King George is dead!

Wilson and Tony Parker submitting a petition to save King George Hospital last year.

The Redbridge Community will no doubt be in fury as they learn that local people have lost the campaign to save Accident and Emergency facilities and Maternity facilities at our much beloved hospital.

On Thursday last week Andrew Lansley accepted a report form the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) for it's closure, leaving local people anxious about the level of service that can be provided by Queens hospital, that is already burdened with a small and significantly burdened A&E.

The IRP reason for this huge loss revolves around a belief that reducing the burden of the maternity and A&E function, would allow our local PCT to address with more vigour other more important deficiencies.   I have always believed that local A&E was an essential service and felt that local mothers deserved a stress free treatment close in proximity.  This decision undermines the needs of a rapidly burgeoning community and bodes ill (excuse the pun) for the future quality of life and health care in the borough.

Upkar Rai (Mian Organiser), Cllr Ralph Scott, MEP Jean Lambert, Wilson Chowdhry (Main Organiser), various Doctors and religious leaders at the British Pakistani Christian and British Sikh Council community protest for King George Hospital in February 2011.

As leader of several of the local campaigns to retain local facilities I thank all those who supported our campaigns and would call on local people now to continue the drive to improve other languishing health care facilities.  Moreover, I am concerned this is only the first stage in a war of attrition that will eventually lead to an end to King George Hospital in it's entirety.  Please continue to be vigilant and prevent any further loss to our beleaguered community.

Previous articles:

http://wilsonsthirdway.blogspot.com/2010/04/images-from-save-king-george-hospital.html

http://wilsonsthirdway.blogspot.com/2011/06/king-george-hospital-review-panel.html

http://wilsonsthirdway.blogspot.com/2009/11/save-king-george-hospital.html

http://wilsonsthirdway.blogspot.com/2010/03/mike-o-visits-king-george-hospital-with.html

http://wilsonsthirdway.blogspot.com/2010/04/save-king-george-hospital-interview.html

http://wilsonsthirdway.blogspot.com/2010/04/wilson-chowdhry-hands-king-george.html

http://wilsonsthirdway.blogspot.com/2009/11/king-george-hospital-demonstration.html

http://wilsonsthirdway.blogspot.com/2010/02/redbridge-march-to-save-accident-and.html

There are many more...

If you would like to inform Andrew Lansley what you feel about his decision please use the following details:

Rt Hon Andrew Lansley CBE MP
Secretary of State for Health
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

020 7219 3000
lansleya@parliament.uk

Redbridge Peace Monument and Peace Concert 24th September 2011

Many of you will remember former posts in which Wilson informed residents of a scheme to introduce a Peace monument to South Ilford.  The East Ilford Business Partnership a group that Wilson Chairs, raised £5000 towards a potential peace monument in Redbridge.   In April this year we secured a further £5000 via the East London Community Foundation.  The mother fo Kashif Mahmood (RIP) contributed £2000 and Ann Oakes-Odger contributed £1000.

The proposed monument will be installed at the Winston Way Roundabout just outside the town centre, opposite Vine United Reform Church Car Park (location of the tragic attack to Kashif Mahmood in September 2005).   We have scheduled an official inauguration of the monument  at 15:00 on the 24th September 2011.

The Cenotaph in London is a poignant reminder of the futility of war, we hope our monument will be a beacon of hope and a reminder of the futility of violent crime.

We will allow families of existing victims and future ones to add a small plaque to the base ensuring that the monument always has a current focus. 

Once the project funds are in place, we will be holding a boroughwide Schools competition for the design of small mosaics that will replace temporary ones in its initial design, during its first anniversary. This will give ownership of the project to young people and create a sense of responsibility for the only officila artwork in Ilford South..  The first of these designs will be chosen form children from the local area who enter our competition during Redbridge's first ever Peace concert to be held from 12pm - 6pm on 24th September 2011 in Ilford Town Centre.    

Activities include;

• Live performances
• A painting competition (best ones chosen for mosaic in monument design)
• "Whale of a time" workshops using clay modelling to improve learning about endangered species and the environment
• Community stalls and much more.

The one day event has been sponsored by the Redbridge Community Chest fund operated by the Strategic Services department of Redbridge and "Awards for all"

In time we hope schools will take children and young people to the monument for talks and presentations on the impact of violent crime. Parvin Mahmood the mother of victim Kashif Mahmood, has agreed to talk to schools about the impact of the attack that led to the loss of her son's life. She has already spoken in various schools and colleges across the borough.


Read more (Ilford Recorder)


Here is what our funders form the East London Community Foundation said:


"East London Community Foundation assists a large number of community groups in Redbridge with small project grants up to £5,000. We support local people - like the Mahmood family and Wilson Chowdhry - to take the initiative and do something positive to tackle local issues. We were pleased to offer funding from our Grassroots Grants programme to East Ilford Business Partnership for the Peace Monument in Winston Way roundabout. We feel the monument will be a useful focal point to raise awareness among young people that using knives as a weapon can so easily have lethal consequences. We liked the multicultural and inclusive nature of the monument, and the fact that local children will have the chance to be involved in its design. We hope it will unite local people to prevent violence and knife crime."


Here is what the Ilford Recorder said:

http://www.london24.com/news/ilford_peace_monument_unveiled_for_victims_of_knife_crime_1_1028799

Here is another version of the story:

http://www.knifecrimes.org/Peace-Monument.html

Redbridge Carnival 2011

Click on Image to enlarge

See also the Redbridge Carnival Blog.

Whale of a Time at Redbridge Carnival

Local Residents urged to visit Whale of a Time at Redbridge Carnival

Award Winning Eco-Warrior Irene Schleining, founder of Whale of a Time is asking residents to get down and dirty at Redbridge Carnival as she uses creative arts to connect the community with nature and wildlife.

The Whale of a Time Workshop will be arriving in Redbridge for the first time ever at Redbridge Carnival held on September 10^th and 11^th 2011 at Valentines Park.

“We provide a fun and hands-on activity where young and old are able to model whales and other endangered species out of clay and at the same time learn about the environment, biodiversity and sustainability whilst having a whale of a time!

Participants will make a model of endangered animal and/or plant species. Participants can not only explore their knowledge about endangered species but also investigate ways we can actively change our behaviours towards a sustainable society with less impact on the environment and find ways to take steps to preserve endangered species.”

Director of Whale of a Time Irene Schleining commented;

“We met with the Redbridge Carnival Committee this week and were pleased to mutually agree a commission to undertake our programme at an event that seeks to bring community together in a positive manner. Their focus on community and preserving the environment is similar to ours and we hope that our being present will add a new dimension to an already successful event, whilst challenging local people to preserve our ecosystem.”

The Whale of a Time Workshop has won the Making a Big Difference Award 2010 and NHS Community Wellbeing Competition 2010. It has been nominated for the London Peace Awards 2010, the Archant London Business Awards 2010 and the Archant London Environmental Awards 2009. Recently Whale of a Time has been nominated for the Future Friendly Awards 2011.

For more information go to our website at www.whaleofatime.org

Have a whale of a time! ;)

Your Whale of a Time Community

Redbridge needs you!

A call for witnesses who can confirm the identities of the perpetrators of the Redbridge riots now challenges our community to get involved in the clean up.  I hope many of you will respond with vigour as only together we will prevent a repeat of the fear our small town was subjected to last week:


Dear All,


The recent Public Disorder resulted in many crimes being recorded in Redbridge. 


Since the outbreak of the disturbances, my Officers have been working tirelessly to bring Offenders to Justice. So far 56 arrests have been made, nine warrants executed  and 29 charged.


We have been overwhelmed by the Public Support and thank you for your good wishes. Many of you have asked what you can do to assist Police.
Well I am now in a position to appeal to you to assist in bringing offenders to Justice.


On the Redbridge Police website are images of individuals we are keen to identify. This is your opportunity to work with us to provide details of those we are keen to trace.


If you do recognise somebody from these images do not approach them. 


Please contact Redbridge Police with the information on 0208 345 2764 or alternatively contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. 


Please visit


(Click Here)


Regards


Sue Williams
Det Chief Supt,
Redbridge

Man stabbed in Ilford yesterday - Police confirm the incident was not related to the recent riots!

Yesteraday morning at approximately 0400hrs Police responded to a disturbance in the High Road, Ilford close to Ilford Police Station.

Police Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended the scene and discovered an 18 year old man who had suffered stab wounds.

The man was initially treated at the scene and then taken to a north London Hospital where he is currently undergoing surgery.

This is an isolated incident and is not connected to the recent London and England-wide disturbances which took place last week.

There area has been cordoned off while forensic examinations of the scene take place.

At present the cordons restrict pedestrian access to the Town Centre via the Police Station end of the High Street. The cordons will also restrict any access to the businesses operating in the Ilford Retail Park.

The remainder of the High Road from Lynton House and toward the Exchange is not affected by the incident.
At this stage it is estimated that the cordons will be in place for the majority of the day. We appreciate your patience and will endeavour to return to normality at the earliest convenience once this aspect of the investigation is complete.

See also Policing by Numbers

Panic on the streets of London!

I have been through some scary moments in my life, but no more so, than last night whilst finishing a course in Peckham South London.  The venue of my training was slap bang in the middle of the ensuing violence and rioting. 

As fear took over I sought safe refuge upstairs behind locked doors with many other trainees and the course leader. 

From the large window we could see huge numbers of youths numbering in their hundreds provoking police, smashing through windows on business premises, pillaging, looting and vandalising. 

As a calm ensued at around 8pm many of us fled through a fire exit and ran to the local station.  All around me was the destruction and the debris from the evening's carnage.  In particular large amounts of fruit stolen from a local grocers created a real mess everywhere.

I thanked God for safe travel to the station and hoped to walk through the safe streets of Ilford to my home where I wanted to bunker away from the danger in the south and north of  London. 

My shock at arriving to an ilford filled with Police, a Town centre with prohibited access and news of a rampage on Ilford Lane caused further anxiety.  I had to walk a dangerous journey along a much wider route and was fearing for my life all the way.

Outside the Police station I saw a massive number of police and their vehicles and set my mind to walking with a more speedy pace, fearing being a place normally associated with safety.

Reaching home was a cathartic experience and a moment of great joy.

Today the crises continues as I returned to my training course (11:30), Police milled all over the streets of Peckham.  They were trying to restore local confidence and peace.  To my chagrin, I discovered that my course had been cancelled, yet I had not been informed. 

Suddenly a rumour spread that youths were gathering in Camberwell and were to visit Peckham for another day of pillage and plunder.  I saw a large gathering of Police and people in suits and decided to investigate,  and came across David Milliband.  He decided to visit the shocked community of Peckham to share his concern and reassure them that action would be taken to prevent a repeat occurence.

I shouted a call to David and queried what punitive action would be taken on the youths apprehended during the recent skirmishes and majot street attacks in London.  His response was non-committal as he replied;

"Our first priority is to restore peace."

I did not gain any reassurance or confidence form this reply so I asked him whether the government would be willing to deploy the military to support the Police in the face of the scale and number of these looting activities.  Mr Milliban replied;

"We are increasing the number of Police on the streets and and belive this is the best way to approach the situation."

As a Redbridge resident I raised concern about the attacks on Ilford Lane last night and various BP petrol stations.  Mr Miliband confirmed that Policing would be increased in all targetted areas.

I returned to my Offic around 14:30 and discovered that my staff had gone home and that all shops on Green Lane had been closed down.  I called the office manager on her mobile and discovered that a local business owner had received a call from the Police informing him to shut his business and to advise others to do the same. 

I called the local Police to enquire into the treat level and risk of attack and was shocked to discover the call had been a hoax and that I an other businesses had suffered a significant loss in productivity and sales, as a consequence of a unsolicited call. 

I have asked the Local police to inform me of any required closures in future as Chairman of the local Business group (East Ilford Business Partnership) and Chairman of Redbridge Against Violent Crime.  I have also suggested that they create a communication link with business partnerships across the borough so they can be contacted in a similar fashion, freeing police time to protect the innocent and save lives.  It would also prevent future hoaxes that cost so much to our local businesses and exacerbates existing panic.