Dear Supporters,
I hope you are all well,
To update you, last week I joined a community meeting organised by the residents of Greenford in collaboration with Ealing UNISON at Greenford Community Centre to discuss the proposed Draft Strategy for Ealing Libraries, and particularly how it will negatively impact (with reference to data provided by UNISON Ealing) on Greenford library, its paid staff, its users and its wider community; all, of course, are not mutually exclusive.
It was a fantastically constructive meeting, devoid of false statistics and figures and condescending responses by absent ‘pro-strategy’ Councillors and Council representatives. We were able to put together a strategic plan of action to step up local objection to Ealing’s plan to ‘de-professionalise’, downgrade, sack paid librarians to replace them with community volunteers and the threatened closures of Greenford, Hanwell, Northfields, Perivale, Pitshanger, West Ealing and Wood End Library.
Plans
· For the Greenford Library campaign, some of us will distribute library leaflets this Friday 12th May, from 2pm – 4 pm. We will meet at 2pm in front of Iceland on Greenford Broadway (48-50 The Broadway, Greenford UB6 9PT). Please join us if you can…
· Follow up meeting on Wednesday, 24th April (7 pm onwards) at Greenford Community Centre (170 Oldfield Ln S, Greenford UB6 9JS) to step up our Plan of Action.
· Public Meeting with a panel of speakers including Alan Wylie (Library Campaigner, Eric Huntley (Bogle L’Ouverture Publications-Tbc), former Councillor Nana Asante, James Conlon (Ealing UNISON) and Eve Turner (Ealing Trades Council), myself and a celebrity Speaker to be confirmed, Wednesday, 8th May, 7 pm -8.30 pm, Liz Cantell Room, Ealing Town Hall (New Broadway, Ealing, London W5 2BY). Please come and ‘give voice’ to the library campaign
Please do get in touch with me directly quansah@hotmail.com if you think you can offer more support.
The article below makes a very interesting and relevant read....
As ever, Thank You.
Grace (Akuba)