Tag Archives for Lambeth Women’s Project

New Press Release- please forward to media contacts

18.06.2012 Update:

Five women from the Lambeth Women’s Project are currently held inside the building as a new lock has been added to the main entrance gate, preventing entry without school’s permission. Since the school served an informal eviction letter requesting LWP to leave the premises on Friday the 15th  June, various supporters of the project have been staying within the rooms used by the LWP to protect the project’s possessions from unfair removal by private bailiffs. This attempt to prevent re-entry by the women comes after an email from the school on Wednesday 13th June agreeing to mediation. Following a legal correspondence sent by the Project’s solicitor on Friday 15th June, the school has ceased to respond.

Download full press release here.

Invitation to LWP workshops!

Women are invited to come join workshops which will be held @166a stockwell road, as well as to organise and plan LWP’s resistance to the eviction threat.

Below are some photos advertising workshops that will be on offer. More photos and info on the LWP facebook page. If you have a skill you would like to share, or would like to help facilitate any workshops, please get in touch. Hope to see you there!

Photos by Kay Tabernacle- please credit photographer when using.

LWP Activities + Workshops

* Badge making * IT Skills – Web/Blog/Video * Cooking * Acupuncture * Yoga * Film Club * Banner making * Dance club * Leaflet making and distribution * Action planning + technique * plus more!

 

  

  

Minutes from 13/06 Meeting

Lambeth’s Women’s Project – Public meeting

13 June 2012

Minutes [download as word doc]

The situation so far

For an update of the history of LWP and the relationship with Stockwell Primary School, please refer to minutes from 10 June 2012. The latest updates since the last meeting are:

Legal
  • A volunteer from LWP phoned SPS who confirmed ‘nothing would happen’ until Friday 15 June
  • A local resident who has also volunteered at LWP emailed two local Herne Hill Ward counsellors (Carol Boucher and Leanne Targett-Parker) who did not respond but redirected the query to Cllr Paul McGlone (based in Ferndale Ward, former governor of SBS) who responded with incorrect information about the issue, shared personal information by copying in SBS head Janet Mulholland and Eddy Grant and instructed the resident to contact the school directly in future.
  • LWP have had a meeting with Lambeth Commissioning officer who confirmed that they did not see a role in the issue and recommend independent mediation. LWP emailed SBS on 13.6.12 to propose mediation and received a response agreeing to consider this and questioning who would be present and who would pay.
  • SPS are refusing to invoice for the outstanding ‘service charge’ money, even though they will get the money anyway if LWP are evicted
  • SPS have written to parents, advising them about changes to entry points in the building
  • SPS have made access to the building difficult, changing the key pad password on the side door as well as adding a new lock to LWP’s door without passing on new codes or keys
  • SPS and Lambeth Council have prepared two press statements about the issue. These focus on a) the ‘rent’ issue and b) lack of Charity Commission status. (Lambeth Council seemed surprised that the issue is public knowledge when a radio station rang to get the statements).
  • As a result of all these issues commissioning services is in limbo meaning that there are no wages or other support coming in from the council
  • Awareness raising has been going well – approx. 250 leaflets were given away during Tuesday’s pot banging demonstration (the 9th demo staged since the letter arrived). There’s been Facebook and Twitter activity and videos of the demonstration and of women around LWP have had a lot of viewers. Also had several pieces published online
  • LWP had a session on Resonance FM where they focussed on the impact of the loss of service on women and girls in Lambeth
Media

The rest of these minutes group the action points around three key areas: Legal, media and immediate plans. The working group will pick up Legal and media, another action group will focus on immediate plans.

Legal update

LWP are still contacting lawyers and case workers and have signed up to iprobono (an organisation that matches solicitors with cases). Urgent advice is required around:

  • Relief from forfeiture (property law)
  • Whether the SPS letter has the same legal authority as an eviction notice
  • Whether the three years remaining on the LWP lease undermines the threat of eviction
  • Advise on data protection regarding SPS moving LWP goods, particularly as goods involve personal data
  • Confirmation that under the above circumstances, that goods taken out of the building by contractors would count as an act of theft

This legal advice will help LWP prepare a response to SPS.

Action: As there is a question in what area of law the issue falls (and because of the short timescale) contact CAB or Liberty to discuss the issues ASAP (source lease to help the call). Gemma gave out contact details.

Action: Linda to help sort out old emails, including those from the old email address to start to pull together the case history

Media

Action: Working group to produce press release to be ready by Friday and to be with supportive organisations (Red Pepper, F Word etc) as soon as SPS and Lambeth press releases are issued

Action: Working group to produce a leaflet to target parents as they pick up their children, so that parents understand what is happening

NB: Whoever will be picking up media appearances will require some media training

Immediate plans

LWP have been advised by a barrister to protect their property. LWP does not hold money but their equipment is very valuable.

Today- come to the LWP

Some updates from the Facebook page:

Friday: a group of LWP volunteers are going to be in the building all day – if you would like to join us please do. Nothing has been taken yet and the school creche is running as usual. We have taken legal advice and will update people through the day of what is happening. Thanks for your support so far.

Please note that tonight’s party at LWP for Jo Spence as part of the current exhibition at Studio Voltaire will go ahead as planned as of this morning. We will let people know straight away if this changes. More info about the event here.