application for funding in the coming weeks."

The Charity Commission spokesman said its case on the Surrey Canal Sports Foundation was opened at the start of January and concerned a number of issues, but he was unable to confirm what these were.

According to the Charity Commission’s website, Surrey Canal Sports Foundation had no stated income in 2015/16, 2014/15 and 2013/14, with a £5,000 income in the year to 28 February 2013, meaning the charity did not have to file accounts with the regulator in any of those years.

The charity spent £97,080 in 2012/13, £232,200 in 2013/14, £236,074 in 2014/15 and £198,112 in 2015/16, the Charity Commission website says.

The most recent accounts available on the commission’s website, which are for the year to 29 February 2012, show the charity had net assets of £901, a total income of £48,269 and spending of £47,368.

Lewisham Council has faced criticism about the development from local residents and politicians, including the Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, and has been warned that the proposals could force Millwall FC to leave the area.

At the football club’s annual general meeting last month, its chairman, John Berylson, said that although the club would welcome the redevelopment of the area around the stadium, it wanted to "be able to develop our own land within the wider scheme for the benefit of the club and its fans and neighbours".

following on from my Question to Council demanding exactly this , but Labour Lewisham is changing although the present Leadership is almost all totally opposed to Corbyn and even went as far as to write to the South London Press urging Labour members not to vote for him many new members have joined who are pro Corbyn including large number of former PBP members, Greens, Socialist Party etc  but as yet are not in a position  or been members long enough  to ditch the old guard , the fact that Labour Councillors are breaking ranks is something that is welcome but Lewisham voters must insure at local level we have opposition councillors elected who can ask questions and carry out due diligence , is it really acceptable that our Labour Council is in power with just 17% of the electorate?
Postcard from an earlier Lewisham People Before profit campaign action.

Lewisham Council and the stink of the Millwall football club regeneration deal

I have today raised a fresh question for Lewisham Labour council as the Millwall foot ball land grab deal continues to raise national interest and concern since the people behind the land deal include  former leading Labour party Councillor and senior Council staff and with the offshore link it is increasingly looking like a deal that is in all but name a can of worms. Lewisham People Before Profit had some years ago at the start of the plans launched a broads community campaign and collected thousands of signatures in protest at Lewisham Council support for these plans as reality comes ever closer more people are asking questions and i intend to cover this in depth on my * Talk radio Europe show *  in February  . This is my latest Question to full council .

* In light of a Labour Councillor stating her concern that the Millwall planning applications have a *Stink* about them. and widespread community concern. what is Lewisham doing to insure that these planning proposals by former senior Labour party and Council employees are open and above board?
And would it not be better for public confidence for an independent body to review these plans?*

Ray Barron-Woolford and Barbara Raymond

Lewisham Council campaign for Deptford school safety signs

After launching the Lewisham People Before Profit campaign to insure every lorry and truck driver working on the increasing number of developments in the area are made aware that we have 6 primary schools, 4 children centres and 3 care homes in Deptford . i am shocked that the welfare of local residents can be ignored  by our Labour Council, when i raised this as an issue with Lewisham Council as a question, they replied that they would look into it..and yet Deptford schools are probable the only ones in the UK that have no school awareness signs or basic road markings to warn the many truck drivers using  our residential roads.
Since my last Question and after our campaign was reported in the South London Press at least two local residents have been hospitalised  and yet still no signs, but Labour Lewisham have put up new signs on the entrances to Brookmill Park Deptford , to remind local dog owners the park does not allow dogs , but cannot erect a basic school safety sign..I have therefore today raised a further question to Council that reads.

* Brook mill park has just received new signage to highlight ban on dogs, and yet Deptford Schools are still without a single sign to highlight school awareness to increasing number of lorries pouring into the areas developments and since Lewisham People Before Profit launched the campaign reported in the South London Press, 2 local residents have been hospitalised.
As we have made the council aware of the risk to local residents, does the council have an idea as to how many more local residents must be hit by lorries and trucks before basic school safety signs outside almost every school in the UK , will be displayed in Deptford Schools?*

I will post Council responses once i have it.

Ray Barron-Woolford and Babara Raymond

Lewisham People Before Profit  . See attached image of what most schools have.

Social enterprise. What would you compromise? Talk at Goldsmiths by Ray Barron-Woolford

Ray Barron-woolford Why i set up UK largest Food bank in Deptford