The Roundabout Kids meet once a month at the Book Club in Shoreditch to talk business and to make friends. Pic: Saskia Black

In Shoreditch a monthly meeting called the Roundabout Kids has started to bring young entrepreneurs working in the the tech scene at the Silicon Roundabout together.

Alex Nguyen and friend Vishal Ladwar thought it would be a good idea to have meetings for young professionals who want to start up their own business on the internet or already run one.

23 year-old Vishal told East London Lines that it is an opportunity for like-minded people “who have the same passions for start ups and technology” to come together and talk about their ideas.

The meetings also offer a chance for young people to get involved in the tech scene and the start up culture, something that Vishal says “can be very daunting.”

The Roundabout Kids poster. Pic: the Roundabout Kids

Through sharing ideas, Vishal says it is also a chance to improve their business prospects:

“It’s a way for people to learn more about the industry, to meet people with the same interests and to make friends.”

East London Lines went along to this month’s meeting and spoke to Meera Trivedi, a 24 year old PR agent. Meera said being a part of the Roundabout Kids offers a great chance to see what is going on in the start-up scene, to “share ideas” and to get reliable advice:

“If you want an upfront answer, I’m sure they’ll give it to you. They’ll say what doesn’t work and people will give you other ideas.”

As well as talking business, the meetings are an opportunity to socialise.

The Roundabout Kids happens in Shoreditch for people working in the Silicone Roundabout, but the attendance grows, and Vidal hopes it could “pop up in other boroughs.”

The venue is currently the Book Club in Shoreditch. Tickets need to be brought in advance from here.

Pic: The Newspaper Society

The South London Press, one of the famous titles in London’s print media, is supporting Local Newspaper Week, by emphasizing the role of local papers as “being essential to democracy.”

The paper has had a turnaround in fortunes and is bucking the trend in local paper closures and rationalization after being taken over by the Tindle group in 2007.

It fully backs a national initiative running from Monday May 13 until Sunday May 19 organised by the Newspaper Society while a political battle rages over a Royal Charter to regulate newspaper and online content.

The NS theme this year is press freedom and the Society is stressing the importance of the local newspapers’ power to “scrutinize authority and hold the powerful to account.”

The society has published a report this week on the findings of a survey of local newspaper editors looking at press freedom issues including the effect of the Leveson Inquiry on the industry, but this has been condemned by Hacked Off as “Unscientific and Misleading.”

The Society’s survey reports that “Nearly half of all local newspaper editors believe the Leveson Inquiry has negatively affected their titles’ relationship with readers.”

It has been reported that Hacked Off’s executive director Brian Cathcart has written to local and regional newspaper editors arguing “The Royal Charter approved by all parties in Parliament in March is good for working journalists, good for the regional and local press – and good for the public.”

The Newspaper Society supports a rival majority industry proposed Royal Charter and their intervention persuaded the Prime Minister to put the all-party Hacked Off backed Royal Charter on hold.

Lobbying group attacking Newspaper Society survey of local editors.

Press Freedom Week campaign and events

The week’s events  include today’s Newspaper Society’s Annual General Meeting and the Society of Editors Regional Press Awards at Savoy Place.

The awards ceremony, run in conjunction with the Society of Editors and Journalists’ Charity, will be hosted by LBC presenter Nick Ferrari, and will celebrate regional and local journalism.

There are currently 1,100 local newspapers in the UK and 1,600 associated websites. According to the British Market Research Bureau, 30.9 million people read a local newspaper every week, making it the most widely read print medium in Britain.

The campaign has been backed by a number of high profile supporters, including Lorraine Kelly, Lord Hunt and the retiring Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales Lord Igor Judge.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said “the way we ingest news is changing fast but I truly believe there remains an important place for well-informed, local journalism that speaks about the issues and concerns of the local community.”

Supporters of the Local Newspaper Week
Individual Pics: The NS
Graphics: Hannah Newton

Campaigning by the South London Press

The South London Press is one of the newspaper groups supporting the campaign. Founded in 1848, the newspaper provides weekly publications for the boroughs of Lewisham, Lambeth, Southwark, Wandsworth, Merton and Greenwich.  The newspaper, originally a Trinity Mirror publication, was taken over by the independent, family owned group Tindle Newspapers in 2007.

The South London Press will be backing the Local Newspaper Week, by interviewing local people and covering it editorially. They are also broadcasting an interview with the group’s founder, Sir Ray Tindle, about press freedom and the importance of the local press.

East London Lines spoke to the South London Press Managing Director, Peter Edwards who said “Press Freedom is something we as a nation should be proud of” and that we should “strive always to protect that.”

It is clear that this year’s campaign theme, Press Freedom, is in response to the Leveson Inquiry and the prospects of press regulation. Lord Justice Leveson, in his report, recommended that local newspapers be considered and that they should not face the same treatment as the national press.

Peter Edwards, of SLP, said that “The Leveson Report specifically mentioned local papers as not being complicit in what went wrong.”

He said that Lord Justice Leveson acknowledged that they served an important role in their communities and that factors such as the recession have meant that the local press have had a hard time in recent years.

Edwards said that the government and all party Royal Charter campaigned for by Hacked Off have been “a broad brush that don’t serve our needs or the needs of our readers.”

The Newspaper Society calls the government’s royal charter “state-sponsored” regulation. Peter Edwards said that the newspapers’ alternative charter differentiates much more clearly between the serial offenders and the local papers who “just have the best interests of their communities at heart.”

However, the campaigning organisation Hacked Off has attacked the Newspaper Society’s position alleging it: “has, unfortunately, consistently failed to give a fair representation of the findings of the Leveson inquiry to the public and to its members. It has consistently misunderstood and misrepresented the effect of his recommendations on the local press.”

Edwards says “power to scrutinize authority and hold the powerful to account” is not the sole objective of a local newspaper.

He highlighted the unique and privileged position of the South London Press, saying that they are “not only a voice for the community, but they also celebrate with the community and they also mourn with the community.”

He stressed that the role is also commercial, as the local press is an essential part of the local economy: “they rely on and support the high street.”

According to the NS, 62 million unique users visit local news websites each month.

With local people blogging and tweeting stories as soon as they break, some newspapers may be concerned about the demand for publications. But SLP’s Peter Edwards said that the new media is a channel they embrace, through their own websites and social networks, as well as feeding online material into their printed publications.

However, he is also confident that this new source of information “doesn’t in any way lessen the importance of the printed word”, quoting that families will always want to buy “first day at school pictures” in print.

Sanford is the oldest purpose-built housing co-operative in London Pics: Sean Mullervy

A Deptford housing cooperative now accommodating 120 people continues to thrive in “a crisis” London housing market described as desperately short of affordable private renting and home ownership.

In the last fortnight renters across London have staged protests against disproportionate fees and rents charged by letting agents. At a speech in Worcester on April 25, Ed Miliband laid out propositions for housing reform, and proposed a landlord’s register to go some way to regulating the private rental housing market and protecting tenants. The coalition government is offering subsidised mortgages to try to help first-time buyers onto the housing ladder. Politicians are acknowledging that there is a problem with housing provisions in the UK.

However, at Sanford Housing Co-operative in Deptford, some 120 people are managing to avoid the pitfalls of the traditional housing market. For around 40 years, Sanford Walk has been nestled in the nook of a branching train line in suburban south London. It’s a peaceful, private street with verdant gardens, a pond full of frogs and fish and an impressive bike shed built from old railway sleepers. It was set up by student activists in the 1970s to provide affordable accommodation for single people priced out of the London housing market.

The rent is very reasonable — the residents at Sanford pay £250 a month, including all bills and council tax, which is almost unheard of for a location just a few minutes from central London by train. The reason the rent can be kept so low is that there is no landlord. The tenants of a co-operative own the site collectively, and the money they pay in rent all goes back into the site. Each resident has a responsibility to contribute to the running and maintenance of the site.

Mark Langford is a support officer who helps with the administration of Sanford. He said that a co-operative is a housing model which provides a stable, affordable home in a strong community. Members have control over their own housing and there is no profit motive. There are occasionally problems with conflict between members, but Mark says  the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

“You have to acknowledge that it’s not a perfect system, but it’s pretty good,” Langford said. “Everyone has a right to have a democratic say in how the place is run, which has got to be a good thing in the end.”

The members have a lot of interest from other groups who want to set up their own co-operatives. They come to Sanford as a pioneer of its kind to find out how to progress but, Langford said, “unless you’ve got money, it’s very difficult to set co-ops up in London and the South-East, because things are just so expensive here”.

If a co-operative housing model can succeed on a larger scale, the government would have to do more to encourage it.

On the evening of April 29, a documentary entitled Living In The Future was screened at Sanford. It was part of the Deptford and New Cross Free Film Festival which had been taking place at venues in the area last week.

The subject of the film is the establishment of Lammas, a low-impact eco-village in Pembrokeshire in South Wales. It is about people who are seeking an alternative kind of housing, and how that alternative model can fit into mainstream society.

The event was organised by Maura Framrose. She’s been living at Sanford for about six months, and has organised several events at the co-op for the film festival. Her aim is to educate and explain to people alternative housing models. The private rental market, she says, is a system that benefits nobody. “I don’t blame landlords. I blame the system that we’ve created whereby a lot of people are like, ‘Oh, great, house prices are rising, let’s buy up, let’s buy to make money.’ No. You need somewhere to live. That’s basic.”

One reason people are turning to co-operative models is because house prices are unaffordable, especially for single people. Alternative housing models are being sought not because they are radical, but because they are practical. While a place like Sanford may lie somewhat outside of the mainstream, Framrose said they are inundated with applications from people wanting to live there.

But is co-operative housing a viable large-scale solution to Britain’s housing problems?

Both Langford and Framrose pointed out that, while people of all ages live there, co-operative housing as it’s manifested at Sanford is most suited to young people. Couples and families are not allowed.

Dr Tom Moore is an assistant researcher at the Centre for Housing Research at the University of St Andrews. His field of expertise is community land trusts, which are similar to co-ops. Community groups purchase land and hold it in trust so it can’t be sold on the market. In England, most of these trusts have the aim of providing affordable housing. There’s one in Tower Hamlets — the East London Community Land Trust — and like Sanford, members pay £1 for a share and can then vote on issues affecting the organisation.

Co-operatives and community land trusts can provide a solution, but at the moment it’s only on a small scale. Dr Moore said, “In an era when government policy is very much favouring home ownership and it doesn’t seem very keen to invest in social housing or other forms of affordable accommodation, these communities are the ones who are doing that in their local area.”

As well as financial investment from the government, there would also need to be infrastructure and supportive organisations. The Localism Act (2011) has placed a certain amount of power into the hands of community groups should they choose to exploit it, but Dr Moore said it’s too early to assess what impact this will have.

“Simply introducing legislation alone isn’t the answer,” Moore said. “There needs to be a simultaneous injection of resources as well.

“There are viable housing alternatives for many communities and they can make a significant contribution to the housing sector, but it’s not a cost-free solution for the government. It’s not a cheap option. It still requires resourcing, it requires support and there’s a significant role for

infrastructure organisations to help support communities to fulfil their objectives.”

Housing co-ops like Sandford could be a viable solution to rising housing costs. Pic: Sean Mullervy

Michelle Smith is the London lead manager at the National Housing Federation. She said the most pressing problem for housing in London was the short supply of homes:

“Housing co-operatives can be a great solution for local people looking for more affordable and secure rental options. As a country, however, we need to address the real root of the housing crisis: we’re simply not building enough homes.

“As London’s population increases, demand for housing is rising but supply isn’t keeping pace with demand. This means prices are on the up, waiting lists for social housing are getting longer, and renters are not in a strong position to negotiate with letting agents and landlords.

“The only long-term solution is to build more homes of all kinds to ease the London housing crisis.”

At this stage, it seems unlikely that co-ops will provide a large-scale solution to housing problems in London, unless there is significant investment and support. As Langford and Framrose both pointed out, it’s up to individuals — and collectives — to take matters into their own hands and seek out an alternative.

Large drop in ELL local government high earners revealed in Taxpayers’ Alliance Report

A substantial drop in the number of high earners employed by  Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Lewisham have been noted in a national survey of council employee remuneration by The Taxpayers’ Alliance.

In 2011-12 Hackney Council reduced the number of employees earning more than £100,000 from 21 to 11.

Tower Hamlets, one of the poorest Boroughs in the United Kingdom in terms of social deprivation, reduced their high earners by two thirds- cutting employees receiving in excess of £100,000 from 31 to 1o.

Lewisham has cut back on their £100,000 plus earners from 13 in 2010-11 to 10 in 2011-12.

Only Croydon, which is ranked 11th in the British league table of local authorities paying the highest number of employees six figure sum salaries, increased its number from 20 to 23.

Taxpayers’ Alliance breakdown of top six earners at Croydon Council in 2011-12

The figures are published online in council annual finance accounts, but the Taxpayers’ Alliance, a pressure group that describes itself as “Britain’s independent grassroots campaign for lower taxes” regularly researches, collates and compares the data as well as adding information through Freedom of Information Act requests.

The Alliance says: “It is good news that the number of senior council staff making more than £100,000 a year is finally falling, although that may only be because many authorities have finished paying eye-watering redundancy bills.”

“Sadly, too many local authorities are still increasing the number of highly-paid staff on their payroll, some of whom are given hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation just to move from one public sector job to another,” they add.

ELL boroughs were a long way from matching Katherine Kerswell the former chief of Kent County Council who was earning nearly £600,000.

The highest earners identified in the Alliance report for 2011-12  with the figure including employer pension contributions were:

Lewisham: Barry Quirk CBE Chief Executive £230,864

[During the tax year 2011-12 Barry Quirk's actual remuneration was reduced to the equivalent of 3 working days per week and charging "an inclusive salary of £115,432."

Hackney: Tim Shields Chief Executive  £207,083

Tower Hamlets: Unnamed in unknown post  £182,500

Tower Hamlets has been without a chief executive since the resignation of Kevan Collins in July 2011.

Croydon: Jon Rouse Chief Executive £232,818

Jon Rouse resigned in January 2013 to join the the Department of Health as Director General of Social Care, Local Government and Care Partnerships.

Honey bees inside the hive Pic:Hannah Newton

Beekeepers and honey bee experts in East London Line Boroughs are on the front line of a national crisis in the insect’s population and doing everything they can to halt its decline. Bees are vital to pollination for the country’s multi-billion pound agricultural industries.

At the same time an urban bee culture has developed in Croydon, Hackney, Lewisham and Tower Hamlets and the insect has gone from pest to trendy pet.

More people are keeping bees in their gardens and urban bee enthusiasts are organising politically as well as evangalising their hobby as a positive contribution to the environment. But as the ELL investigation below reveals, too much bee keeping in the city may not be such a good thing.

Decline of British honey bees

Over the last century the number of honey bees has declined by 75-per cent. Alongside worries that a species of insect may be lost, bees are vital to the country’s eco-system. One in three mouthfuls of the food we eat is dependent on pollination and the economic value of pollination services provided by bees amounts to €265 billion globally.

There has been an ongoing media campaign to raise awareness, including the Bee Cause adverts run by Friends of the Earth and numerous online petitions.

Debate around bee population decline is ongoing, with factors such as the varroa mite and the fall in the amount of suitable habitats being explored. But the most recent research suggests that certain types of pesticide are to blame for bee deaths.

The European Environment Agency made recommendations for a change in policy after research showed that the neonicotinoid chemical, which impacts the central nervous system of insects, was shown to be a contributing factor in bee decline. This has resulted in the European Commission announcing a restriction on the use of three forms of the neonicotinoid chemicals. The European Environment Agency commented that “The ban, while welcomed, is limited in scope and should be seen as only a starting point on the discourse over the use of this class of pesticides.”

A petition of nearly 3 million signatures in support of the ban had been presented to the government and a demonstration called the March of the Beekeepers outside Parliament saw protesters calling for a ban. However, the UK did not vote in favour of the restrictions, stating that more research was needed.  Once put into place, the ban will be EU-wide and the UK will not be exempt.

Raising “bee awareness” in East London Lines

East London Lines decided to find out what was being done in the local area to raise bee awareness and to learn how locals can get involved. David Shepherd and Ron Williams are members of the Croydon Beekeepers Association.

David Shepherd and Ron Williams of the Croydon Beekeepers Association, lighting the smoker Pic: Hannah Newton

Founded in 1879, the group provides a source of information for current beekeepers, whilst also educating members of the public and school groups. Based at a council-owned allotment in Purley, Croydon, the apiary holds the society hives, as well as a number of private colonies. The plot of land has been planted with wild flowers and crab apple hedges, alongside adapted water features, to create a bee-friendly environment. Beekeeper and former science teacher, David Shepherd described that “you never stop learning about beekeeping” and says that the society has protective bee suits and display hives for people of all ages to use and to learn from.

When asked about his own experiences as a beekeeper, David Shepherd said that the current problem of bee decline is a result of a “multiplicity of factors”, but stressed that it was definitely a result of human intervention.

In reference to the decision to restrict neonicotoid David said that he was not completely in favour of the decision.  He argued that not enough research has been carried out and that this most recent research has taken the focus away from other factors, such as the varroa.

With the current bee campaigns asking people to get involved, ELL asked The Croydon Beekeepers what they thought locals could do to get involved. Contrary to current trends, David Shepherd said that he does not recommend that Londoners keep bees themselves. He referenced research at the University of Sussex by Professor Francis Ratnieks (the only professor of Apiculture in the country) stating that a square kilometre can only sustain up to five colonies. With over two and a half thousand registered beekeepers in a city of about 1,500 square km, there is not enough forage to sustain the number of hives in London. The association recommends that locals get involved in a different way, by funding and  lobbying for more research into a field lacking adequate statistics.

Tim Evans from the Hackney Community Tree Nursery and Edible Forest Garden commented that there are lots of different options for locals who want to help the Bee Cause. Tim suggested that people could think about avoiding using pesticides and buying organic food products. He urged people to plant pollen and nectar bearing plants, saying “A window box is better than nothing, you’ll be amazed what turns up.”

Arifa Arab currently runs the Eat a Rainbow Food Co-op Pic: Hana Walker-Brown

The 170 Community Health Project  is calling for volunteers to assist with their fresh fruit and vegetable stall,  the Eat a Rainbow Food Co-op.

The project seeks to support the community by promoting cost effective access to healthy food.

Eat a Rainbow Food Co-Op is a branch of the 170 Community charity organisation based in New Cross.

It says its main aim is to support individuals and groups that have been marginalised from mainstream economic, social and cultural opportunities.

The volunteer-run co-op  was set up in 2012 to provide New Cross with good quality, fresh fruit and veg at affordable prices.

Arfia Arab has recently taken over the running of the food co-op stall and stressed the importance of  providing for the community:

“Fresh produce can be very expensive in the supermarkets and we understand the importance of getting our five a day, so we’re trying to build a bridge between that — making it healthy and affordable for our community.”

All produce is freshly sourced from the new Spitalfields Market and is well received by locals.

One customer said, “I find the big shops very expensive but this is a good price for me, and it’s very fresh. I always let them keep the change because they are a good charity.”

Arab is positive about her position within the community.

“I love doing the job,” she said.  “I love meeting the local people, answering their queries and providing for them every week.”

With only a handful of current volunteers, she is hoping that the warmer weather will bring in extra hands.

“We are currently trying to expand, so we are looking for more volunteers,” Arab said. “Luckily the weather is changing so hopefully more people would like to come and spend time outside in the sunshine on the stall!”

Eat a Rainbow Food Co-op is open every Monday between 9:30am and 1pm outside the New Cross post office. Volunteers can contact Arfia Arab directly at arfia@170cp.org.uk

Taser gun used by the Metropolitan Police. Pic: Saskia Black

Stop Criminalising Hackney Youth, a campaigning group monitoring the policing of young people,  is questioning the roll out of  Metropolitan Police tasers in the Borough in the light of controversial incidents elsewhere of suspects being  injured or dying during “taser arrests.”

East London Lines reporter Saskia Black has been given permission to attend  a training day and the Met Police revealed their thinking behind the introduction of  tasers to policing throughout London.

In each of the East London Lines boroughs: Lewisham, Croydon, Hackney and Tower Hamlets, forty police officers are being trained on how to use tasers- also known as  “electronic stun guns.”

The Met Police say it will mean they will have the means to control violent situations and this will reduce the risk of death and injury to suspects, police and the  public.

In addition to the use of four tasers  in each borough, a pan-London emergency response team will be available across the capital.

On 26 April the IPCC launched an inquiry into the case of  a man in Plymouth who doused himself in flammable liquid and died after being tasered.

The IPCC said: “Our investigation will be looking at what information was known to the officers attending the scene; the officer’s rationale for discharging a Taser on a person known to be doused in flammable liquid; whether the discharge of the Taser caused the fuel to ignite; and we will look at training and policies.”

In Hackney, Stop Criminalising Hackney Youth, set up by youth worker Emeka Egbuono, is campaigning against their introduction. The group met last week to discuss their concerns over the increase in the use of what they see as “a firearm that can cause injury and distrust between the police and the community that goes beyond what normally happens when the police are called.”

Taser with red aim button. Pic: Saskia Black

Tasers discharge five thousand volts to carry amps into the target causing  neuro-muscular incapacitation. This disrupts the messages between the brain and muscles. Police use this to make a person fall to the floor.

The technique has been successfully deployed to disrupt violent situations and stop suspects from self-harming, attacking the police or others around them.

In 2011 a Goldsmiths student filmed police officers in Brockley who only had plastic dustbins and truncheons to deal with a disturbed man brandishing a large machete.

Earlier this year the Met Police were able to safely use a taser when a man produced a long knife outside Buckingham Palace.

Sergeant Andy Harding, the lead taser trainer for the Metropolitan Police, says tasers could have been used in situations in the past to prevent violence and loss of life.

But Stop Criminalising Hackney Youth warns taser use could lead to an intimidating form of social control and argues its case in an online pamphlet.

Sophie Khan, a solicitor-advocate and Director for the Police Action Centre, outlined the concerns raised by Stop Criminalising Hackney Youth:

The pamphlet states that over five hundred people in the USA have died after being tasered.

But Steve Tuttle, Vice President of Communications of Taser International, the company which makes tasers and distributes them worldwide, says:  “[In the US] to date there are approximately 50 cases in which the TASER system was listed as causal, contributory or couldn’t be ruled out in the cause of death.”

He said the statistic used by the campaigners is the number who were in proximity to a taser when they died, but the taser being the cause of their death was dismissed “by medical examiners in the autopsies.”

Metropolitan Police will have 40 more officers trained in every borough Photo: Met Police

Another figure used by Stop Criminalising Hackney Youth  and others is that between 2008 and 2011 the number of tasers being used on people with emotional and mental problems has increased by ten percent from twenty to thirty percent. The police have not denied this statistic and concern is growing that tasers would be used on vulnerable people.

The Deputy Chief Constable of West Mercia Police, Simon Chesterman, has national responsibility, on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers for armed policing and Taser policy.

He says it is unfortunate that people who are in situations where there is a threat of violence do often have emotional and mental issues and tasers are thought to be the only way that police can control the situation. This is preferred to more aggressive techniques.

Taser Training Day

East London Lines reporter Saskia Black was given access to a Metropolitan Police Taser training session to see how officers are actually trained to use the device and understand what kind of scenarios they are taught to use them in.

The training takes place over three days. The officers who undergo the taser training have been specially chosen by their team Inspector, who deems them suitable candidates to use the device. They have to take an eye exam, a fitness test and safety training before they attend.

After two days of training, they have to participate in scenarios; some in which tasers should be deployed and others where the officers should judge that they should not.

The scenarios involve instances where there are safety concerns, such as being in close proximity to flammable objects.  Afterwards, the individual officer’s rationale and judgement are rigorously questioned, and they have to explain and defend their decision using law and policing protocol.

During the training day, Sergeant Andy Harding explained that if a suspect does have mental and/or emotional issues,  is branding a weapon seemingly to hurt others, only after the communication has broken down, can the police be justified in using a baton. But batons can cause a lot of bodily harm. The strength and impact of a baton depends on the situation.

It is assumed that in a more stressful situation a baton would be administered with more force. Tasers, Sergeant Andy Harding explains, always cause the same amount of pain, whatever the stress of the situation; a pain that Sergeant Harding himself has felt, as he has been tasered so he can relate to the feeling of it.

Objectors to tasers fear that they could be abused by the police who resort to their use as a compliance tool in petty situations.

But throughout the training day the officers undergoing training were strictly instructed to use tasers only where they could judge and recognise the potential for violence:

1) They use verbal communication in the first instance;

2) If they feel the situation cannot be calmed down using words they then warn the suspect that they have a taser;

3) This warning continues to be given when producing the taser for use;

4) They are trained to deploy it only if necessary and according to a decision making process that is drilled into them during the training.

Sergeant Andy Harding says in real life, police officers would rarely have to deploy them because releasing the taser from its holster is usually enough to calm the situation they are in.

Last year, 25% of officers failed the training.

The training  is regarded by the weapon’s manufacturer, Taser International, as world-leading.

However, the fear in Hackney is that some police officers could either forget or ignore this training.

ACPO’s Deputy Chief Constable Simon Chesterman says every time a taser is deployed it stores encrypted data that cannot be deleted by the officer using it, which is then uploaded into the police database and can be analysed by people at various levels in the police system, including the Home Office.

Every deployment on the database needs to be justified as does every time one is released from its holster. If there is any misuse Sergeant Andy Harding is adamant that such conduct would place a police officer’s career in jeopardy.

Advocate-solicitor,  Sophie Khan, believes public confidence in Hackney and the rest of London, requires the Met to be open about their use of tasers:

The Met Police would argue that giving an East London Lines reporter full access to a police taser training day is a clear sign that public assurance is something they want to achieve. Deputy Chief Constable Chesterman said he is happy to “get the facts out there”  if  “people feel like they need more information.”

The Metropolitan Police in Lewisham announced the presence of Taser-trained officers in the Borough 25 March.

Superintendent Michael Gallagher said: “This will be used alongside the baton and CS spray which is carried by all trained operational front line officers. Taser is often less harmful to offenders than striking them with an asp or using CS spray and it is a less lethal option than using a firearm.”

He added: “It is the police officer’s decision as to what equipment to use to remedy any given situation and they must justify its use.”

Action for Croydon’s Environment group working at the South Norwood Country Park Pic: Flo Neve

Action for Croydon’s Environment  is on the front-line of  volunteer groups battling to protect green spaces in Croydon.

They are part of a national umbrella organisation called The Conservation Volunteers, founded in 1959,  in response to large areas like playing fields, allotments and nature parks being sold off by UK councils.

The Croydon group are ‘reclaiming’ their local environment on a project-by-project basis.

They are currently working on a scheme in South Norwood Country Park.  A 47 hectare park that was once used for sewage farms to serve the London population, it is now a designated nature reserve.

The group are fencing off reeds around the ponds to protect them from a type of goose that feeds on them in summer. They have also been cutting back willow branches to allow sunlight to get to the pond, protecting pond-life.

Equipment for fencing off the protected area Pic: Flo Neve

Projects like this, according to co-ordinator Dave Johnson, encourage residents to take responsibility for what is around them. Dave told ELL that South Norwood Country Park is one of a handful of highly bio-diverse habitats to be found in Croydon.

Twice a week Dave meets the volunteers in Croydon town centre and drives them by mini-bus to various green sites around the borough. He believes the project has social as well as environmental benefits.

East London Lines spoke to Carlos who has been volunteering with the group for twelve years and said that the work “keeps me out of trouble.”

Andy, a volunteer who recently began working with the group after loosing his job,  said that it gives him something to do and offers the opportunity to get away from Croydon’s busy centre where he lives. He commented:  “I feel more relaxed when I’m out, away from loads of people. I think it’s important to keep these sorts of places going.”

Although Dave has no problem recruiting volunteers, funding is an issue. He thinks it is part of broader failure by funding bodies to invest in green spaces in Croydon, like this one.

But in such a difficult economic climate, there is an argument that it is urban regeneration projects that should take precedence. Dave, however, believes there should be a balance.

If  further support was there, this kind of work could potentially generate employment, as well as conserving the countryside.  As things stand, voluntary work does not always provide a long-term solution for individuals, considering the high living costs in London. Volunteer, Andy, said that he was aware of this:  “It would be good if there was some work being created for people too.  I enjoy it and I’d do it anyway, but it’s true that it doesn’t pay the rent.”

But for now, Dave believes that what is most important is for the group to carry on achieving what they can, to “sustain what we’re doing and keep doing it well.”

Stalls at Ladywell Day Centre’s Spring Event Pic: Hana Walker-Brown

The Ladywell Day Centre is celebrating reaching the final stages of  a significant funding bid and holding its Spring Event this week.

The Department of Health announced that the Ladywell Day Centre is amongst successful applicants for stage 1 of the £50 million funding of capital projects to improve care environments for people with dementia.

Day Care Coordinator Ester Wiskerke-den Heijer  put in the bid for funding and also organised the Centre’s Spring Event, which played host to a variety of activities for both clients and the public in an attempt to raise money and awareness of the Centre’s Alzheimer and Dementia services.

Funding will  provide Ladywell Day Centre with what Esther calls the “necessary tweaks” to improve the environment for her Clients.

The first thing to go will be the floor, Esther explained, “this floor was put in years and years ago because it looks clean, but this to an Alzheimers patient looks wet…. It can be very confusing.”

The centre’s heavy doors are also on the to-do list of renovations, and a new dining hall will also be built.

“The dining hall is too far away for our clients,” she said, “It’s a long way up. You know that song, It’s a Long Way to Tipperary? We sing that on the way up! It’s a bit of a joke but it’s just too much for some of our ladies and gentlemen.”

Esther also said that the funding will enable the centre to help more people:

“As the only specialist Dementia service in the borough, the waiting list for Ladywell is quite long.  If we get this funding we can raise the numbers and accommodate more clients.”

One room that will remain the same is the “party room” where clients relax and member of staff, Amigo Antonio, entertains them with his guitar,

Esther said she tends to hire staff with an additional skill and favours those who bring an extra “spark” — she insists this is an essential quality for those working at the day centre.

“You can have your NVQs, your training,” she said, “but you just need that oomph!”

One of the centre’s regular visitors are the Wheels for Wellbeing Charity, which supports disabled people in London by providing a range of specialised cycles for them to use.  The Charity provides monthly sessions for the centre and appears at functions like the Spring Event.

Wheels for Wellbeing Director Isabelle Clement said of that with her charity’s help, “…cycling is available to everybody regardless of disability, and it is something everyone should experience.”

Clement praised the day’s event  and outlined the importance of Wheels for Wellbeing’s participation, “It’s about being able to share that empowerment, that buzz! Wheels for Wellbeing is making that buzz happen!”

Esther has high expectations for next years event.  “If you aim for the stars you can only fall back on the moon,” she said. She’s hoping to expand in future years and work with other organisations within the Borough.

“There are many hubs of positivity in Lewisham council,” she said, “ …many places where the people have got a vibe going. And if you get that all together in one place, that will make the borough stronger. It will just burst!”

Ladywell Day Centre will find out if their bid for funding has been successful in June. If successful, all of the centre’s refurbishment must be complete by the end of 2014.

For a slideshow on this story please see the featured video on the home page.

Reporting and images by Dennis Funk and Hana Walker-Brown

Natalie Coleman from Hackney wins BBC Masterchef. Pic: BBC

A part-time DJ from Hackney, Natalie Coleman, inspired in the kitchen by her late grandmother, has won this year’s BBC’s MasterChef  final.

On national television the Judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace said she was  “destined for great things.”  She “not only understands finery of great food but… cooks for the people, food that people want to eat. She makes people smile. She also has a great palate and understands flavour combinations,” they said.

Natalie, 29, has battled through an eight week series of the BBC One show to come out top in a field of 50 contestants.

In the final week she had to compete with two other finalists Larkin Cen and Dale Williams  cooking in Florence and on the Amalfi Coast in Italy with rustic chef Mamma Agata.

BBC Celebrates Hackney Masterchef winner 2013 Natalie Coleman.

The contest moved onto cooking a three-course menu designed by Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan for four of the world’s leading chefs and then finally they had to prepare a menu for the show’s hosts who concluded: “Natalie’s got it. She is a very, very clever woman and her food is fantastic.”

The Masterchef final can be seen on the BBC’s iPlayer until 9 May 2013.

Natalie told the BBC: “It’s like a fairy tale really, the girl from Hackney done good.”

But the media coverage the day after her triumph, Friday 3 May, began to focus on references to a tragic incident in her past when at the age of 16 she had been riding pillion on a motorcycle that collided with a couple. 

In August 2000 Sarah Coles and her partner Robin Bull were struck by a 750cc bike driven by Allen Shord near their home in Chingford, Essex.

They were dragged 16 metres along the pavement. Bull, a car valet, 32, died from head injuries and Coles was in  intensive care for three days.

Shord, who had been drinking, was later jailed for three and a half years although the collision left him severely disabled.

However, The Mail on Sunday 5 May published a warm profile of Natalie in a feature article entitled “The Eliza Doolittle of MasterChef: She’s the cockney who melted our hearts and became the queen of posh nosh. Or, as she puts it, ‘Yeah, the girl from Hackney done good!’”