Erdington Against the Cuts planning meeting – 16th January

7.30 pm Wednesday 15th January Erdington Methodist Church

Station Road Erdington (next to Erdington railway station)

Agenda

Erdington Against The Cuts Meeting – Wed 4th Dec

Erdington Against the Cuts
planning meeting

7.30 pm Wednesday 4th December Erdington Methodist Church

Station Road Erdington (next to Erdington railway station)

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Report From Erdington Against The Cuts Planning Meeting

Dear All

I enclose a brief report on the Erdington Against the Cuts meeting on the 16th October.

1. Pete reported on the GMB campaign against Gove’s policy of sacking of classroom assistants which Gill Whittacker, regional GMB official, had spoken about at a recent Bham TUC meeting. It was agreed to support this campaign and organise a local public meeting on Wednesday 20th November with Gill as the main speaker. We would hopefully produce a leaflet with GMB assistance and leaflet local primary schools prior to 9 am and from 2.45 pm –3.15 pm. Stuart would check the availability of the Methodist Church and Bob suggested we lobby boards of governors of schools on this issue. Sharon volunteered to design the leaflet for the meeting.

2. Ian reported on progress with organising the Bham TUC conference on Saturday 22nd February at 11 am — 4 pm The Priory Rooms Bull St. Subsequent to the meeting the left wing NHS campaigner John Lister has agreed to speak. It was agreed we would organise a stall outside the Erdington Walk-In centre 11 am- 1 pm Saturday 16th November to promote the TUC NHS conference and Erdington Against the Cuts/GMB meeting on school assistants.

3. Stuart reported on Bham Labour Council plans to privatise some Leisure Service centres and transfer to community organisations if possible or close other Leisure centres. The Labour councillors seem to have no strategy to delay decisions hoping a Labour government will reverse any cuts but are selling off buildings including Libraries as a permanent reduction of Council services. We should try to find out what is happening to Leisure services in Erdington. Stuart will contact Josh Jones on this issue.

4. Stuart reported on Bham Against the Cuts plans to produce a campaign bulletin for the City Council budget consultation expected to be held in late Nov/Dec. Bob referred to a previous budget consultation meeting in Sutton Coldfield.

5. Tony referred to the Firefighters strike on the 19th Oct and the Royal Mail strike on the 4th Nov. It was agreed to support both if comrades were available.

Stuart Richardson
0777 156 7496

Erdington Against The Cuts Public Meeting – Keeping Our NHS Public In Birmingham

Birmingham people will have to get organised for a major fight to keep the NHS alive in the West Midlands. A major NHS funding crisis has been deliberately engineered by the Conservative / Lib-Dem Coalition government, and this is going to erupt between now and 2015.

Wednesday, 25th September 2013 7.30pm

Erdington Methodist Church Centre, Station Road, Erdington 323 GTX
(opposite the train station)
For directions telephone: 07771567496

Speaker: Terry Mandrell (Solihull Keep NHS Public)

Erdington Residents against the Cuts Meeting – Wed 19th June

Cruel welfare: the Government’s attack on working class families

Jolyon Jones: an activist from West Midlands Social Work Action Network

‘After almost a decade of increased funding and more integrated development of children’s services, the recession has brought widespread cuts, alongside increasing poverty and family stress… in general young children and their families will have more challenges to their emotional wellbeing and less support available than in recent years.’

(Growing up in the UK – Ensuring a healthy future for our children. BMA Board of Science (2013))

7.30 p.m.
Wednesday 19th June
Methodist Church, Station Road, Erdington

(The entrance of the Church is at the back next to the car park. Any problems ring 0777 156 7496)

Erdington Bedroom Tax Meeting Report

Stockland Green Against the Cuts and Erdington Against the Cuts jointly held a successful meeting on the Bedroom Tax on Wednesday 23rd May. What was very encouraging was that of the 40 people present, at least 25 were new to anti-cuts activity. About ten of those present were directly affected by the Bedroom Tax.

Local Areas Organising To Resist The Bedroom Tax

There will be a number of meetings in the next couple of weeks in local areas around Birmingham that are heavily affected by the Bedroom Tax, as local residents start to organise themselves to resist the charge and any evictions that may come from it.
Meetings will take place in Ladywood, Stockland Green and Highgate:

Ladywood
7pm
Wednesday 15th May
Ladywood Community Centre, Vincent St West

Stockland Green
7pm
Wednesday 22nd May
St Barnabas Church Centre, Erdington High Street
Speakers: Dave Nellist and a Communities Against The Cuts campaigner

Highgate
7pm
Thursday 23rd May
Stanhope Community Centre , Emily Street Highgate

There will also be a lobby of Albert Bore’s surgery at the council house on Friday 17th May from 6:30pm and a protest outside. See here for more information.

Erdington Against the Cuts Public Meeting – 17th April

Erdington Against The Cuts is holding a public meeting on Wednesday 17th April at 7:30pm in the Methodist Church on Station Road in Erdington.

( The entrance is at the back of the Church next to the car park ring 0777 156 7496 if there are any problems)

The Anti-Cuts movement in Birmingham
Speaker: Godfrey Webster, Secretary, Birmingham Against the Cuts

Erdington Against Cuts Meeting On NHS Walk In Centre Closure – Tonight

Erdington Residents against the Cuts are hosting a meeting for two speakers, Patrick Highton and Ken Band, from the Save Our NHS Campaign at 7.30 pm Thursday 21st March Erdington Methodist Church Station Road (next to Erdington Rail station).

Day of Action Over Leisure Services Privatisation

As we reported on Monday, Birmingham City Council have begun a process that could see a £200m outsourcing of leisure services to private, profit seeking, companies.

This affects people all over the city, and Handsworth Against the Cuts were out on Saturday, raising awareness and gathering signatures on a petition to keep these services in house.

Outsourcing and privatisation are all too often used as a way to cut costs at the expense of services or through changes to staff pay and conditions, rather than as a way to improve the services provided.
As the council seek to make £100m of additional cuts over the following year, we can be sure that this is being used as a way to cover some of that, or at least it will be if we let it.

On Saturday 10th March, Birmingham Against the Cuts will be co-ordinating local groups and individuals around the city to petition at leisure centres that are under threat.
As we receive confirmation of times, this list will be updated. If you live near one of these centres, or use it regularly, go and join them, or tell us that you will be there between certain times, and we will put that on this list and try to get people to join you.
A city-wide petition is being finalised, and will be available to download and print closer to the day, along with leaflets and posters.

— Alexander Stadium,
— Beeches Pool,
— Billesley Indoor Tennis Centre,
— Castle Vale Pool,
— Cocks Moor Wood Leisure Centre,
— Erdington Pool,
— Fox Hollies Leisure Centre,
— Handsworth Leisure Centre, 11am on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th Handsworth Against the Cuts
— Harborne Pool and Fitness Centre,
— Kingstanding Leisure Centre,
— Linden Road Leisure Centre,
— Moseley Road Pool: 11am onwards, Friends of Moseley Road Baths
— Nechells Sports Centre,
— Newtown Pool,
— Northfield Leisure Centre 11am onwards, Stirchley and Cotteridge Against the Cuts
— Saltley Leisure Centre,
— Shard End Leisure Centre,
— Small Heath Leisure Centre,
— Shenley Court,
— Sparkhill Pool and Leisure Centre, 11am-1pm Sparkhill & Springfield Against the Cuts
— Stechford Cascades,
— Stockland Green Leisure Centre,
— Tiverton Road,
— Wyndley Leisure Centre.

Please note that this is not a complete list – the tender document says that these are included, but does not limit privatisation to just these facilities – so if your local centre is not listed here, do not think you are safe.

Email us at BirminghamAgainstTheCuts@Gmail.com or just turn up if your centre already has times listed.