Monday, July 25, 2005
Towing the line...
Strikes are like buses - nothing for ages then you get two in a row!
It has been a strange few days. In the space of 5 days I have joined 2 separate picket lines in support of strikers. The first was with contracted cleaners from the House of Commons who were on strike on Wednesday 20th. The contracted cleaners are paid just £5 an hour with no company pay or sick pension, and only 12 days annual leave. They are fighting through the TGWU for better pay, terms and conditions - £6.70 an hour; 20 days holiday; sick pay and a company pension. We shouldn’t tolerate cleaners in the Houses of Parliament working on less than a living wage – they are hard working and dedicated people who help keep this amazing building going. Cleaners employed by the House authorities were not involved in the dispute – but the situation has resulted in a two tier workforce. The House authorities have been negotiating with the companies to try to encourage a better deal for their employees.
The second picket line was today with local journalists from the Wandsworth Borough News and local Guardian who will be striking until 27th July. Newly qualified journalists on the Wandsworth Borough News and the Surrey Comet suffer from low pay and poor working conditions, and are surviving on less than the average wage in London. The owners of the papers made a £750 million profit last year, but this is not invested in local staff.
Journalists are not a profession that one usually has sympathy for. In fact, as a former lawyer and current politician I am relieved that there is a profession held in lower repute then my profession! However, like politicians (and lawyers) there are big big exceptions to the stereotype. Local journalists do a brilliant job on very low pay. I have always been impressed by their commitment and professionalism during my years as a Councillor in Tooting, and now as the MP. There is more about the strike on the NUJ website here. There is a picture of me with the strikers here.
There are practical things we can all do to support our excellent local journalists:
It has been a strange few days. In the space of 5 days I have joined 2 separate picket lines in support of strikers. The first was with contracted cleaners from the House of Commons who were on strike on Wednesday 20th. The contracted cleaners are paid just £5 an hour with no company pay or sick pension, and only 12 days annual leave. They are fighting through the TGWU for better pay, terms and conditions - £6.70 an hour; 20 days holiday; sick pay and a company pension. We shouldn’t tolerate cleaners in the Houses of Parliament working on less than a living wage – they are hard working and dedicated people who help keep this amazing building going. Cleaners employed by the House authorities were not involved in the dispute – but the situation has resulted in a two tier workforce. The House authorities have been negotiating with the companies to try to encourage a better deal for their employees.
The second picket line was today with local journalists from the Wandsworth Borough News and local Guardian who will be striking until 27th July. Newly qualified journalists on the Wandsworth Borough News and the Surrey Comet suffer from low pay and poor working conditions, and are surviving on less than the average wage in London. The owners of the papers made a £750 million profit last year, but this is not invested in local staff.
Journalists are not a profession that one usually has sympathy for. In fact, as a former lawyer and current politician I am relieved that there is a profession held in lower repute then my profession! However, like politicians (and lawyers) there are big big exceptions to the stereotype. Local journalists do a brilliant job on very low pay. I have always been impressed by their commitment and professionalism during my years as a Councillor in Tooting, and now as the MP. There is more about the strike on the NUJ website here. There is a picture of me with the strikers here.
There are practical things we can all do to support our excellent local journalists:
- send a letter supporting their case for fair pay to Paul Davidson, Chief Executive, Newsquest, Morden, SM4 5BR, or email him at pdavidson@newsquest.co.uk
- Contact your local paper to say you believe professional journalists should receive professional pay
- Sign the petition on the NUJ website
- Send a message of support to us at endlowpay@nuj.org.uk
Sadiq
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Looking back at last week...
Over the last few days there are have been a number of important events I have taken part in.
The Summit at No 10 Downing Street provided a valuable opportunity for the PM to begin a dialogue with representatives from around the country about the best way to defeat terrorism. It was encouraging that the Leader of the Opposition (Michael Howard) and the Leader of the Liberal Democrats (Charles Kennedy) were present and able to show a united approach to tackling the problems faced by us. The following day I attended the meeting organised by Charles Clarke MP, the Home Secretary to build on the No 10 Summit. Both these meetings have been widely reported in the national media so I will not repeat in the blog what occurred at these meetings, except to say these are just the beginnings of a consensual and mainstream way to defeat terrorism.
I also organised a meeting with Tooting Labour Party members on 19th July. I invited Tony McNulty MP who is the Minister at the Home Office responsible for Identity Cards. This provided a really good opportunity for Tooting residents to discuss the proposals for ID cards with the Minister. The discussion was heated in places, but it is important that these dialogues take place over legislation that people have concerns about.
On 21st July, I took part in the "Gifted and Talented" Conference at Southfields Community College.The Conference had been going for three days, and 120 students from 5 secondary schools in Wandsworth were participating in workshops, writing manifestos and doing their own political broadcasts. I was "grilled" by a number of young Paxmans and Kirsty Walks for the newspapers they were producing as part of the political awareness scheme. It was really encouraging to see 13, 14 and 15 year olds interested in politics, politicians and policy.
I also attended Fircroft Primary School’s summer fete where the PTA, teachers and children helped to raise money for the school whilst having a great time.
On Sunday 24th July, I spoke at an Islamic Awareness event at the Tooting Islamic Centre. This was organised by Imam Sulayman Gani to bring people from the local community together to introduce the principles and beliefs of Islam and dispel rumours and misconceptions about Islam.
At the moment, there is a strong need for British Muslims to demystify the faith and for non Muslims to understand that it is possible to be both British and Muslim. Loads of people were at the event, and I am proud of how well the local community in Tooting comes together at times like this.
Sadiq
The Summit at No 10 Downing Street provided a valuable opportunity for the PM to begin a dialogue with representatives from around the country about the best way to defeat terrorism. It was encouraging that the Leader of the Opposition (Michael Howard) and the Leader of the Liberal Democrats (Charles Kennedy) were present and able to show a united approach to tackling the problems faced by us. The following day I attended the meeting organised by Charles Clarke MP, the Home Secretary to build on the No 10 Summit. Both these meetings have been widely reported in the national media so I will not repeat in the blog what occurred at these meetings, except to say these are just the beginnings of a consensual and mainstream way to defeat terrorism.
I also organised a meeting with Tooting Labour Party members on 19th July. I invited Tony McNulty MP who is the Minister at the Home Office responsible for Identity Cards. This provided a really good opportunity for Tooting residents to discuss the proposals for ID cards with the Minister. The discussion was heated in places, but it is important that these dialogues take place over legislation that people have concerns about.
On 21st July, I took part in the "Gifted and Talented" Conference at Southfields Community College.The Conference had been going for three days, and 120 students from 5 secondary schools in Wandsworth were participating in workshops, writing manifestos and doing their own political broadcasts. I was "grilled" by a number of young Paxmans and Kirsty Walks for the newspapers they were producing as part of the political awareness scheme. It was really encouraging to see 13, 14 and 15 year olds interested in politics, politicians and policy.
I also attended Fircroft Primary School’s summer fete where the PTA, teachers and children helped to raise money for the school whilst having a great time.
On Sunday 24th July, I spoke at an Islamic Awareness event at the Tooting Islamic Centre. This was organised by Imam Sulayman Gani to bring people from the local community together to introduce the principles and beliefs of Islam and dispel rumours and misconceptions about Islam.
At the moment, there is a strong need for British Muslims to demystify the faith and for non Muslims to understand that it is possible to be both British and Muslim. Loads of people were at the event, and I am proud of how well the local community in Tooting comes together at times like this.
Sadiq
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
One of the highlights of my time as an MP so far has been attending the prize giving ceremony at my former secondary school, Ernest Bevin College on 14th July. Click here for a photo from the event.
The prize giving celebrates the achievements of the students, their academic success, persistence and behaviour – all of which have been first rate. Prizes for each subject were given out to pupils from all years. I had the opportunity to make a speech to the students and staff. I made the point during my speech that I was feeling slightly depressed on my way to the school because I felt really old having to go back to my old school and give out prizes, but having met teachers who had taught me and were now teaching a new generation of students, I realised they had more reason to be depressed and feel old than I did!
During my short speech I also reminded the students that although the qualification I obtained from Ernest Bevin were very important, there were other important things that the school taught me which have always stood me in good stead: respect, celebrating diversity, being confident, fulfilling one’s potential, working as a team player and much more…
It was great to see the school play its full part in the Olympics Bid (the school has a sports specialism), Making Poverty History and a special assembly fully respecting the two minute silence on the 14th July.
The weekend of the 16th/17th July was as hectic as ever. Friday was spent at St Georges Hospital for a regular meeting with key personnel from the hospital. Key matters I raised were my concerns about budget deficits, the recovery plan, performance against targets and the fight against MRSA. The hospital is confident that there are four areas where MRSA can be reduced. There is an award winning Nurse Consultant who is at the forefront of spreading good practice in this area. The hospital is on target to exceed the Department of Health’s target of a 60% reduction in the bacteraemia rate which is very good news indeed.
I also visited a local mosque, the Tooting Islamic Centre and performed my Friday prayers there.
The weekend also entailed my usual advice surgery. I also attended the Annual Service at the Tooting Methodist Church on Longmead Road, and read a lesson – Philippians 2 Verses 6-11. I then went on to the fundraising day organised by Balham Mosque and Tooting Islamic Centre (where the food was as mouth watering as they promised!), and also managed to fit in interviews with GMTV, the Politics show and Westminster Hour.
On Monday morning I had another advice surgery in Balham before returning to Parliament for the last week before the parliamentary recess.
Sadiq
The prize giving celebrates the achievements of the students, their academic success, persistence and behaviour – all of which have been first rate. Prizes for each subject were given out to pupils from all years. I had the opportunity to make a speech to the students and staff. I made the point during my speech that I was feeling slightly depressed on my way to the school because I felt really old having to go back to my old school and give out prizes, but having met teachers who had taught me and were now teaching a new generation of students, I realised they had more reason to be depressed and feel old than I did!
During my short speech I also reminded the students that although the qualification I obtained from Ernest Bevin were very important, there were other important things that the school taught me which have always stood me in good stead: respect, celebrating diversity, being confident, fulfilling one’s potential, working as a team player and much more…
It was great to see the school play its full part in the Olympics Bid (the school has a sports specialism), Making Poverty History and a special assembly fully respecting the two minute silence on the 14th July.
The weekend of the 16th/17th July was as hectic as ever. Friday was spent at St Georges Hospital for a regular meeting with key personnel from the hospital. Key matters I raised were my concerns about budget deficits, the recovery plan, performance against targets and the fight against MRSA. The hospital is confident that there are four areas where MRSA can be reduced. There is an award winning Nurse Consultant who is at the forefront of spreading good practice in this area. The hospital is on target to exceed the Department of Health’s target of a 60% reduction in the bacteraemia rate which is very good news indeed.
I also visited a local mosque, the Tooting Islamic Centre and performed my Friday prayers there.
The weekend also entailed my usual advice surgery. I also attended the Annual Service at the Tooting Methodist Church on Longmead Road, and read a lesson – Philippians 2 Verses 6-11. I then went on to the fundraising day organised by Balham Mosque and Tooting Islamic Centre (where the food was as mouth watering as they promised!), and also managed to fit in interviews with GMTV, the Politics show and Westminster Hour.
On Monday morning I had another advice surgery in Balham before returning to Parliament for the last week before the parliamentary recess.
Sadiq
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
On Saturday 9th I was one of the main speakers at the Wandsworth Community Empowerment Network. WCEN builds links and processes with communities and community groups and supports Neighbourhood Forums in Tooting and Balham, Battersea and Roehampton. These are open meetings that residents can attend. The WCEN is setting up relationships with the Police, Health Service and Council so residents can advise on local service issues and become more involved. This was a very exciting meeting, and I am looking forward to being involved in this area more in the future. There is a problem in Wandsworth as funds intended for neighbourhood renewal are channelled through the Council rather than going to initiatives that promote different and innovative ways of involving the local community.
I spoke about the Government’s vision for citizen engagement - social inclusion, strengthening responsibilities and fostering mutual respect in the community. This is a vitally important area, especially in light of the attacks on 7/7 – people need to have a sense of power and say over their local neighbourhood in order to feel involved and engaged as citizens.
Before the election, the Government passed the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act which gives people enhanced powers to clean up their local areas. It encourages partnership with Local Authorities, local communities and businesses to tackle anti social behaviour and litter, and is part of the Government’s ‘Cleaner, Safer, Greener’ agenda. Watch out for more information about this soon in Tooting!
I had great fun attending a Labour Party BBQ on Sunday 10th with my kids who had enormous fun playing in the tree house in Fleur's (the host) back garden.
On Monday 11th, the Prime Minister made a statement about the attacks on London. I was able to put to the PM a question. You can read this here.
I was quite excited about events on Tuesday morning. As a keen sportsperson, it is not uncommon to question just how good the professionals really are. We all dream of being professional sportspeople and of thinking we could "take them on". Well, as a new member of the Parliamentary Football team I was looking forward to giving recently retired footballers a good pasting. The match was for a worthy cause - organised by Show Racism the Red Card and the Professional Footballers Association to celebrate the launch of a video featuring football legends showing their support for tackling racism.
Unfortunately, the professionals were just that. For the first ten minutes it was nil nil but after that we took a bit of a spanking. Actually, I think we did rather well only losing 5-1! Click here for a picture of me playing at the match.
As a result of the discovery that the London bombers were British born and raised, the 4 Muslims MP's (all of whom are Labour) asked for a meeting with the PM, which he duly agreed to. The details of the meeting have been widely reported already. I wrote a piece for the Guardian, which you might be interested in reading.
Revd. Hugh Grear, from the Holy Trinity Upper Tooting Church has organised a statement of solidarity, from Christians in Balham, Tooting and Streatham to the Muslim community, expressing concern about anti-Islamic sentiments and misconceived reprisals against local law abiding Muslims in Tooting. This was reported in the Wandsworth Borough News.
I spoke about the Government’s vision for citizen engagement - social inclusion, strengthening responsibilities and fostering mutual respect in the community. This is a vitally important area, especially in light of the attacks on 7/7 – people need to have a sense of power and say over their local neighbourhood in order to feel involved and engaged as citizens.
Before the election, the Government passed the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act which gives people enhanced powers to clean up their local areas. It encourages partnership with Local Authorities, local communities and businesses to tackle anti social behaviour and litter, and is part of the Government’s ‘Cleaner, Safer, Greener’ agenda. Watch out for more information about this soon in Tooting!
I had great fun attending a Labour Party BBQ on Sunday 10th with my kids who had enormous fun playing in the tree house in Fleur's (the host) back garden.
On Monday 11th, the Prime Minister made a statement about the attacks on London. I was able to put to the PM a question. You can read this here.
I was quite excited about events on Tuesday morning. As a keen sportsperson, it is not uncommon to question just how good the professionals really are. We all dream of being professional sportspeople and of thinking we could "take them on". Well, as a new member of the Parliamentary Football team I was looking forward to giving recently retired footballers a good pasting. The match was for a worthy cause - organised by Show Racism the Red Card and the Professional Footballers Association to celebrate the launch of a video featuring football legends showing their support for tackling racism.
Unfortunately, the professionals were just that. For the first ten minutes it was nil nil but after that we took a bit of a spanking. Actually, I think we did rather well only losing 5-1! Click here for a picture of me playing at the match.
As a result of the discovery that the London bombers were British born and raised, the 4 Muslims MP's (all of whom are Labour) asked for a meeting with the PM, which he duly agreed to. The details of the meeting have been widely reported already. I wrote a piece for the Guardian, which you might be interested in reading.
Revd. Hugh Grear, from the Holy Trinity Upper Tooting Church has organised a statement of solidarity, from Christians in Balham, Tooting and Streatham to the Muslim community, expressing concern about anti-Islamic sentiments and misconceived reprisals against local law abiding Muslims in Tooting. This was reported in the Wandsworth Borough News.
Sadiq
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Terrorist Attacks in London
Today has been a complete contrast to yesterday. Whereas yesterday was a day to rejoice and celebrate, today has been a stark contrast. This morning was one of the worst mornings of many Londoners' lives. I, like many others, spent frantic moments ringing family and friends to make sure that none of them were near or at one of the areas where the explosions occurred. Thankfully, everyone in our office and all of our friends and family are safe and well.
My thoughts and prayers are with all victims of these attacks and their families and friends. Innocent people, carrying out their daily routine, have been targeted.
The attacks appear to be coordinated, but we do not know at this stage who is responsible. Whoever is behind these cowardly attacks has behaved in an outrageous and savage manner, and should be condemned unequivocally.
It is astonishing how calmly Londoners have responded. The way that the emergency services have been dealing with the aftermath has been extremely reassuring and brave.
It is important that none of our citizens are victims of a backlash or reprisal for these acts. My advice to the community is to be vigilant regarding suspect packages, and to be vigilant of reprisals.
The Police are working hard to reassure the community that there is high visibility policing around all mosques. I am meeting with Chief Superintendent Joe Royle, the Borough Commander in Wandsworth tonight to disuss the security implications for our local community.
In Wandsworth, the Council is responding to the London Emergency Planning arrangements, and the Wandsworth Borough Emergency Control Centre has been set up to deal with any demands.
The Mayor for London, Ken Livingstone, and his office have responded magnificently to these attacks and are coordinating the emergency services to ensure that the rescue operation is carried out in an effective manner.
The Home Secretary, Charles Clarke MP, made an emergency statement to the Commons around lunchtime today which was widely reported in the media. Tony Blair has also spoken from Gleneagles and has returned to London now.
The next few days are going to be crucial and I am confident that all Londoners will play their part in showing these terrorists that we stand together and will support each other to ensure that terrorism never wins.
Sadiq
My thoughts and prayers are with all victims of these attacks and their families and friends. Innocent people, carrying out their daily routine, have been targeted.
The attacks appear to be coordinated, but we do not know at this stage who is responsible. Whoever is behind these cowardly attacks has behaved in an outrageous and savage manner, and should be condemned unequivocally.
It is astonishing how calmly Londoners have responded. The way that the emergency services have been dealing with the aftermath has been extremely reassuring and brave.
It is important that none of our citizens are victims of a backlash or reprisal for these acts. My advice to the community is to be vigilant regarding suspect packages, and to be vigilant of reprisals.
The Police are working hard to reassure the community that there is high visibility policing around all mosques. I am meeting with Chief Superintendent Joe Royle, the Borough Commander in Wandsworth tonight to disuss the security implications for our local community.
In Wandsworth, the Council is responding to the London Emergency Planning arrangements, and the Wandsworth Borough Emergency Control Centre has been set up to deal with any demands.
The Mayor for London, Ken Livingstone, and his office have responded magnificently to these attacks and are coordinating the emergency services to ensure that the rescue operation is carried out in an effective manner.
The Home Secretary, Charles Clarke MP, made an emergency statement to the Commons around lunchtime today which was widely reported in the media. Tony Blair has also spoken from Gleneagles and has returned to London now.
The next few days are going to be crucial and I am confident that all Londoners will play their part in showing these terrorists that we stand together and will support each other to ensure that terrorism never wins.
Sadiq
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
London has won the Bid to host the 2012 Olympics! This is wonderful news for London and the rest of the country. Find out more here.
I also asked a question about the Olympics in the Commons. Click here to read it.
I also asked a question about the Olympics in the Commons. Click here to read it.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
out and about...
This week has seen me get onto my first committee. I was appointed to go to be on the Standing Committee on the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill. In total we had 4 sessions on the committee and now the Bill will go to the House of Commons Chamber for its Report stage before going to the House of Lords. You can find details of what was discussed in the Committee here.
As a result of going on the Standing Committee, I missed the launch of the Ronald McDonald House at St George’s Hospital in Tooting. The Ronald McDonald Children’s Charity will be joining with the hospital to build accommodation for the families of children receiving treatment. The new house will offer parents the chance to stay near their children at a time when parental support is needed most.
On Thursday I had the pleasure of attending the Citizenship day at Chestnut Grove Secondary School. Mrs Peacock is one of our longest serving head teachers at our secondary schools and it was clear that she is very proud of the excellent work her school is doing. I know a little bit about the school as my sister was a teacher there! After a tour of the school, I had the joy of meeting the children in the various classes who were learning about the Make Poverty History campaign. You can find out more about my visit here.
I also attended the General Purposes Council Committee meeting at Wandsworth Town Hall, where I spoke out against the Tory Council's policy of allowing contractors to continue with a 2 tier workforce. Some employees have terms and conditions of their employment that are much worse then fellow colleagues. Unfortunately, the only 2 councillors who spoke and voted against this were Cllr Del Hossain (also a Labour councillor) and myself.
On Friday, I had the joy of watching (and Participating!) in a special "Make Poverty History" assembly at Fircroft Primary school. The children did a concert in "Live 8" fashion. We had a young Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Avril Lavaigne, U2 and much more. I spoke for a few minutes at the end and was inspired by the enthusiasm and solidarity the children had towards their African peers who didn't have the good fortune to be able to have a free Primary education.
I also attended the AGM/User event of Mushkil Ahsan. This local group provide community care for families in Wandsworth and further afield. The meeting also provided users with Health Service information and carried out a consultation on changes in community care in Wandsworth. The proposed changes by the Tory Council are quite worrying as they are considering a change in the rules to be used by the Council when deciding on who will be able to get community care help for adults funded by the Social Services dept. The Council report can be read here.
Astonishingly, the Council had not prepared any of their documents in any languages other then English which will limit the involvement those who do not have English as a first language have to respond. I have asked the council to investigate this failure and to rectify matters.
I also attended on Friday night the South London Swimming Club gala at the Tooting Lido on Tooting Bec common. The Club provides coaching for swimmers, young and old and also manages the Lido. It has been a number of years since I have visited this amazing outdoor and UNHEATED pool but it was great to see so many young, as well as older, users and supporters of the Lido. The swimming, live band, BBQ and socialising was followed by me giving out the medals and cups to the various winners.
On Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the Annual cultural evening "Anandha Bhairavi", organised by the Tamil Welfare Association of Wandsworth. The TWAW meet on Sundays at Derinton Road Community Centre during term time to teach Fine Arts subjects to its younger members. The Tamil language, vocal singing, violin, Miruthangam (a Tamil drum) and Saraswati Veena (a Tamil guitar/violin), tabla are taught. There are also sports events and outdoor trips.The evening was also attended by the Labour Deputy Mayor, Cllr Del Hossain and Labour Group leader, Cllr Stuart King and Councillors Gibbons and Tatlow (Graveney ward Councillors). The annual event allows the youngsters to show off their skills to a hall of packed and appreciative locals like me!
On Sunday morning I showed my solidarity to the Olympic Bid by running in the British 10 K run. I am afraid I have not trained or run for some time now so my time was not great, but, I am pleased and relieved that I did not stop during the run! More then 20,000 of us ran the race which was won by Haile Gebrselassie in a time of 28 minutes and 12 seconds. I hope the IOC in Singapore took note of how well organised the race was and how scenic the route.
Sadiq
As a result of going on the Standing Committee, I missed the launch of the Ronald McDonald House at St George’s Hospital in Tooting. The Ronald McDonald Children’s Charity will be joining with the hospital to build accommodation for the families of children receiving treatment. The new house will offer parents the chance to stay near their children at a time when parental support is needed most.
On Thursday I had the pleasure of attending the Citizenship day at Chestnut Grove Secondary School. Mrs Peacock is one of our longest serving head teachers at our secondary schools and it was clear that she is very proud of the excellent work her school is doing. I know a little bit about the school as my sister was a teacher there! After a tour of the school, I had the joy of meeting the children in the various classes who were learning about the Make Poverty History campaign. You can find out more about my visit here.
I also attended the General Purposes Council Committee meeting at Wandsworth Town Hall, where I spoke out against the Tory Council's policy of allowing contractors to continue with a 2 tier workforce. Some employees have terms and conditions of their employment that are much worse then fellow colleagues. Unfortunately, the only 2 councillors who spoke and voted against this were Cllr Del Hossain (also a Labour councillor) and myself.
On Friday, I had the joy of watching (and Participating!) in a special "Make Poverty History" assembly at Fircroft Primary school. The children did a concert in "Live 8" fashion. We had a young Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Avril Lavaigne, U2 and much more. I spoke for a few minutes at the end and was inspired by the enthusiasm and solidarity the children had towards their African peers who didn't have the good fortune to be able to have a free Primary education.
I also attended the AGM/User event of Mushkil Ahsan. This local group provide community care for families in Wandsworth and further afield. The meeting also provided users with Health Service information and carried out a consultation on changes in community care in Wandsworth. The proposed changes by the Tory Council are quite worrying as they are considering a change in the rules to be used by the Council when deciding on who will be able to get community care help for adults funded by the Social Services dept. The Council report can be read here.
Astonishingly, the Council had not prepared any of their documents in any languages other then English which will limit the involvement those who do not have English as a first language have to respond. I have asked the council to investigate this failure and to rectify matters.
I also attended on Friday night the South London Swimming Club gala at the Tooting Lido on Tooting Bec common. The Club provides coaching for swimmers, young and old and also manages the Lido. It has been a number of years since I have visited this amazing outdoor and UNHEATED pool but it was great to see so many young, as well as older, users and supporters of the Lido. The swimming, live band, BBQ and socialising was followed by me giving out the medals and cups to the various winners.
On Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the Annual cultural evening "Anandha Bhairavi", organised by the Tamil Welfare Association of Wandsworth. The TWAW meet on Sundays at Derinton Road Community Centre during term time to teach Fine Arts subjects to its younger members. The Tamil language, vocal singing, violin, Miruthangam (a Tamil drum) and Saraswati Veena (a Tamil guitar/violin), tabla are taught. There are also sports events and outdoor trips.The evening was also attended by the Labour Deputy Mayor, Cllr Del Hossain and Labour Group leader, Cllr Stuart King and Councillors Gibbons and Tatlow (Graveney ward Councillors). The annual event allows the youngsters to show off their skills to a hall of packed and appreciative locals like me!
On Sunday morning I showed my solidarity to the Olympic Bid by running in the British 10 K run. I am afraid I have not trained or run for some time now so my time was not great, but, I am pleased and relieved that I did not stop during the run! More then 20,000 of us ran the race which was won by Haile Gebrselassie in a time of 28 minutes and 12 seconds. I hope the IOC in Singapore took note of how well organised the race was and how scenic the route.
Sadiq
