| Campaigns
and Issues The
Forum through its representations, newsletters and meetings raises issues
that effect many older people in Enfield. Some of these issues are reported
below:
Council Tax Campaign - July 2009
These documents were prepared by the Devin Pensioners Action Forum and
present the issues about council tax and its impact on pensioners . If you
read it, it presents a good case for changing the current system which
really penalises poorer pensioners.
The tax leaflets give an overview to the issues relating to the unfairness
of the current way of raising council tax.
The council tax proposal gives an alternative scenario for raising council
tax.
The strategy considers how older peoples Forums might act together to raise
the issue up for the forthcoming general election.
1.COUNCIL TAX – A FAIRER ALTERNATIVE
2. Collaboration,
Strategy & Tactics
3.An
Affordable, Fair and Efficient Replacement for Council Tax.
4. Council Tax - why it is broken
and how to reform it
Life Long Learning
The result of a survey launched by the
Older People’s Thematic Action Group (OPTAG) placed the opportunity to
pursue adult education classes at the top of the activities people would
undertake if they had the chance. The survey, based on 266 replies, showed
that 35.5% of those responding wanted adult education classes.
Our campaign for more funding for adult
and community learning has been taken up by London Assembly member Joanne
McCartney. She has tabled the following question to the Mayor of London:
“You have previously agreed with me that
access to Lifelong Learning for Older Londoners plays an important part in
helping them lead an active, healthy and independent life. Because of flawed
funding, Enfield pensioners are being treated as second class citizens
compared with those in Haringey and Waltham Forest as they are being forced
to pay the full costs for part-time further education unless they receive
means-tested help - consequently the number of older learners in Enfield has
fallen by 49%.
“Although there are 44,000 pensioners
living in Enfield, compared with 28,800 in Waltham Forest and 25,000 in
Haringey, the total 2006 / 7 grant for adult and community learning in the
three adjoining boroughs is: Enfield £443,809, Waltham Forest £1,764, 816
and Haringey £2,131,411. In your role as Chair of the London Skills and
Employment Board are you able to step in and take action?”
The Mayor responded to Joanne saying:”
the inequitities in distribution that you have pointed to appear to be so
stark that I have written to the Director of LSC to seek an explanation.
The Forum’s chair and secretary have had
a useful meeting to press our case for more equitable funding with council
leader Michael Rye and chief Executive Rob Leak, together with Mary
Vine-Morris, the Learning and Skills Council area director, who in effect
holds the purse strings.
Watch this Space!
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Get fit and live longer - November 2007
Monday is the special Over 50s day at the new Edmonton Leisure Centre and
following a “taster day” early in October attended by 60+ people the
campaign is on to make it a regular Monday get-together with a programme
that will interest everyone.
The organisation by staff is first class and all participants have a lot
of fun and leave very inspired. Things are looking good for the on-going
programme which includes swimming sessions at 9am and 12.15 and Aqua fit in
the pool at 2pm. There’s badminton, table tennis and short mat bowls in the
lavish sports hall from 9am-3pm and the fitness gym opens at the same time.
And you can chose Pilates for an hour from 10.30 or an easy line class at
9.30. Demand for this easy line class has been so heavy that they are now
having two sessions. There's a meeting room to chat and play board games
where you have lunch.
The whole day costs £6, but if you buy an energy discount card the price
is cut to £3 and better still if you are a Forum member with an annual £280
Leisure Centre membership or a monthly £28 direct debit - when the day and
the use of any other of the Trust’s centres is free! But to get the special
rate for Forum members you must produce your Forum membership card and
contact the Leisure Centres sales office on 020 8245 5191.
Popular Forum member Roger Biss, who has been a tower of strength in
getting the Southbury Leisure Centre Over 50s day on Wednesdays well and
truly launched, is now helping and hoping to get the Edmonton Monday Over
50s sessions equally popular.
More Loos Campaign
FIRST FLUSH OF SUCCESS
Councillor John Boast, chairman of Enfield
Council's environment, parks and amenities scrutiny panel, has welcomed the
Forum's proposals for improving public toilets and promised that "all the
points they make will be investigated". Writing in the Enfield Gazette,
Councillor Boast says: "Without wishing to prejudge our research, my
initial reaction to their proposals is that most of them look good to
me........ I will continue to fight for proper toilet provisions in the
Turkey Street / Hertford Road area".
Because some 15 public toilets have closed in the
last five years, the Forum put a six-point plan to rapidly improve
facilities.
Conveniences in the Palace Gardens shopping
precinct should be open for the same hours as the car park and shops.
Supermarkets, shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs
that already have customer toilet facilities should display a small sign -
devised by the Council - indicating they have them.
Withhold planning permission unless toilets for
customers are installed in new stores, restaurants etc.
Get Transport for London and the rail operators
to open toilets at all stations in the Borough.
Examine putting in pop-up urinals at a cost of
£15,000.
Reopen the Turkey St. / Hertford Road toilets.
Over to you Councillor Boast !
T oilets:
We're beginning to move - Nov 2007
Not only has the Turkey Street £100,000 automated
public convenience at long last opened its doors, but Enfield Council and
the local business and retailers association (EBRA) have got their act
together and sent out letters inviting support for the community toilet
scheme long advocated by the Forum.
The letter says that the Council wishes to team up
with local businesses to provide clean and safe toilets in our town centres.
The community toilet scheme is a practical way of making shopping in these
centres a more convenient experience for residents.
Businesses taking part in the scheme will display
a sign to let people know they can use a toilet on the premises, whether or
not they are customers of that business. Each business participating in the
scheme will receive £600 a year to cover its costs.
Enfield Council promise to inspect the toilets on
a regular basis to ensure they meet health and safety accessibility and
hygiene standards and retailers would be able to use their discretion and
deny entry to anyone suspected of anti-social behaviour. People interested
in the scheme are invited to contact John Haslam, head of economic
development at Enfield Council on 020 8379 3779.
The Turkey Street automated toilet is light and
roomy. There is thorough washing of the floor and toilet after each use.
Supply of soap and toilet roll is constantly monitored by computer and an
automated report is compiled daily, so it should never run out of either.
Councillor John Boast, LBE’s older people’s
champion, said the Turkey Street toilet had been closed for 11 years, one of
the many closures of council toilets because staffing costs were
prohibitive.
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Let's Make Pensions Work for Women
The Forum is supporting the Fawcett Society and Age Concern to campaign
for a fairer deal for women in the pensions field. The aims of the campaign
are:
a system that will guarantee every woman an adequate, independent
retirement income.
to remove the unfair barriers which prevent women from receiving a full
basic state pension and to increase the level of pension so it covers
basic costs.
better opportunities for women to build up higher value company and
personal pensions
To sign up as an individual supporter call: 08457 00 99 66 and ask for
more information.
www.fawcettsociety.org.uk
www.ageconcern.org.uk
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