Open Gym wins social enterprise competition!

Congratulations to local resident and founder of Open Gym, Jo Hill, who is one of three winners of a competition organised by Cancer Research UK. The Open Gym concept, which is currently operating in Hilly Fields, Telegraph Hill Park and two parks in north London, will now be rolled out nationwide, along with two other projects, as part of a plan to raise £10m for Cancer Research UK*.

It's a great concept - get people out doing exercise, which in itself reduces the risk of people getting cancer, and at the same time raise money for a cancer charity. I've recently started going to Open Gym, and find it more motivating than being stuck in a gym or going to an indoor fitness class. Too many hours spent in front of this computer or in council meetings mean that I'm currently the undisputed least fit participant in the Hilly Fields Open Gym (to the extent that the instructor has to give me easier variations on some of the exercises!), but I'm hoping to persevere!

So once again congratulations Jo!

*I have long had mixed feelings about Cancer Research UK - on the one hand they clearly do a lot of good work, and as someone who watched their father die an unpleasant death due to cancer, I'm as keen as anyone to find a cure. However, I don't agree with their ongoing funding of tests on animals, and prefer to donate to other cancer charities, such as Marie Curie or the Lavender Trust.

Links

Just wanted to flag up two sites I have recently added to the 'Local Links' section of the blog.

The first is Lewisham LINK (Local Involvement Network) the successor to PALS, what was the patient advice and liaison service, ie the body for hospital patients and other healthcare users to make their views/concerns known. It says it is "an inclusive network to enable people and organisations in Lewisham to have a say and influence the planning, commissioning and delivery of health and social care services to improve the health and well being of patients and service users". It is being run by Parkwood Healthcare and based at Ladywell Leisure Centre.

The second is to the Ladywell Assembly page on the Council's website, which gives details of our next ward assembly (January 20th), as well as the ward priorities, minutes of previous meetings, the localities fund spending etc.

Ladywell Chemist moving to Hilly Fields Medical Centre

We've received formal notification that Ladywell Chemist is moving from 79 Ladywell Road to Hilly Fields Medical Centre, 172-174 Adelaide Avenues, SE4 1JN. This has been on the cards for some time. My understanding is that the existing shop will remain but that the dispensing side of things will move up to the medical centre on Adelaide Avenue. I will check with the owners of the chemist that this is still the case, as I'm keen to ensure that we have a viable parade of shops on Ladywell Road, but moving the pharmacy to the doctors' surgery seems to make sense to me and will be more convenient for patients.

However, if anyone does have any concerns about the proposed move you should write to:

The Chief Executive
Family Health Services Appeal Unit
NHS Litigation Authority
30 Victoria Avenue
Harrogate
North Yorkshire, HG1 5PR
Tel. 01423 535280; Fax 01423 522 034
email: mail@fhsaa.nhs.uk
Website: www.fhsaa.nhs.uk/fhsaasha

Any representations should be received by 31st December 2008.

Walking and Cycling Events Coming Up

I just got this e-mailed to me from TfL and as it has lots of info about forthcoming walking and cycling events in London, I thought it worth posting here:

'Give Your Car the Day Off' Festival
Look out for annual free family festivals taking place throughout London, between
16 - 22 September. Selected local streets across London will be closed to traffic but open for people and fun activities so you can learn about greener and healthier ways to travel. For this and other events click on www.imovelondon.co.uk/events

Big WOW Day
The Big Walk on Wednesday takes place on 24 September and encourages children and parents to walk all or part of the way to school at least once a week. If you have children attending school or would simply like to know more about the Big WOW and the Walk to School campaign click on www.walktoschool.org.uk.

Walk to Work
Living Streets' Walking Works campaign has re-launched their website which is full of handy hints and tips to keep you motivated on your walk to and from work. Visit www.walkingworks.org.uk today!

London Freewheel
Pedal from your front door with led rides from your local borough into Central London on Sunday 21 September, where there will be a traffic-free circuit for riders to enjoy. New cyclists and families are welcome and will be helped along the way by the dedicated marshal team. To find out more about the event click on www.londonfreewheel.com

BikeJam
Central London hosts the start of this year's Tour of Britain on Sunday 7 September - a great day out for all Londoners. Alongside this, TfL will be hosting BikeJam; a free family- friendly, vibrant celebration of all things cycling related at Tower Hill. BikeJam will provide a fun day of activities, entertainment and experiences for all ages.
Click on www.visitlondon.com/tflbikejam for more details.

Competition time
Correctly answer the following question and email it to info@imovelondon.co.uk with your name and postal address before 31 October 2008. If your entry is among the first 100 received you will win some 'imovelondon' goodies.

On what date is the London Freewheel taking place?
For Terms and Conditions see tfl.gov.uk/imoveterms

Open Gym

A new exercise class has started on Hilly Fields for people who want to get fit but who hate the gym. It's called Open Gym and has been set up by local resident Jo Hill.

Hospital Demo

Above: Anne Garrett (Green Party GLA candidate for Bexley & Bromley), Sian Berry (Green Party Mayor of London candidate ) and me (Green Party GLA candidate for Greenwich & Lewisham).

Busy day today, with the 'Save our hospital services' march from Blackheath to Ladywell Fields, via Lewisham Hospital, recuperative lunch in Masons, then delivering London Green News in the afternoon.

Rather disappointing turnout for the march I thought, despite the best efforts of the organisers and lots of publicity in the local press - only about a hundred people (compared to around 1,500 at a similar march in Bexley a few weeks ago), and a good number of those were politicians keen to prove how much they wanted to 'save our hospital' (is there an election coming up or something?!). Admittedly it was a wet and windy day (although the rain held off for most of the march), but I'm concerned that the message hasn't really got through to a lot of residents about what is being proposed in the 'A Picture of Health' consultation.

A number of households haven't received the consultation document and many of those who did, may have read it and not understood it, as the options are presented in a very confusing way. I'm still struggling to get my head around the bizarre chart on p14, though I think I have just about sussed it now. Others feel disempowered and cynical about the whole thing, believing that it is a done deal. One of the passers-by I spoke to said as much. This is a real shame because if we want to save our services at Lewisham Hospital, we need to fight for them, otherwise the cuts will certainly be pushed through.

Just to be clear, option 3, which is understood to be the 'preferred option' (by the hospitals) involves downgrading Lewisham hospital by closing its children's department (one of the best in the country), downgrading A&E to an urgent care centre (ie only non-life threatening treatment or patients unlikely to require admission) and downgrading the maternity services (ante-natal care but no deliveries - you'll have to go elsewhere to give birth).

A Labour Party leaflet handed out today was encouraging people to go for option 2, which involves keeping the status quo at Lewisham, but, if I understand it correctly, cuts at Queen Mary's in Sidcup. Most others at the demo, Greens included, were saying that we shouldn't be playing off one borough's hospital against another's and should go for option 4, which is 'none of the above, think again'.

If you haven't already returned your response to the 'A Picture of Health' consultation, you have until 8th April to do so.

Sian, Ute and me recuperating after the demo at Masons on Ladywell Road. The place was absolutely packed - is this how people who aren't always out delivering yet another Green News spend their time then?!

Hospital Demo this Saturday

A march is taking place this Saturday to show local concern at proposals to cut services at Lewisham Hospital.

March and Demonstrate to Save Your Health Services
Saturday 29th March 2008. Assemble at All Saints Church, Montpelier Vale, Blackheath, SE3. Leaving at 11am to march to Lewisham Hospital and then to Ladywell Fields for a rally and speeches at 12 noon.

The march has been organised by Lewisham & Greenwich Pensioners' Forums, and is supported by Greenwich and Lewisham Keep our NHS Public, UNISON Greenwich Local Government, Lewisham NUT, Greenwich NUT and Lewisham Trades Council.

For Facebook afficionados, there are two groups for those concerned at the proposals: Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich & Lewisham United Against Hospital Cuts and Stop Health Cuts in Lewisham.

Also, if you haven't already returned your response to the 'A Picture of Health' consultation, you have until 8th April to do so.

Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich & Lewisham United Against Hospital Cuts

hI've set up a new Facebook group for all those concerned at proposed reductions in hospital facilities in Lewisham, Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich, as outlined in the consultation 'A Picture of Health', which is currently landing on doormats throughout the four boroughs. You can join it here. There is another group, Stop Health Cuts in Lewisham, which I'm supporting, but thought it was important we also made clear that this isn't about playing off one borough against another, but making sure all four boroughs have the excellent, locally-provided services we all deserve.

Of course Facebook groups by themselves aren't going to achieve a great deal, but I think they are a useful way of bringing together concerned individuals and, if need be, mobilising people into action if the Primary Care Trusts do try to plough ahead with some of the more controversial proposals, such as closing the maternity, A&E and paediatric departments of one or two of the hospitals.

I'm not convinced that the arguments made for increasing expertise on one or two sites outweighs the drawbacks of having to travel much further to receive treatment or visit relatives in hospital. I also see no evidence of any research carried out by the PCTs to assess the carbon cost of their proposals.

Two important consultations

Sometimes as a councillor (and probably to local residents too) it seems like there is an endless round of consultations to respond to. Well there are two at the moment that I think are particularly important, which Lewisham Green Group will definitely be submitting responses to and I encourage others to do likewise.

A Picture of Health
A consultation on possible changes to how NHS services in south-east London are organised started yesterday and runs until 7th April. Everyone who lives in Lewisham, Greenwich, Bexley and Bromley should be getting details through their door, or the consultation can be viewed online at: http://www.apictureofhealth.nhs.uk/. There are four possible scenarios being consulted on, which include among other things proposals to close the A&E and maternity facililities at Lewisham Hospital. Suffice to say that this is controversial and will, I suspect, be a big issue in the forthcoming elections in London (even though the NHS is not really within the GLA or Mayor of London's remit). This consultation pre-empts the final publication of the Darzi report on healthcare in London.

Heathrow Expansion
The Department for Transport are currently consulting on proposals to expand Heathrow Airport. Putting aside arguments about climate change, not destroying historic villages etc, any expansion in capacity is likely to lead to increased noise and air pollution across much of London, including in south-east London which is directly under some flight paths. I would urge anyone concerned about how this may impact on their quality of life to respond. The consultation can be found at http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/heathrowconsultation/.
For Friends of the Earth's take on the expansion, see http://www.foe.org.uk/campaigns/transport/case_studies/heathrow.html.

Of course there was also the pseudo consultation on a new generation of nuclear power stations, but that was too shambolic for words, and I await the outcome of the next legal challenge by Greenpeace and other NGOs to that.

Oh, and there's also the planning bill currently going through parliament, which you may wish to lobby your MP about, as that will enable the government to force through major developments such as airports, nuclear power station and motorways. More info on the Friends of the Earth website: http://www.foe.org.uk/resource/local/planning/whats_going_on/index.html.

Take action on climate change and tackle obesity at the same time

The health secretary Alan Johnson has today declared that the public health threat posed by obesity in the UK is a "potential crisis on the scale of climate change".

Come off it Alan, try telling that to the people of Bangladesh and other countries likely to be hit hardest by the impact of climate change (or Londoners or those in Norfolk, for that matter). To quote Tony Blair from 2003:

"We face a situation in which 50 million people in Asia could be killed or displaced by floods, further swathes of Africa could be reduced to desert, accompanied by massive deforestation in central and South America, and huge increases in disease, particularly malaria. And it is the poorest countries, particularly in Asia and Africa, which will suffer the most devastating effects of these changes."

It is of course concerning that we are rapidly becoming an obese nation, and we do need to tackle it, but on a par with climate change, even within the UK?!

There are however some interesting correlations between obesity and climate change and some easy steps to tackle both at once:

• Start walking and cycling more and ditch the car
• Start buying more fresh, locally-produced food or better still, grow your own (if you can get an allotment)
• Eat less meat.
• Turn off the TV/computer/Playstation and do something more active/sociable instead

So perhaps the 'obesity crisis' is in fact a great opportunity to see some belated action to tackle climate change? Interesting report I found: Unfit for purpose: How car use fuels climate change and obesity.

Meanwhile in Lewisham Green Party we are thinking of offering a special 'Green gym weightloss programme', which basically involves delivering lots of our newsletters . . . any takers?!