London Coalition Against Poverty in April, May and June

Get your diary out and join LCAP at some of the following actions and meetings this month... (starting with a rally of solidarity with sacked Ford Visteon workers on Saturday and a Direct Action Casework training day this Sunday!)

Every week....

* LCAP is leafleting at Homeless Persons Units and at Jobcentre Plus on Mare Street to get people involved with our campaigns. If you have a few hours to spare and would like to go leafleting, email londoncoalitionagainstpoverty@gmail.com

* Often actions at the homeless persons unit or elsewhere come up at the last minute and we invite people by text or email. If you are available for actions (particularly during any weekdays), drop londoncoalitionagainstpoverty@gmail.com an email to let us know your availabillity.

* Every Thursday 12pm – JOIN LCAP FOR A CLAIMANTS' MEETING at Cafe Bohemia (by Hackney Central)

We want to get people together so that:

• Instead of challenging Jobcentre Plus on our own, we can help each other out and win changes that everyone wants.

• Together we can stop ‘Work for your Benefit’ coming to Hackney and stop people being forced to work for £1.73 an hour.

Come to our informal weekly meeting at 12pm on Thursdays, Café Bohemia (under the railway arches across Mare St from Hackney Central). Tea and coffee will be provided.

* Every Friday 1pm - PROTEST WITH SACKED WILLIS CLEANERS – 3 months on and still fighting

Every Friday, 1300 hours, Willis Building, 51 Lime Street, London EC3M 7DQ
(tube: Liverpool Street / Bank; bus 25)

3 women - 1 man; 2 Latin Americans - 2 Africans; 1 shop steward - 3 union members; 4 FIGHTERS.

All four have now been holding demonstrations with supporters for almost 3 months now! Come and join the weekly picket this Friday as we wait to find out if the Unite union will decide to take up their cases again with the employer Mitie, following a recent meeting between the workers, latino organisations and the union.

williscleaners4justice@live.co.uk tels: Edwin 07931 464 890 or Alberto 07803 634 319

Coming up this month -

SAT 25TH APRIL – SOLIDARITY WITH FORD VISTEON OCCUPIERS

North London- Solidarity Gathering/Rally & Ford Action

Rally at 11am at the Ford Viseon plant in Enfield, Morson Road, off Meridian Way (A1055) London EN3 4NQ View Map
Following the rally, we will be organising oursleves into small groups to do leafleting at Ford sites in London.

More information: http://visteonoccupation.wordpress.com/

SUNDAY 26TH APRIL 12 - 6 PM - DIRECT ACTION CASEWORK TRAINING

The next LCAP direct action casework will be at the Arbour Youth Centre, 100 Shandy Street, Stepney Green, E1. Learn advocacy skills and find out how LCAP works with people to fight for their rights. It will be on April the 26th, that's a Sunday, from 12pm until 6pm. We'll provide lunch and refreshments, so don't worry about that. The training is free but donations are welcome.

Please try and let us know if you're coming (by emailing londoncoalitionagainstpoverty@gmail.com) , so we can sort out the food, training materials etc.

SUNDAY 26TH MAY 2PM ONWARDS – PAPERS FOR ALL BANNER AND PLACARD MAKING

The Coordinadora Latinoamericana invites all to join in a May 4 banner and placard making workshop to be held 2pm onwards, Sunday 26 April, rampART, 15 -17 Rampart Street, London E1 2LA (parallel to Commercial Rd)

The door will not be open - knock hard! Every group taking part is being asked to donate £20 towards materials (CAIC can agree to this for sure).

The Coordinadora will be using Papers 4 All and Noone is Illegal as main slogans as agreed at the public meeting, and some others people there suggested.

Actions are planned for 1 May and 4 May on papers for all, including a public meeting on 1 May, at 4.30pm at Exmouth Arms with speakers from Campaign Against Immigration Controls, the Tamil community and others... email annemarie.oreilly@gmail.com for more details

TUE 28TH APRIL 7.30PM – LCAP READING GROUP

As announced at the last LCAP meeting, the first reading group will meet on Tuesday 28th April in the Pembury Arms, 90 Amhurst Road, from 7.30pm. Here is a map: http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&rls=en-us&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=pembury+arms+hackney&fb=1&split=1&cid=0,0,16718430165150448706&ei=10zwSYCNOofUjAe0rJm8DA&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&resnum=1

The nearest train station is Hackney Central. The reading is a short chapter called 'A Strategy to End Poverty' by Richard Cloward and Francis Piven. If you need a copy of this e-mail George (georgehblavender@yahoo.co.uk) and I will try to send you one. If you can come to this, please send me an e-mail. Are there any suggestions for future readings?

WEDNESDAY 6TH MAY – 7PM – CASEWORK MEETING

All people doing casework with LCAP are required to attend. If you have not done casework with LCAP before, but would like to get involved, then please email londoncoalitionagainstpoverty@gmail.com to ask for an invitation.

At the meeting we will be discussing the open cases and their progress, allowing everyone to contribute ideas and knowledge. We will also discuss casework procedures, the casework officer role, our capacity for casework and the potential for collective action.

THURS 7TH MAY – 7.30PM – LCAP GENERAL MEETING and AGM

Freedom Bookshop, Angel Alley, 84b Whitechapel High St, E1 7QX, nearest tube Aldgate East.

Come along to LCAP's General meeting to get involved in one of our three working groups (which meet from 7.30-8.30pm) – Job Centre, Homeless Persons Unit and Temporary Accommodation - and find out about what else is going on in LCAP (from 8.30pm – 9.30pm).

This meeting will also elect interim officers and plan the budget until we have another AGM (slightly later than planned in July). We're definitely looking for a treasurer(s) and accessibility officer(s). Email londoncoalitionagainstpoverty@gmail.com if you want more info about these roles.

SATURDAY 9TH MAY – HACKNEY COUNCIL EVICTS HOMELESS FAMILIES - DEMONSTRATE AGAINST EVICTIONS

2pm Saturday 9 May Rally outside 67A Stoke Newington rd N16 - the Hackney temporary accommodation office

Everyone needs a home – but Ahmed Dalvi (Manager of Hackney temporary accommodation services) thinks he can ask the police to carry out illegal evictions, throwing people and their children out of hostels with nowhere to go. In Hackney’s temporary accommodation hostels people get thrown out with little warning. The locks on rooms have been changed while people are out. At other times managers have told people they have to leave – or worse arrive with the police to break down the door.

These evictions are traumatic for the families who are thrown out and affects their children. This is bullying. Some people are made to leave their hostel rooms for as little reason as having a friend over, or going away for a few nights.

Hackney council avoids their duty to house the homeless by using ‘gatekeeping’ tactics. Throwing people out of temporary accommodation is one way they try to avoid housing people. We all need good, secure homes we can afford.

We will demonstrate on Saturday the 9th May to say NO MORE EVICTIONS.

Let Hackney Council and the police know we will not ignore their brutal evictions.

We need to stand together to defend our right to housing.

If you are a hostel or temporary accommodation resident... Join LCAP before the demonstration for a meeting from 11am - 1pm at Shakespeare Walk Adventure playground, Shakespeare Walk.

THURS 21ST MAY – 7.30PM – LCAP GENERAL MEETING

Freedom Bookshop, Angel Alley, 84b Whitechapel High St, E1 7QX, nearest tube Aldgate East.

Come along to LCAP's General meeting to get involved in one of our three working groups (which meet from 7.30-8.30pm) – Job Centre, Homeless Persons Unit and Temporary Accommodation - and find out about what else is going on in LCAP (from 8.30pm – 9.30pm).

SAT 30 MAY – 1PM – SPEAK OUT AGAINST DUNCAN, LEWIS & CO.

1pm at Duncan, Lewis & Co on corner of Balls Pond Rd and Kingsland Rd

Many people LCAP takes action with have been let down by Duncan, Lewis & Co – people have been evicted and deported because of the poor service they received from this firm of solicitors. Join LCAP for a SPEAK OUT – help spread the word that they cannot be trusted. Stop them driving the standard of Legal Aid advice downhill.

Future meetings...

From June, LCAP will have new meeting times (more details will be sent when venue confirmed!) -

* First Saturday of the month, in the afternoon
* Third Thursday of the month, 7.30pm at Freedom Bookshop, E1 7QX

Hope to see you soon!