Campaign info – Page 7 – Notts Save Our Services

Save Our NHS Day of Action in Nottingham & Notts: Saturday July 9th 2011

NEW: Facebook event page for the July 9th action: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=226031364093564

The campaign against the government’s plans for the NHS is at a
crossroads. Overwhelming opposition, from ordinary people, the BMA,
the NHS Federation, the RCN, the unions and even the Liberal Democrat
spring conference has forced them onto the back foot.

The “pause” to allow the government to “listen” has turned into a six
month delay for the Bill to be sent back to the committee stage in
Parliament. This is by no means the death of the Bill and everything
it entails, but it does give us more time to build the campaign
against it.

This is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss. We need to press home
our advantage and ensure the Bill is killed off and the government
told in no uncertain terms that we will not let them – or anybody else
– dismantle the NHS.

We are calling for coordinated action in defence of the NHS on July
9th, the Saturday after the anniversary of the NHS’ founding on July
5th 1948. Be creative: visit your local MP, protest against
profiteering healthcare companies, have a picnic outside a pro-Bill
GP’s surgery, march from or to a local hospital, shutdown a tax
dodging company for the day.

If you want to add your group as a supporter of this day of action,
please email nottssos+doa@gmail.com

Supported by:
Notts Save Our Services

and (so far)
Anarchist Federation (Nottingham group)
Disabled People Against Cuts
Nottingham Socialist Party
Notts Uncut
Save Hayward House Daycare
Sneinton Against the Cuts
Youth Fight for Jobs

Nottingham anti-cuts diary dates in May and June 2011 – more being added so keep looking for updates!

Here are anti-cuts events coming up. Also take a look on the right for more details of Forthcoming Events, Comments and Twitter feed columns for more info, reports and comments. Join Notts SOS Facebook group at http://tinyurl.com/NottsSOS-FB or follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/NottsSOS

Anti-cuts diary dates in May and June 2011

Monday 16th. Save Hayward House Daycare Campaign Meeting. Carlton Fire Station, 7pm. Details: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/events/1146

Opposing the NHS Reform Bill in Edwinstowe 17/05/2011

Tuesday, 17th May. NHS Healthcare Reform ‘listening’ event at Edwinstowe – 6pm to 8pm at South Forest Conference Centre, Edwinstowe, Mansfield, NG21 9JF. Details: http://www.mansfield.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4114.

Wednesday 18th May. Notts SOS stall and leafleting picket outside the local NHS “Listening” event to raise concerns about the Health and Social Care Bill. Belgrave Rooms, Goldsmith Street, Nottingham Wednesday 18th May, 5.30pm. To go inside you’ll need to book a place in advance through Katie Ford, Personal Secretary Communications & Engagement (NHS Notts Primary Care Trust) Tel: 01623 673333. Internal: 43333. E-mail: Katie.Ford@nottspct.nhs.uk.

Saturday 21th May. Visit (and/or help with) Notts SOS health campaigning stall from 12-2pm in Market Square, Nottingham. There also will be an opportunity to sign a ‘Keep the NHS public’ petition.

Sunday 22nd May, Green Festival, Arboretum, Nottingham, 12 noon to 6 pm. Visit Notts SOS stall.

Monday 23rd May. Notts SOS Planning meeting. Regular fortnightly meeting at the International Community Centre, Mansfield Road, Nottingham. 7.30pm until 9pm.

Friday 27th May. ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students are handing over their massive petition against hikes in their course fees to Lilian Greenwood MP this Friday at 3pm. Please go down and show your support. The fee increases mean that 84% of those currently learning English (including many refugees and asylum seekers) will not be able to carry on with classes from September. TIME AND PLACE – 3pm at Lilian Greenwood’s Office, 12 Regent Street, Nottingham, NG1 5BQ.

Saturday 28th May. This is a callout from UK Uncut for a national day of action, this time focussing on NHs reforms. Nottingham Uncut are Meeting outside Parliament Street Boots at 12 noon. Details: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/events/1771. See also Facebook event page: Notts Uncut Emergency Operation.

Tuesday 31st May. Spanish ‘Real Democracy’ meeting. Meet Victoria Centre Clock Tower to go to the meeting venue.

Saturday 4th June. Visit (and/or help with) Notts SOS health campaigning stall from 12-2pm in Market Square, Nottingham.

Monday 6th June. Notts SOS Planning meeting. Regular fortnightly meeting at the International Community Centre, Mansfield Road, Nottingham. 7.30pm until 9pm.

Tuesday 7th June. Rally at Gedling School to oppose the closure. Open invitation. 5.30-6.30pm. Details: https://nottssos.org.uk/2011/05/19/gedling-school-closure-protest-continues-open-invitation-to-a-rally-on-tuesday-7th-june/

Tuesday 14th June. The proposed closure of Hayward House daycare has now to be examined by the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee of Nottingham and Notts. The meeting at which HH will be on the agenda starts 10.15am in room LB41, Loxley House (Nottingham City Council, near side entrance of Nottingham station, Station Street). Written submissions (please make one) are needed by 23rd May. Details: http://www.savehaywarddaycare.org.uk/

Monday 20th June. Notts SOS Planning meeting. Regular fortnightly meeting at the International Community Centre, Mansfield Road, Nottingham. 7.30pm until 9pm.

Thursday 30th June – Coordinated strike action by NUT/UCU/ATL/PCS unions and support activities. March, Market Square demonstration and conference (Albert Hall), all in Nottingham. Coaches from Notts. Details forthcoming.

Notts SOS meeting tonight – 9th May 2011

Notts SOS continues its campaign against all cuts in Nottingham and Notts. Join our planning meeting tonight (Monday 9th May 2011) at 7.30pm at the YMCA International Community Centre on Mansfield Road. Meetings are every two weeks and usually last around an hour and a half. We are compiling a more comprehensive list of cuts and threats to services to help build the bigger picture locally and to spur action, so please help. And there is plenty more to get involved with between meetings (next one after this is the 23rd)!

Nottingham Mayday 2011 photos – and (partial) list of services due to close in the County & City

The Nottiingham Mayday celebrations for 2011 took place in Victoria Park and the Market Square with a march between.

Why were we celebrating? Mayday has been going at least since 1886 when workers in the USA began a general strike for an 8-hour day. See photos on Indymedia (including Chesterfield as well as Nottingham and reports about both).

Why were we marching, demonstrating and making public speeches? Take a look at this list of services due to close in the city and county. Many more are closing or threatened. Get in touch with Notts SOS (or comment on this artilcle) if your service is not listed here.

How much more will we be forced to work or suffer cuts to pay, pensions and services to bail out the debt and bank bail-outs caused by capitalist speculators and sanctioned by our rulers?

Bassettlaw SOS flyer, Letter and Worksop meeting on 12th May 2011

Bassetlaw Save Our Services have a Protect Our People flyer and also announce a meeting in Worksop on 12th May 2011 (details in letter below).

The Editor
Worksop Guardian

Dear Sir

I should be grateful if you would print my letter which is advertising a public meeting on the 12th May.

“Robin Hood, if he were alive today might find a lot about the world that he would recognise. Firstly, that the poor of our land are being robbed to pay the rich, in the form of bigger bonuses and fatter profits for the banks and big business. Secondly, that the poor (that’s you and me – because Bassetlaw is a low paid area) are being expected to get us out of this crisis by borrowing more than we can afford. We will need to do this to make ends meet because our wages, pensions and benefits are failing to keep up with inflation. This is made clear by the Office for Budget Responsibility which in its recent report said it expected households to go further in debt each year between now and 2015.

Now, my recollection of the ConDem Government’s justification for the current “age of austerity” is that we (as a country) can’t afford to borrow “beyond our means”. As a result we are having a huge squeeze on our public finances, with huge job losses, savage cuts to our essential public services and a cull of local businesses faced with customers who cannot afford to shop.

So, it seems the Government’s plan to get us out of this crisis is to transfer the debt from the state to households up and down the land. I don’t think that this part of the ConDem Government’s plan to get us out of this crisis has received the publicity it deserves – naturally it’s something you would want to hide, not advertise.

If you feel, like Robin Hood, that the poor should not be expected to solve the present crisis by going into more and more debt then join our group ‘Bassetlaw Protecting our People and Services’ which is being set up to campaign against the savage cuts to our services and standards of living.

We will be meeting at 7.00 pm on Thursday 12th May, at The Christchurch, 15 Thievesdale Close, Worksop, S81 OXS. You will be very welcome.

Yours faithfully

Ann Donlan
Chair
Bassetlaw Protecting our People and Services”

Meet Notts SOS activists on Nottingham’s “Mayday 2011” – Saturday April 30th

Meeting some of the many people involved with Notts Save Our Services and getting involved with anti-cuts activity in Nottingham and Notts couldn’t be easier. Just come down to the Mayday International Workers’ Day event in Victoria Park, Sneinton on Saturday 30th April. Download flyer here or view below. Assemble in Victoria Park, Bath Street, near the Victoria Leisure Centre at 11 am. The march will leave the Park at 12 for Speaker’s Corner (Clough statue). Then we return to Victoria Park for music, stalls, speakers, BEER TENT and much more – staying there until mid-afternoon.

Mayday is a celebration of the struggle for change which workers are engaged in all over the world. The courage shown by the peoples of Tunisia and Egypt in removing vicious, money-grubbing dictators is truly uplifting. In taking to the streets and banding together to defend their homes against Mubarak’s hired looters, the Egyptian people have tasted freedom after 1000s of years of autocratic rule. In paying tribute to the young people who turned out in force to protect the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, its director called for “a vision where a people’s greatness is measured by the quality of the lives of their poorest citizens not by the size of their armies or the scale of their buildings.” While we watch Egypt hopefully in the coming months, we can all think of other countries run by a load of millionaire toffs, helped out by an unaccountable, sometimes thuggish, police force. Sound familiar? While Barclays announce colossal profits, old people are facing having to pay for their care. How does the UK treat its poorest citizens? JOIN IN THE FIGHT BACK.

Nottingham anti-cuts diary dates in April 2011 – more added so keep looking for updates!

As you will see a big feature of this month’s activities is opposition to NHS ‘reform’ AKA privatisation.

Anti-cuts diary dates in April 2011

Friday 1st April Unison demonstration ‘Stand up for the NHS’ at Standard Court PCT offices. Report now out: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/1085. Held as part of the ‘All Together for the NHS Day’.

Saturday 9th April Notts Uncut have planned another action in Notttingham city centre, meeting outside Miss Selfridge on Clumber St at 10.45 am for a 11.00 am start. Target to be announced on the day. The theme is NHS reforms so bring any placards etc relating to the Health and Social Care bill and if you can bring any hospital type props (gowns, scrubs, crutches, bandages etc) that would be fantastic. Please see info about this local action on UK Uncut website and the facebook event page. There is also now a Notts Uncut website at http://www.nottsuncut.webeden.co.uk and a newsletter, No.1 April 2011: [Word version] [PDF version]

Monday 11th April Fortnightly Notts SOS planning meeting, at the YMCA International Community Centre, Mansfield Road from 7.30 pm until 9 pm. All welcome.

Wednesday 13th April Nottingham and Mansfield Trades Council organised public debate between Jon Collins, County Councillor Alan Rhodes, and a Trade Union official at The Djanogly Lecture Theatre, Nottingham Trent University, Shakespeare Street off Clarendon Road, starts 7.30 pm.

Thursday 14th April 3rd National Day of Protest Against Benefit Cuts. UK wide. Local action to be confirmed. Also on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=164277070288955

Tuesday 19th April ADMINISTRATE THIS! TENT CITY AND MARCH AT THE AUA CONFERENCE 19th of April 2011 UNIVERSITY PARK (MAIN) CAMPUS, NOTTINGHAM. Nottingham students are organising a vigourous response to the 18th to 20th Association of University Administrators meeting in Nottingham the future of Higher Education in the UK will be discussed by top managers from all over the country. As the government’s plans to lift the cap on tuition fees to £9000 is exploited by a cartel of administrations to monopolise high-end university education, the minister for universities, David Willetts, keynote speaker at the AUA conference, reassures us that the cuts in funding and the raises in fees will be ‘progressive’. as part of the action there will be a march on the Nottingham University main campus on the 19th and the tent city camp will last 2 days. More details: http://nsafc.wordpress.com/2011/04/03/administrate-this-19th-of-april/. Open invitiation to participate. Facebook event page here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=176890835695324

Wednesday 20th April Second day of the tent city on Nottingham University main campus during the Association of University Administrators conference. The camp will last from the 19th-20th and hold workshops and discussions with activists and academics on the topics including: Anti-Oppression, Gender and The Cuts, Zombie Universities, Protest Tactics, Strategies, and Direct Action, Capitalism and Beyond. There will also be food, a kids space, music, performance, and art! See above (19th April) for details. Open invitiation to participate.

Thursday 21st April Save Our NHS – Kill the Bill– Notts SOS (health group) are hosting a public meeting about the Health and Social Care Reform Bill in conjunction with Keep Our NHS Public, 38 degrees and HIYE, at The Nottingham Mechanics, 3 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham, NG1 4EZ. Starts 7.30 pm.

~~Monday 25th~~ Tuesday 26th April Fortnightly Notts SOS planning meeting, at the YMCA International Community Centre, Mansfield Road from 7.30 pm until 9 pm. All welcome. Moved from Monday to Tuesday due to the bank holiday.

Thursday 28th April MayDay Social, Polish Eagle Club, 2 Sherwood Rise, Nottingham NG7 6JN, 7.30 pm to late.

Saturday 30th April Mayday festival and march, Victoria Park, Sneinton, 11 am to 6 pm. March to City Centre and back to the park starts 12 noon.

Advance notice for May: Sunday 22nd May, Green Festival, Arboretum, 12 noon to 6 pm.

After March 26th – a good day out & a lot more to do back in Nottingham & Notts against the cuts! [with photos & videos] – add your experiences/comments/links

Notts SOS banner on the March 26th demonstration in London (more photos & videos below)

The half a million who marched and took action in London on Saturday 26th March 2011 made our feelings known and we showed our strength. Those who are active in Notts SOS and from the many other anti-cuts groups around the country, together with all manner of service users and welfare and pension recipients, workers, students, families and children took to the streets to say no to the cuts.

The press and politicians seem to have made their minds up already. According to Lib Dem’s Vince Cable on the BBC Politics Show today “We’re not going to change the basic economic strategy” and, “No government – coalition, Labour or any other – would change its fundamental economic policy simply in response to a demonstration of that kind.”

Is this a challenge? It begs the question of what exactly would change the government’s mind? Certainly Notts SOS will stick to its call for “No Cuts” which means we will need to carry on the work of making the politicians aware of our demand. But we have already lost a lot and there will be more to be lost in the new tax year if we do not stand up and fight. So let’s all get involved.

Feel free to share your personal stories of the day, and links to your articles, blogs, photos and videos by adding a ‘comment’ to this article. You can also do the same on the Notts SOS facebook page.

A selection of images of the day:

Notts SOS banner on the march, with a few of the Nottingham contingent

Notts SOS and UCU East Midlands banners in London on March 26th

support4edwoollard.wordpress.com family on demo — Ed Woollard's family who we spoke to on March 26th demo who confirmed he had received a greetings card sent by Notts SOS from our January conference

Link to Ed Woollard support site: http://support4edwoollard.wordpress.com

Videos by Notts SOS/Uncut contingent on Oxford Street:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQY1oaAJFwA]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PFOWjZoDWE]

Also watch: Video of the deception by police on UKUncut occupation of Fortnum and Mason, leading to their ‘record’ number of arrests on the day: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/video/2011/mar/28/fortnum-mason-protesters-uk-uncut-video. Not surprising to hear they will be taking legal advice …