Tag: city

Save Hayward House Daycare in Nottingham – campaign and website

Hayward House ‘hospice within the hospital’ at City Hospital, Nottingham cares for terminally ill patients. Its methods encompass compassion, dignity, and clinical expertise in palliative medicine. Its approach integrates medical, social, personal, emotional and community care in a way unique in Nottinghamshire. This has brought quality of life back to the last months and days of many patients. Nottingham PCT are closing daycare from September 1st 2011 – we cannot let them.

Visit the website: http://www.savehaywarddaycare.org.uk for more information and how to get involved.

On Wednesday, April 20th, 8.00am News on BBC Radio Nottingham plus news bulletins throughout the day will feature the proposed closure of HH daycare. Also watch BBC East Midlands News at breakfast, lunchtime and early evening. Also, look at the Evening Post on (we think) Thursday, 21st April.

On Saturday April 30th, Save Hayward House Daycare Campaign will be having a stall at the Mayday celebrations. Assemble in Victoria Park, Bath Street, near the Victoria Leisure Centre at 11 am. The march will leave the Park at 12 noon; why not join us? Bring your Save Hayward House Daycare placard! There will be speakers at Speakers’ Corner near the statue of Brian, then back to the park for music, food, more speakers, more food etc, etc.

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

picture of a diary to add the following anti-cuts dates toHere 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 at http://tinyurl.com/NottsSOS-FB

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.

Staff and students strike together again in Nottingham

Nottingham UCU staff, students and Notts SOS in Old Market Square 24th March 2011
Nottingham UCU staff, students and Notts SOS in Old Market Square 24th March 2011
This week, on March 22nd and 24th, the University and College Union (UCU) took strike action in defence of the pay and pensions of academic and academic-related staff and against the employers’ attempts to bypass nationally agreed procedures for making redundancies. The majority vote for the strike is also a response to the wider political situation and most immediately the rise in student fees. Staff on strike in Nottingham were from Castle College, South Notts College, Nottingham Trent University and University of Nottingham. Students added to the numbers on picket lines and ran solidarity events all over Nottingham. The local strike leaflet was written by staff and students together. [Download student side of leaflet] [UCU staff side of leaflet]. Look at some photos here: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/1073.

UCU officers and campaigners put lots of effort into building for the strike, not least in co-ordinating between institutions. For some of us Notts SOS UCU members it was the first time we had been involved in organising a strike as opposed to just turning up for picket line duty. It’s a lot of work, but we learned lot from more experienced staff. I think we can be pleased with the results, because support for the strike was amazing. Hundreds of staff stayed away or picketed. Staff from other unions or no union beeped their horns in support at picket lines and asked for leaflets and information about the strike. Many university security staff were supportive and helpful also. Even though some public sector trade unionists crossed picket lines, others, notably City and County Council workers such as bus drivers, beeped their horns in support and passengers also waved at us.

The UCU and students condemned the University of Nottingham’s assertion that the strike was undemocratic, pointing out that not only was it entirely legal, but percentage-wise the majority in favour of the strike was bigger than the vote for the Conservatives in the last election.

The strike culminated in a rally in the Market Square attended by several hundred people. Speakers made it clear even though workers are not legally allowed to strike except over their own pay, terms and conditions, there is a mood to go beyond this just as there is elsewhere in the public sector. To do this university staff – UCU, Unison and others – need to work together more closely so that the government and employers fear our strength just as they fear the new radicalised student movement that mobilised in support of us this week.

Links
UCU: http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=1680
Students: http://nsafc.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/notts-students-support-ucu-strike/
Previous article: https://nottssos.org.uk/2011/03/23/university-staff-picket-lines-supported-by-students-and-many-others-in-nottingham/

Nottingham UCU staff, students & Notts SOS Defending ESOL 24th March 2011
Nottingham UCU staff, students & Notts SOS Defending ESOL 24th March 2011
“Don’t Cut ESOL Classes!”

This was the message at the rally on Thursday March 24 in opposition to the cuts in funding ESOL classes. ESOL stands for English for Speakers of Other Languages and classes have traditionally been free for most students, who include people on JSA and ESE. But in Nottingham 76% of people on ESOL courses do not receive these benefits. They include refugees, asylum-seekers and other migrants who need English to integrate and contribute to British society. One of the messages of the rally was David Cameron’s hypocrisy in stating that refugees should integrate and at the same time removing one of the most important ways they can do this.

About one hundred and fifty teachers, students and their supporters attended and several refugees spoke about how important free access to English classes is to them. Their confidence in speaking in public in a second language is a tribute to their teachers and shows that having good language skills is not just about the ability to communicate but the confidence to do it in the first place. As one of the speakers said, it is an attack on basic human rights.

Removal of free ESOL classes is about more than saving money. It is about marginalising vulnerable people and we need to understand it as part of the state’s attack on refugees and asylum seekers, making it even harder for them to access help.

Even though this rally took place hours after the UCU rally earlier in the day, dozens of higher and further education staff and students waited after their own event to attend the ESOL rally. As one UCU member said, “Education is vital for liberation”.

Links:
http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/1054
http://nsafc.wordpress.com/2011/03/25/nottingham-students-rally-for-ucu-and-esol/
https://nottssos.org.uk/2011/03/23/university-staff-picket-lines-supported-by-students-and-many-others-in-nottingham/

Reports from another Saturday of anti-cuts action in Nottingham – more to come!

Sleeping bag protest inside Barclays Bank, Nottingham, 19th March 2011
Saturday 19th March 2011 saw sustained action against austerity with a joint stall by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Notts SOS. Scrapping Trident missiles in Scotland and the rest of the death-dealing UK arms industry (including those in Nottingham) are cuts we in Notts SOS can certainly support.

This was followed by a Notts UnCut ‘Bail-in’ occupation of Barclays Bank and vocal protests outside high street shops like Vodafone, BHS and Boots who have managed to avoid paying tax in UK by various schemes, and who have been allowed to do so by HM Revenue and Customs. Earlier in the day, Vodafone had closed its shutters 10 secs after seeing one protester with a banner, and this was before things had even got started! Glad to see the message is getting across. Barclays is not the only bank which has faced action by UK Uncut and Natwest was also visited. Barclays was targeted today in Nottingham because of their bosses’ admission that it paid just £113m in UK corporation tax in 2009 – a year when it rang up a record £11.6bn in profits (so that’s less than 1%, meanwhile we are facing VAT of 20%). Most seriously we are being told that the government cannot afford to look after vunerable people in our cities – having got rid of the Supporting People budget that supports homeless projects, women’s refuges and other important services. This was highlighted by the 40+ Notts Uncut demonstrators on Saturday by lying in sleeping bags inside Barclays, whilst bank customers, staff and the police were able to hear why we are angry. It was made clear that staff were not targetted since they are not the ones receiving massive bonuses from a bank that was bailed out by the government using public money. Barclays paid out £2.5bn in salaries and bonuses last year. Lots of photos on Nottingham Indymedia. More photos. Watch various videos via Notts SOS facebook page or directly on You-tube.

Elsewhere in Notts, a petition was handed in against the Health and Social Care Bill which will see further privatisation of NHS services. 38 Degrees and Notts Save Our Services presented a 180,000 signature petition to Anna Soubry, the MP for Broxtowe, at Beeston Library. Anna Soubry sits on one of the parliamentary select committees currently scrutinising the NHS Bill. A public meeting will now be held in Nottingham on 21st April co-organised by Notts SOS, to explain what the Bill will mean to the future of NHS services, if it is not defeated.

This week sees more events including two days of strike action at Nottingham universities and colleges and final preparation for the monster march in London on Saturday 26th (with over 30 coaches going from Notts). More local diary dates are listed here. Get involved by contacting Notts SOS or letting us know about action you are taking or would like to take against the cuts!

Reports, photos & videos from Nottingham City Council ‘cuts budget’ day protests (7th March 2011)

Notts SOS protest on 7th march 2011 Nottingham City Council budget setting day
Notts SOS daytime protest
Here are initial reports and links to photos & videos of the lively Council House demonstrations in the Market Square and ‘public’ gallery that Notts SOS and other protesters were ‘escorted’ from (one carried out) by police so that the City Council cuts budget meeting could continue behind closed doors after being suspended during the action. Protesting started at 12 noon and continued until 7pm. Council leader Jon Collins was harangued in the Market Square in the evening and there was a ‘Fight the Cuts’ banner drop on Main Marian Way during the day. This was after over 1800 signatures were handed to him from a petition urging the council not to cut services, but to implement a ‘needs-based’ budget. On the same afternoon, Vodafone was targetted by Notts Uncut for its corporate tax evasion and was shut down yet again. There is a lot more to do now cuts budgets have been passed in both the City and County. Come to the next Notts SOS meeting at the YMCA/ICC on Mansfield Road, Monday 14th March at 7.30pm.
Jon Collins harangued during evening protest
Jon Collins harangued during evening protest

Also come to the Market Square again today (8th March) for the International Women’s Day centenary events at 5pm focussing on the disproportionate effect of the cuts on women (then at Thompson’s Solicitors at 5.30pm).

Many more forthcoming events in March 2011 listed here.

Reports/photos videos from 7th March 2011

Videos from 7th March 2011 from various individuals, on YouTube

See also, mainstream media coverage:
BBC News: http://bbc.in/fKuS2O , Nottingham Post: http://bit.ly/fWrQob and Nottingham City Council approves £33m of cuts as angry protesters ejected, also reminding us what the cuts will mean (& a lot more besides this):

COUNCILLORS last night approved some of the most swingeing cuts seen in the city for a generation.

Around £33 million of cuts were given the go-ahead at a Nottingham City Council meeting.

It comes after the Government reduced the council’s grant by 8.4%.

The controversial savings plan will see libraries closed, museum opening hours reduced and employee terms and conditions changed.

The council also approved plans to cut its supporting people budget, which helps vulnerable people in the community.

NEW – Support from singer/songwriter Billy Bragg who visited the University of Nottingham occupation last year:
I wish to add my voice to those of Notts Students Against Fees and Cuts and Notts Save Our Services in urging Nottingham City Council to stand up to central government and passed a needs based budget. The big society that I want to live in should to be driven by compassion, not market forces.

Billy Bragg

On 07/03/2011 16:31, Notts Students wrote:

Hi Billy,
Thanks for giving your attention to this. This is what has happened and what we’re passing to the press.
(Notts Students against Fees and Cuts)

City Council Budget Meeting Halted by Protestors

Nottingham City Council are meeting today to pass a budget passing on sixty million pounds worth of cuts, which will hit the poorest and most marginalised in our society. While protests continued outside the building, members of Notts Students against Fees and Cuts and Notts Save Our Services spoke passionately from the public gallery, urging the council to stand up to central government and pass a needs based budget. After a brief exchange the councillors closed the meeting, refusing to listen to the views of their constituents.

The protestors then staged a good-natured, peaceful sit-in. They were offered a private meeting with the leaders of the council, which was refused because it was conditional on the end of the sit-in. Eventually the police forcibly removed the peaceful protestors, including a wheelchair user and a young woman who was carried from the building.

The meeting has now reconvened in private so that the council can force through its budget against the will of the people of Nottingham. Protestors are gathering again today at 5pm.
—

Inside the council house 1
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzXPu-rbldQ]

City Council cuts update – DEMONSTRATE ON MONDAY 7th MARCH – plus International Women’s Day events

Here is latest update from Notts SOS about the campaign against City Council cuts and events on International Women’s Day. For many more diary dates and details of forthcoming events, see:
https://nottssos.org.uk/2011/02/28/anti-cuts-diary-dates-from-1st-march-2011-including-city-council-demos-on-5th-6th/

CITY COUNCIL

Many thanks to the 150 or so folks who braved the rain at the rally
today (Saturday 5th March) in the Market Square.

See photos on Notts Indymedia: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/1014

For those who couldn’t make it, we heard from community and disability
campaigns, unions, service users, homeless people, and students about
how angry they are at the cuts facing these sectors. It was a lively
rally that lasted a couple of hours, with stalls and singing.
Afterwards Vodafone, Natwest and Boots were visited by UK Uncut.

It’s really important that we now take this anger to the council
directly, this Monday 7th March, when it plans to pass the cuts
budget. We start our protest for a needs-based budget at 1pm outside
the council house (our stall will be there from 12 noon). The council meeting starts at 2pm.

The public are allowed to attend the meeting. In fact the council has
been in touch with us pointing out that they will try to accommodate
as many as they can without breaching health and safety regulations,
so we are expected. We can still influence this process!

The meeting itself is likely to go on into the night. Last year it
took until 1am the next morning. So we plan to have a presence outside
for the whole day and a second rally at 5-7pm for people who can only
come after work. Please come down to the rally, attend the meeting
with us, and help us to keep up a lively presence outside.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

There are 2 cuts related events in Nottingham on Tuesday 8th March,
marking the centenary International Women’s Day. Download poster.

(1) Women at the Cutting Edge – Rally in the Market Square (5pm)

Bring your banners, placards and voices and join us to celebrate the
tradition of International Women’s Day and demonstrate our resistance
to the cuts!

Old Market Square, Nottingham City Centre

(2) Women Against the Cuts – public meeting (5.30pm)

The Notts Trades Council are organising a meeting at the offices of
Thompsons Solicitors.

Speakers
* Cheryl Pidgeon, regional secretary of Midlands TUC
* Melanie Jeffs, Nottingham CVS
* Chris Cutland, Women’s Aid Integrated Services

Thompsons Solicitors Office, 4th Floor, City Gate (East), Tollhouse
Hill, Nottingham, NG1 5FS

For more diary dates including more IWD events around Nottingham, see:
https://nottssos.org.uk/2011/02/28/anti-cuts-diary-dates-from-1st-march-2011-including-city-council-demos-on-5th-6th/

ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) cuts: more help needed and meeting on 24th March 2011

ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)
Update: ESOL day of action. Nottingham open air meeting will take place in Market Square on 24th March 2011 at 3.30pm. Download flyer: ESOL Day of Action flyer 24 March 2011. Help us show the importance of English classes.

Data shows 76% of Nottingham ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students will face new &/or much higher fees. What will happen if they cannot pay, & cannot speak English with their children, at work, or in the community?

There are now 750 people waiting for ESOL. What will happen if some classes close? 10,526 people have signed the online petition & thousands of paper petitions are being counted too. Have you, your family & friends signed?

Petition to sign: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/defend-esol.html

In Nottinghamshire, 665 people signed the online petition, 917 have signed paper petitions, 810 students have completed surveys, 589 have sent prepared letters to John Hayes (Minister for Skills) & 60 people have written their own stories or letters. THANK YOU!!!

Background: https://nottssos.org.uk/2011/01/02/sign-the-petition-to-defend-esol-english-for-speakers-of-other-languages/

Anti-cuts diary dates in March 2011 including City Council demos on 5th & 7th, plus coach info for 26th

picture of a diary to add the following anti-cuts dates toHere 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 at http://tinyurl.com/NottsSOS-FB

Anti-cuts diary dates in March 2011

Saturday 5th March Notts SOS rally in Market Square against the forthcoming City Council ‘cuts budget’. Stall from 12 noon to accompany rally. We’ll be there to set up from 11.30am. All welcome. Bring banners, placards & things to make noise including yourself! Add your name to the 5th March facebook event.

Monday 7th March Notts SOS day of action in Nottingham 12.00 noon-7pm. The City Council’s budget for 2011/12 will be considered at a meeting of the full City Council to be held at the Council House, Old Market Square, Nottingham. Full council meeting starts 2.00pm, with public gallery open, expected to go on for many hours. The Notts SOS stall will be set up in the Market Square at 12.00 noon at least until 2.00pm.
*** MAIN ANTI-CUTS DEMONSTRATION AT 1.00pm. ***
Then again in Market Square 5.00 -7.00pm if you cannot make the earlier time, or as well. The agenda for the meeting is out and Item 8: NCC budget report 2011-12 is attached for convenience. Agendas for all Council meetings can be viewed by following this link http://open.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/comm/goto.asp?Type=1|32. Also SIGN THE E-PETITION or contact councillors by phone.

Tuesday 8th March Anarchists Against the Cuts meeting, 7.00-9.30pm. Venue to be confirmed.

Tuesday 8th March Anti-Academies Alliance public meeting, 7.00pm. Friends Meeting House, 25 Clarendon Street Nottingham NG1 5JD. Download flyer [Word] [PDF].

Tuesday 8th March International Women’s Day Centenary. Market Square at 5pm then event 5.30pm hosted by Thompsons Solicitors 4th Floor, City Gate (East), Tollhouse Hill, Nottingham, NG1 5FS. Download poster. Website: http://iwdnottingham.wordpress.com/. Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/iwdnottingham. There are various other local IWD events in and around Nottingham. Some events will focus on the disproportiate events of the cuts on women.

Wednesday 16th March – Bassetlaw SOS Public Meeting at the Crossing Church & Centre, Newcastle Street, Worksop. Starts 7pm. Download public meeting flyer. Download Bassetlaw anti-cuts flyer.

Wednesday 17th March – Nottingham Students Against Fees and Cuts are putting on a fundraiser to raise money and to publicise the campaign. Make Music, Not Cuts – Live Music and *Bring and Buy* Rummage Sale Fundraiser at The Maze, Mansfield Road, Nottingham. Doors and Open Mic at 7pm, Show at 8pm.

Saturday 19th March Nottingham CND & Notts SOS are holding a joint stall in the Market Square, at 11.30am. The theme is ‘Cut Trident not Public Sevices/Jobs’. See also CND adds support to TUC march against the cuts. Stay on for the UK-Uncut event at 1pm…

Saturday 19th March Notts-Uncut Part-of UK-Uncut. 1pm-3pm. A protest against tax evasion and the cuts. Maybe a march through the streets to target the banks, Vodafone etc. Invite everyone you know 🙂
We will rendevous either at the lions or the Brian Clough statue, details tbc. Here is the event on UKUncut
http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/actions/425 and on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=129737010431818

Thursday 24th March ESOL day of action against cuts to English for Speakers of Other Languages. Nottingham open air meeting will take place in the Old Market Square at 3.30pm. Download flyer: ESOL Day of Action flyer 24 March 2011. Help us show the importance of English classes.

Saturday 26th March – TUC ‘March for the alternative’: http://marchforthealternative.org.uk/. Put this in your diary now! London – initial details of route are here – http://marchforthealternative.org.uk/march-logistics/getting-there/. Loads of coaches through local union branches: http://www.nottstuc.org/p/march-26-tuc-demo.html

Corporate tax avoidance actions in Nottingham – various reports and media from 26th Feb 2011

Natwest 26th feb 2011 - Notts SOS Notts Uncut protest
Natwest 26th feb 2011 - Notts SOS / Notts Uncut
Notts Uncut action in Nottingham on Saturday 26th February 2011:

Nottingham Indymedia reports:

National and international news: UK Uncut and US sister group stage more protests at banks, Guardian, 27/2/2011

Boots protest 26th Feb 2011

Vodafone protest 26th feb 2011

Natwest 'read-in' 26th feb 2011

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