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Campaigners condemn city council budget decision – Notts SOS press release – March 2012

Campaigners condemn city council budget decision

Download Press Release: Notts SOS Nottingham City Council budget decision press release March 2012

Campaigners from Nottinghamshire Save Our Services (Notts SOS) have condemned the budget, voted through by councillors on Monday 5th March.

Councillors overwhelmingly voted for the budget which included a 3.49% council tax increase; the sell-off of Portland Leisure Centre; the closure of two centres for older people, Marlstones Elderly Person’s Home in Bulwell and the Willows Centre in Beechdale; the closure of the Museum of Nottingham Life at Brewhouse Yard; the ending of food waste collections and closure of nine recycling centres; and a reduction in funding to Connexions, a support service for young people.

There were only four votes against – the city’s few remaining Tories voting who have no particular objection to cutting services, but opposed the council tax increase.

Notts SOS held a joint protest with Nottingham City Unison outside the Council House at lunchtime and another for people coming from work at 5pm.

The group also handed in a petition to the council calling on the council not to implement a cuts budget. This was presented by Councillor Alex Norris during the budget meeting.

Tom Unterrainer from Notts SOS said, “Labour councillors made a lot of speeches, all of the ‘with a heavy heart’ variety. Piffle. If they had any heart – or backbone – they’d have set a no cuts budget and taken their fight to the government with action not hot air.”

Richard Smith from Notts SOS said, “This is not the end of the campaign. This is the fourth year in a row the city council has cut its budget and they already expect to slash a further £24m by spring 2015. Sooner or later, something’s going to give. Hopefully it’s some of the local Labour councillors rather than any of Nottingham’s residents.”

Contacts

Website: https://nottssos.org.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nottssos
OStatus: https://indy.im/nottssos
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/nottssosfb
Email list: http://goo.gl/uT89q

Notes for editors

1. Notts SOS was set up in the autumn of 2010 to campaign and oppose
all cuts to services in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. We have been
fighting council cuts on many levels since then, including organising
a 1,200 strong march to the city centre in November 2010.

ENDS

—
Nottinghamshire Save Our Services (Notts SOS)
Sign up to our email list for regular updates:
https://groups.google.com/group/notts-sos-announcements

Nottingham action against cuts and austerity – City Council budget demos, Occupy, NHS and more

This week will see Nottingham City Council vote on its cuts budget for
the next year, we’ll be there to protest. The city council is also
beginning the process of evicting the Occupy Nottingham campaign from
Market Square. This week’s email update has information on all this
and more.

We’ll see you on the streets!

—

CITY COUNCIL CUTS

On Monday March 5th, Nottingham City Council will be meeting to agree
its budget, slashing jobs and services and hiking council tax.

The council is planning to

* increase council tax by 3.49%
* encourage staff to volunteer to reduce their hours from 37 to 35 hours a week
* realign management and cut 195 jobs
* close the Museum of Nottingham Life (Brewhouse Yard), except for
group and school visits
* close two centres for older people, Marlstones Elderly Person’s Home
in Bulwell and the Willows Centre in Beechdale
* sell-off Portland Leisure Centre
* cut food waste collection and close nine recycling sites
* reduce funding to Connexions, a support service for young people

The council had initially planned to reduce reduce redundancy payments
for laid-off workers to the legal minimum (which would have been the
third time redundancy payments at the authority had been attacked),
but has subsequently decided against this.

Notts SOS and Nottingham City Unison will be holding a join
demonstration outside the Council House from 12.30pm-1.30pm.

There will also be a demonstration from 5pm-7pm for anybody coming from work.

More details: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/events/2421

—————

OCCUPY NOTTINGHAM FACING EVICTION

On Monday 27th February, Nottingham City Council served the Occupy
Nottingham camp in Market Square with notice to leave within 7 days,
after which they will serve notice of intention to seek possession
through the courts.

The occupiers state that they “have collectively decided so far, not
to move from the Market Square, and through civil disobedience and
lawful rebellion we will stay, and prevent intimidation tactics being
used on those involved with Occupy.”

Campers are encouraging people to come down and show support.They have
also request help from anybody able to provide assistance in preparing
a court case.

A petition has been started, calling on the city council to reverse its decision

Petition: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/nottingham-occupy-camp-eviction.html

More information: http://occupy-nottingham.org.uk

—————

BOYCOTT WORKFARE

Yesterday saw a UK-wide day of action against workfare. Locally this
was supported by Notts Uncut and Notts Trades Council who had a
successful demonstration, protesting various companies profiteering
from unpaid labour. Both the BBC and ITV turned up to report on the
protest.

Anybody wanting to find out more about workfare could do worse than to
check out the excellent factsheet provided by the Boycott Workfare
campaign.

This provides information on all five workfare programmes;
demonstrates that none of them are voluntary; explains why they
undermine wages and replace jobs; shows the programmes don’t and won’t
work; and explains why people should care.

Factsheet: http://www.boycottworkfare.org/?page_id=663

—————

KEEP OUR NHS PUBLIC

Following their successful stall in Beeston on Saturday 25th february,
the local Keep Our NHS Public branch are going to hand over the 500+
postcards to Anna Soubry MP next Saturday (10th March) lunchtime
following her surgery at Beeston Library. They are encouraging
supporters come along and join them.

They will assemble from 11:45am in Beeston Library car park and expect
to have completed the handover by 12:45pm.

More details: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/events/2445

The next Keep Our NHS Public branch meeting is on Thursday 8 March
from 7:30pm at the Nottingham Friends Meeting House, 25 Clarendon
Street, Nottingham, NG1 5JD.

The branch have made presentation to Broxtowe Labour Party CLP,
Rushcliffe Labour Party CLP and the Nottingham Elders Forum – these
have been well received and have prompted further activity in the
fight to save our NHS. The group have also been invited to speak at a
meeting in Mansfield hosted by Mansfield SOS and are happy to provide
speakers for other organisations if requested.

Email: info@notts-konp.org.uk

—————
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Monday 5th March, 12.30pm-1.30pm and 5pm-7pm
Nottingham City Council meets to set its budget. A lunchtime protest
is being organised by Notts City Unison and Notts SOS, with another
demo in the evening for those coming from work
http://www.nottinghamcityunison.org.uk/

Wednesday 7th March, 1pm-7.30pm
Save our NHS mass day of action and rally, Westminster, London.
http://s.coop/unitenhs

Thursday March 8th
International women’s day

Thursday 8th March, 7.30pm
Keep Our NHS Public branch meeting at the Nottingham Friends Meeting House

Saturday 10th March, 11.45am
Notts Keep Our NHS Public will handover postcards to Anna Soubry MP at
Beeston Library
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/events/2445

Wednesday 14th March
National student walkout over “reforms” to higher education
http://gu.com/p/35dqz

Saturday 17th March, 2pm
Nottingham Indymedia are organising an online security skillshare at
the Sumac Centre.This will include an introductory session on using
Indymedia to post your own news about campaigns
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/events/2413

Sunday 18th March, 10am-12pm
Save Sherwood Forest ramble to celebrate World Forest Day and mark a
year of campaigning to keep the Public Forest Estate in public
ownership
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/events/2442

Wednesday 28th March
Possible national strike action over pensions by PCS and NUT (and
maybe other unions)

Saturday 12th April, 2pm
Legal observer training organised by Nottingham Defence Campaign and
run by Green and Black Cross. Held at the Sumac Centre, Forest Fields
https://imc.li/2sgsx

—
Nottinghamshire Save Our Services (Notts SOS)

Website: https://nottssos.org.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nottssos
OStatus: https://indy.im/nottssos
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/nottssosfb
Nottingham Indymedia:
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/groups/notts-save-our-services

Campaigners to protest at city council budget meeting – Notts SOS Press Release – join the demonstrations on Monday 5th March

PRESS RELEASE Notts Save Our Services 1st March 2012

Campaigners to protest at city council budget meeting
On Monday March 5th, Nottinghamshire Save Our Services (Notts SOS)
will protest outside the Council House when Nottingham City Council
meets to vote on its budget for 2012-13.

From 12.30pm-1.30pm, campaigners from the group will join with members
of Nottingham City Unison, demonstrating against the cuts to jobs and
services being voted through.

There will also be a protest for people coming from work at 5pm-7pm.

Protesters hope to present a petition against the council’s cuts
during the lunchtime demonstration.

The budget being discussed at the meeting includes a 3.49% council tax
increase alongside 195 job cuts.

The council are looking at selling-off Portland Leisure Centre;
closing two centres for older people, Marlstones Elderly Person’s Home
in Bulwell and the Willows Centre in Beechdale; closing the Museum of
Nottingham Life at Brewhouse Yard; cutting food waste collections and
closing nine recycling centres; and reducing funding to Connexions, a
support service for young people.

The council had also propsed reducing redundancy payments for laid-off
staff to the legal minimum, but has subsequently withdrawn this
proposal.

In total the council hope to save £20m to cover a shortfall arising
from reduced government funding as a result of the coalition
government’s austerity drive.

The council has also said that this will not be the end to the cuts,
with an additional £24m of cutbacks required by the end of the spring
2015.

Notts SOS believe that the cuts agenda is ideologically driven and are
urging councillors to stand-up to central government.

Claire Taylor from Notts SOS said, “Council Leader Jon Collins and
Deputy Leader Graham Chapman have been vocally critical of central
government and often with good reason. Now it’s time for them to put
their money where their mouth is and refuse to pass the cuts onto the
people of Nottingham. Even a single council refusing to implement a
cuts budget would shake the coalition government.”

Contacts

Email: nottssos@gmail.com
Website: https://nottssos.org.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nottssos
OStatus: https://indy.im/nottssos
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/nottssosfb
Email list: http://goo.gl/uT89q

Notes for editors

ENDS

Anti-workfare demonstrations in Nottingham on Saturday 3rd March 2012 – part of National Day of Action

National Day of Action Against Workfare (March 3rd)

Joint Notts Uncut/Notts TUC Workfare Action as advertised on Nottingham Indymedia: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/events/2429

Saturday 3rd March 2012. Starting 12:00 noon outside Wilkinsons, Parliament Street (across road from Victoria Centre), Nottingham.

See also: Boycott Workfare Leaflet

In solidarity with Liverpool Uncut’s action against workfare on Saturday 3rd March, Boycott Workfare has called a national day of action against workfare.

So many high street stores are involved in taking on forced unpaid labour that there is plenty of choice – Tescos, Asda, Holland & Barrett, Primark, HMV, and Topshop to name but a few.

Workfare means that those who need welfare are forced into unpaid work for multi-million pound companies. Instead of a living wage, they receive only JSA – a tiny £53 a week for the under-25s – far below minimum wage.

Workfare means those in paid positions may see their jobs replaced by this unpaid labour. Why would a company pay for people to do these jobs when they can get free labour from the Job Centre?

We can put a stop to this forced unpaid labour – Waterstones, Sainsburys and TK Maxx have all recently announced that they would no longer take unpaid placements – the other companies just need a bit more encouragement to stop this exploitation.

We demand an end to this exploitation and call for welfare rights and living wages for all!
If you continue to exploit us we WILL shut you down!

In conjunction with Notts Trades Council.

Contact email: nottsuncut@gmail.com

More background information

The government has budged a tiny bit on workfare by claiming to withdraw the sanctions from its Work Experience scheme. This is a direct result of the enormous public pressure that has been put on companies who have been profiting from workfare.

But this is not the end of workfare and therefore we must keep the pressure up. That is why we will be taking to the streets this Saturday. Work Experience is just 1 of 5 workfare schemes. The Work Programme is another one of these schemes in which job seekers will be forced to work unpaid in high street stores, including well known charities, up and down the country. Some of these stores that may be worth a visit include – Wilkinsons, Savers, Asda, Pizza Hut, British Heart Foundation, Barnardos, Holiday Inn, Poundstretcher The Work Programme is a particularly disturbing form of workfare – not only can job seekers be forced to work unpaid for 6 whole months, but most shockingly, disabled people can be forced to work unpaid for an unlimited amount of time.

If you cannot make it to your local high street (or there is not an action near you) then you can follow the link to the companies’ online complaints page to raise issues about the exploitation that they profit from. You can also target the usual suspects (Tescos, Poundland, McDonalds, Holland and Barret, WH Smiths) who are still taking part in the Work Experience scheme and may well be involved in others. And then there are the companies who have only suspended involvement: Scope, Matalan, Argos, Superdrug. The Work Experience scheme is still a cause of concern. As the government press release made clear, there are still sanctions involved in this scheme and therefore there is still the element of compulsion. George Osborne has stated “Young people who don’t engage with this offer [of work experience] will be considered for mandatory work activity” where severe benefit sanctions (starting at 3 months!) can be imposed. With the Work Experience programme still being linked to sanctions directly and indirectly, and still remaining unpaid, we suggest pressure is put on companies to withdraw their support and to offer real paid jobs!

Here are some forms of action that will be happening up and down the country that you may like to try out: local groups are planning to do tours of the companies involved, set up stalls to make people aware of their rights on the various programmes (see Boycott Workfare site for materials), go into stores and ask managers to withdraw support or simply shut the stores down. Teach-ins and mic-checks are also fun activities you might want to include.

Last weekend for petition signing against Notttingham City Council cuts before 5th March 2012

Please see attached amended leaflet Notts SOS supporters will be handing out this Saturday 3rd March 2012, from 12 – 2pm in the Market Square, Nottingham. Saturday will also be a last chance to get names on the petition so if you haven’t already signed or if you have completed petition forms to hand in, please come along and visit the stall.

Leaflet: Know the Cuts Notts SOS March 2012

£20 MILLION CUTS IN NOTTINGHAM!* Many city residents will be unaware of yet another year of further proposed cuts to our vital public services, increased costs to pay for them, and axing of local jobs. Below we highlight 10 headline proposals in the City Council budget for coming years. When they tell you “We’re all in this together”, …..you can see its not true.
* Council Tax up 3.49%
* Selling Portland Leisure Centre
* Closing two Older People’s Centres;
1) Marlstones Elderly Person’s Home, Bullwell
2) Willows Centre, Beechdale
* Closing the Museum of Nottingham Life, Brewhouse Yard
* Stopping food waste collections
* Closing nine recycling centres
* Reducing funding to young people support group Connexions
* Ending grant to the International Community Centre that provides facilities for 114 voluntary groups
* 195 Council job cuts
£24 MILLION MORE CUTS BY SPRING 2015!

Also join us in our lobby of the Council meeting on Monday 5th March that will set its budget, at either 12.30 – 1.30pm or 5pm – 7pm, or both if you can make it.

* All figures taken from Council Budget Proposal for 2012-13

And it’s happening all over the country… read this report from London

Haringey Alliance for Public Services
www.hapsnews.net

Press release, 28.2.2012

Haringey residents and workers march to defend local public services under threat

On Tuesday February 28th 150 residents and workers from a wide range of local concerned organisations marched to the Civic Centre to defend vital local services and jobs under threat. The demonstration, co-ordinated by the Haringey Alliance for Public Services, demanded Councillors reject proposals for another £21m of savage Government-driven cuts.

After assembling at 6pm at Wood Green Library, the anti-cuts protestors then marched to the Haringey Civic Centre. From 6.45 to 7.30pm there was a noisy rally outside the windows to the Council Chamber where Councillors at the full Council session were discussing the latest unfair, unnecessary and unacceptable cuts proposals. The rally included an ‘open mike’ session with a range of heartfelt and powerful speeches – and chants of ‘No Ifs, No Buts – No Public Sector Cuts’ and They Say Cut Back, We Say Fight Back’. Members and reps of the following organisations spoke: The 684 Centre Users, Haringey Defend Council Housing, Haringey UNISON, Haringey Federation of Residents Associations, Day-Mer, Defend Haringey’s Health Services Coalition, Haringey Friends of Parks Forum, Wards Corner Community Coalition, and a range of individuals.

The speakers described how the latest £21m cuts come on top of the scandalous and destructive £40m cuts pushed through last year resulting in a wave of closures of centres, loss of front line services and jobs, and more and more ‘outsourcing’ and privatisation. This year’s cuts continue in the same vein, with all departments suffering reduced budgets. On top of the Council cuts the local NHS faces massive underfunding and privatisation threats, and welfare benefits are being cut causing increased hardship and homelessness among vulnerable sections of our communities.

Many speakers pointed out that this avoidable tragedy for Haringey residents is due to the Government’s determination to underfund and undermine public services as they seek to force them to close or be privatised. Anger was expressed that vital public services are being sacrificed to bail out the bankers and banking system which caused the current economic crisis – yet massive ‘fat cat’ bonuses and over £100billion corporate tax avoidance scams continue.

However, many speakers also took heart from the many local and national protests and strikes over the last 12 months, including the recent 1.5 million-strong public sector pensions strikes, the growing chorus of opposition to the Government’s threats to the NHS, the successful use of picketing and direct action to defeat pay cuts in the construction industry, and the growing disarray of Government ‘workfare’ forced-labour schemes.

‘This local Haringey demonstration was one of hundreds of similar protests and mobilisations this week at Town Halls throughout the UK. It shows that the fight back against the Government’s ideological assault on our vital public services continues. We demand adequate resources for Haringey and pledge to continue to defend Council services, the NHS, welfare benefits and all the other rights and services fought for by previous generations.’
– Dave Morris, Haringey Alliance for Public Services

For more information check out our webpages or contact: haps@haringey.org.uk

Join us in fighting the cuts – Notts SOS update for week beginning 27th Feb 2012

Last Thursday, Nottinghamshire County Council voted through its latest
cuts budget with the “independents” and LibDems tagging along with the
Tory majority.

Nevertheless,The fight against the cuts continues. In Nottinghamshire
they still need to be implemented and, across the river in the city,
it is just over a week before Nottingham City Council meet to agree
their budget. We’ll be there making it clear that we’re not happy with
the way they are meekly following central government’s diktats and
passing on the costs of the crisis to the ordinary people of
Nottingham.

Come along and get involved!

—–

BOYCOTT WORKFARE

Workfare is the name applied to a number of government programmes in
which people on workfare are expected to work without pay. Instead of
a living wage, they receive only JSA – a tiny £53 a week for the
under-25s – far below minimum wage.

Workfare means those in paid positions may see their jobs replaced by
this unpaid labour. Why would a company pay for people to do these
jobs when they can get free labour from the Job Centre?

There has been a lot of controversy about this over the last week,
following (ultimately successful) protests against Tescos which was a
participant in the “Work Experience Programme”.

In solidarity with Liverpool Uncut’s action against workfare on
Saturday 3rd March, Boycott Workfare has called a national day of
action against workfare. Notts Uncut are organising a demonstration as
part of this in Nottingham.

So many high street stores are involved in taking on forced unpaid
labour that there is plenty of choice – Asda, Holland & Barrett,
Primark, HMV, and Topshop to name but a few.

We can put a stop to this forced unpaid labour – Waterstones,
Sainsburys and TK Maxx have all recently announced that they would no
longer take unpaid placements – the other companies just need a bit
more encouragement to stop this exploitation.

Meet outside Wilkinsons, Parliament Street, 12pm

Protest details: http://s.coop/nottsworkfare

More on workfare: http://www.boycottworkfare.org

—————

OCCUPY NOTTINGHAM

The occupation of Nottingham’s Market Square has now been ongoing for
more than 4 months. The campers are inviting people along to an
outreach and social event in Sneinton. This is an opportunity to enjoy
a relaxed informative insight into the economy, the Occupy movement,
and its aims, achievements and plans the future.

What to expect:

Speakers/Open Debate: 7-8pm
Food, Music & Poetry: 8-9pm
Networking/Open Floor: 9-10pm

…and much much more!

This is a free event organised by the Occupy Nottingham Outreach
working group, and everyone is invited to get involved or attend for
an insightful, educational and fun evening!

The event will be held at Sneinton Hermitage Community Centre,
Sneinton Boulevard, NG2 4GN

More details: http://occupy-nottingham.org.uk

—————

CITY COUNCIL CUTS

On Monday March 5th, Nottingham City Council will be meeting to agree
its budget, slashing jobs and services and hiking council tax.

Notts SOS and Nottingham City Unison will be holding a join
demonstration outside the Council House from 12.30pm-1.30pm.

Unison are also holding a smaller demonstration at Loxley House on
Wednesday 29th February in defence of the essential car user allowance
which has already been cutback and is likely to be attacked further.

—————

ONE MILLION SIGNATURES FOR EUROPE

A petition has been launched calling for the “onerous debt” on Greece
to be written off. The intention is to collect a million signatures.
Under the Treaty of Lisbon, a petition with at least one million
signatures obtained from a number of Member States can be sent to the
Commission inviting it to change the law accordingly.

Petition: http://www.1millionsignatures.eu/?a=en

—————

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Tuesday 28th February, 7pm-10pm
Occupy Nottingham community outreach and social evening, Sneinton
Hermitage Community Centre, Sneinton Boulevard, NG2 4GN
http://occupy-nottingham.org.uk

Wednesday 29th February
PCS protest against closures of DVLA offices. Nottingham Business Park, Strelley
https://imc.li/zxphu

Wednesday 29th February, 12.30pm-1.30pm
Nottingham City Unison protest outside Loxley House in defence of
essential car user allowances
http://www.nottinghamcityunison.org.uk/

Saturday 3rd March, 12pm
Protest against workfare. Meet outside Wilkinsons, Parliament Street.
http://s.coop/nottsworkfare

Monday 5th March, 12.30pm-1.30pm
Nottingham City Council meets to set its budget. A protest is being
organised by Notts City Unison and Notts SOS.
http://www.nottinghamcityunison.org.uk/

Wednesday 7th March, 1pm-7.30pm
Save our NHS mass day of action, Houses of Parliament, London.
http://s.coop/unitenhs

Wednesday 14th March
National student walkout over “reforms” to higher education
http://gu.com/p/35dqz

Saturday 17th March, 2pm
Nottingham Indymedia are organising an online security skillshare at
the Sumac Centre.This will include an introductory session on using
Indymedia to post your own news about campaigns
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/events/2413

Wednesday 28th March
Possible national strike action over pensions by PCS and NUT (and
maybe other unions)

Saturday 12th April, 2pm
Legal observer training organised by Nottingham Defence Campaign and
run by Green and Black Cross. Held at the Sumac Centre, Forest Fields
https://imc.li/2sgsx

—
Nottinghamshire Save Our Services (Notts SOS)

Website: https://nottssos.org.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nottssos
OStatus: https://indy.im/nottssos
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/nottssosfb
Nottingham Indymedia:
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/groups/notts-save-our-services

Know the Cuts – Notts SOS campaign against City Council cuts in 2012-13

Notts Save Our Services (Notts SOS) is campaigning against council cuts in both the City and County.

Download our flyer against City Council cuts: Know the Cuts 2012

£20 MILLION CUTS IN NOTTINGHAM! (All figures taken from Council Budget Proposal for 2012-13)

Many city residents will be unaware of yet another year of further proposed cuts to our vital public services, increased costs to pay for them, and axing of local jobs. Below we highlight 10 headline proposals in the City Council budget for coming years. When they tell you “We’re all in this together”, …..you can see its not true.

* Council Tax up 3.49%
* Selling Portland Leisure Centre
* Closing two Older People’s Centres;
1) Marlstones Elderly Person’s Home, Bullwell
2) Willows Centre, Beechdale
* Closing the Museum of Nottingham Life, Brewhouse Yard
* Stopping food waste collections
* Closing nine recycling centres
* Reducing funding to young people support group Connexions
* Reducing redundancy pay for council staff to legal minimum with proposals for 195 Council job cuts
* £24 MILLION MORE CUTS BY SPRING 2015!

The council intends to set this budget on March 5th – join our campaign against these proposals

Notts County Council budget protest organised by Unison – Thursday 23rd February 2012

On Thursday 23rd February, Nottinghamshire County Council will meet to set its budget for 2012-13.

Notts Unison will be holding a demonstration outside County Hall at 12.30pm in protest against cuts to jobs and services and creeping privatisation.

Staff, service users and concerned citizens are encouraged to join the protest to show the breadth of opposition to the proposed cuts.

Link to flyer for the event: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/events/2407

114 user groups face International Community Centre cut – letter from Notts SOS

Here is a letter to user groups about the proposed cut in the City Council’s grant from £54,000 to nil for the International Community Centre on Mansfield Road, where we hold our fortnightly meetings. There are 114 user groups at the ICC and at the last Notts SOS meeting we agreed to do our best to contact them about what is intended and see if some will come to our next Notts SOS meeting on Monday 20th Feb and/or take other action. Here is a copy of the letter which is also a flyer that is being put in every room over the next fortnight from today (agreed with the ICC).

To all groups using the International Community Centre (ICC)

Dear ICC user group

Proposed ending of Nottingham City Council grant to the ICC

Are you aware the City Council is proposing in its budget for the coming year to cut ALL of its £54,000 grant to the ICC?

The ICC is at present funded by this grant, financial support from the YMCA to repair and maintain the building, and income from groups like you that use the building. If this grant is cut, prices for use will increase a lot, and make it difficult for some groups to continue to meet here. It will also divert resources from community groups to sustain their community activities to instead being spent on room hire.

There is also the likelihood of further spiralling increases if some groups can no longer afford to meet here and the shortfall having to be met by the remaining smaller number of groups.

This grant was originally set up under a programme to improve the work of the voluntary sector. It has been successful in that there are now 114 different groups that use the ICC.

We urge your group to add its voice of protest to this proposal and request the council reconsider and fully reinstate this cut.

Please join our campaign to retain the grant to the ICC. How you can do this:

• Come to our next Notts. Save Our Services meeting at the ICC at 7.30pm on Monday 20th February. Other details about how you can contact us are listed over the page.

• Lobby Councillor Dave Liversidge’s and go and visit him at his fortnightly surgery. He is Portfolio Holder for Housing Strategy and Community Sector, and his surgeries provide an opportunity for voluntary sector and community sector organisations to raise awareness of their work and discuss issues. The surgeries are held at Loxley House, on Station St, on alternate Friday mornings from 9.30am to 12.15pm. The next date is 10 Feb. To book an appointment you need to contact Phil Hearn at NCC 0115 8762183 or email phil.hearn@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

• Email your comments/views to: Voluntary.sector@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

• Write to : Tricia Gilby, Service Manager Voluntary Sector Sustainability, Communities Courtyard, Wollaton Road, Nottingham, NG8 2AD

The Council meets on Monday 5th March to set its budget – so time is short to change the minds of Councillors….

Nottinghamshire Save Our Services (Notts. SOS) was set up in the autumn of 2010 to campaign and oppose all cuts to services in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. We have been fighting council cuts on many levels since then, including organising a 1,200 strong march to the city centre in November 2010.

We can be contacted at:

Website: https://nottssos.org.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nottssos
Indymedia Instrant Messaging: https://indy.im/nottssos
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/nottssosfbNottingham Indymedia:
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/groups/notts-save-our-services
or phone 07940 952825

Anti-cuts activity in Nottingham – February 2012

This is the latest update from Nottinghamshire Save Our Services (Notts SOS) with details of what we’re up to and other anti-cuts activity in Nottingham over the next week or so. We will add to this with updates as they arise.

UPDATE!! OCCUPY NOTTINGHAM presents:
Community outreach and social evening – Sneinton.
Date/Time: Tuesday 28th February 2012, 7pm-10pm
Venue: Sneinton Hermitage Community Centre, Sneinton Boulevard, NG2 4GN
Details: http://occupy-nottingham.org.uk/occupy-nottingham-presents-community-outreach-and-social-evening-sneinton/

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NOTTS SOS MEETINGS

We meet every two weeks which means that the next meetings are Monday
6th February and Monday 20th February.

Meetings start at 7.30pm and are held at the International Community
Centre, Mansfield Road. Meetings are usually finished before 9pm and
there’s often an opportunity to carry on any discussion informally in
the pub afterwards. Please do come along and get involved.

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CITY COUNCIL CUTS CAMPAIGN

Update: Another stall will be Saturday 11th Feb in the Market Square between the Lions 11am – 2pm.
Our campaign against cuts at Nottingham City Council will continue
next Saturday (4th February) with a stall in Market Square. We’ll be
there from 11am-2pm distributing leaflets and collecting signatures
for our petition.

If you can help for any time during that period, please come along.

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WITNESS APPEAL: DECEMBER 17TH

If you witnessed any of the arrests resulting from the Notts Uncut
“Christmas Special” demonstration on Saturday December 17th 2011,
please contact Notts Uncut: nottsuncutaction@gmail.com

Anything you saw, no matter how insignificant it might seem, could be important.

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PROTEST AGAINST ATOS AND POLICE REPRESSION

Although the CPS and Atos backed out from continuing the ridiculous
case against the “Atos Two”, Atos continue to make people’s lives a
misery and Notts Police have been busy in the last few months
harassing and arresting protesters in the city (see:
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2334).

In response, Nottingham Defence Campaign have called a protest against
Atos and police repression next Friday (3rd February) 12.30pm. Meet at
the junction of Carlton Street and Heathcote Street (outside Ice
Nine).

More information (plus leaflets and posters):
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2335
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NOTTS UNCUT

Our friends Notts Uncut are having an open meeting next Tuesday (31st
January) at The Roebuck (Wetherspoons), St James Street, Nottingham.
from 7.30pm.

They will be planning for the future, discussing ideas for future
actions, strategies and tactics, publicity, “recruitment” (for want of
a better word) and whatever else comes up.

If you’ve been to any Notts Uncut actions and have ideas, constructive
criticism, suggestions for the future, they encourage you to come
along and share them. Alternatively if you haven’t been on any of
their actions and want to come along and find out more you’ll be very
welcome.

The Notts Uncut phone number is 07856565214. Please feel free to get
in touch if you can’t make it on the night but want something bringing
up, come along but can’t find us etc. Alternatively the Notts Uncut
e-mail address is nottsuncutaction@gmail.com

More details: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/events/2363