Education & Lifelong Learning

HE WILL PRIORITISE EDUCATION AND SCHOOLS

“I have worked with Alan on Forest Hill School. I know he will work hard to improve schools & education in Lewisham.” – NUT representative, Forest Hill School

Schools are in deficit in Lewisham. Over the past few years, Alan has worked closely with teachers, parents and NUT to find a solution to the specific problems faced by Forest Hill School.

ALAN’S PLEDGE FOR CHANGE: “As Mayor, I will be at the forefront of the fight for Fairer Funding for schools, and I will make lifelong learning a priority.”

Furthermore in his budget speech this year to Lewisham Council, Cllr Alan Hall said:

‘It’s a worrying time to be a school governor, budget cuts and teacher shortages now.’

Many of you here today are school governors. I would like to ask the Council to monitor and support schools who find themselves in real difficulties. I applaud the Lewisham Schools’ Forum with their PFI Factor, top slice fund. Cooperating together to ease the pain of financial reductions.

We should remember over £200 million has been taken out of our budget since 2010 all in the name of austerity.

As it has been said: ‘The Government chose austerity over growth”

 

 

IMG_1743 - Copy  IMG_2444   IMG_1880 - Copy IMG_1766 - Copy

WE’VE COME A LONG WAY SINCE THE BATTLE OF LEWISHAM

Councillor Alan Hall has used the final day of the Notting Hill Carnival to announce that he wants Lewisham’s senior officers to be far more representative of the borough’s diversity.

Councillor Alan Hall who attended the recent unveiling of the memorial plaque in New Cross commemorating the Battle of Lewisham in 1997 where racist and fascist thugs of the National Front were routed by local and national groups, said that we must continue to be vigilant to oppose racism and fascism in all its forms.

“I can’t make Notting Hill Carnival today because I’m campaigning in Lewisham to get the Labour nomination to be the Mayor of Lewisham. We need real change in Lewisham. Since 1977 and the Battle of Lewisham we have come a long way but we must continue to be vigilant against racism and fascism in all its forms as Lewisham’s strength today lies in its diversity. We’re always better when we stand united together. One way to build and strengthen communities is to invest in arts and culture. But I think that we can go further. Let’s make sure Lewisham Council’s top brass truly reflects he diversity of Lewisham a London borough.”

For the video: Please Click

TOGETHER WE WILL MAKE LEWISHAM ‘ARTS AND CULTURE CENTRAL’

Councillor Alan Hall has revealed that he will make Lewisham a destination venue for the arts by drawing in and investing millions of pounds into the borough.“As a board member of Phoenix Community Housing I am extremely proud of the fact that we have drawn in over £4million of funding to revive, regenerate and turn the Fellowship Inn in Bellingham into a thriving community pub, theatre, cinema, micro-brewery and the home of Lewisham Music opening next year.

“I want to repeat that kind of success a thousand times over to bring to life the arts and culture of Lewisham. If Lewisham were a tube station I would like to call it Arts and Culture Central because this will be one stop where everyone will want to get off.”

The borough’s leading scrutiny councillor who commissioned a special investigation into the revival and reopening of Lewisham Theatre praised outgoing Lewisham Mayor Sir Steve Bullock for next week’s launch of the council’s Borough of Culture bid at the Horniman Museum on Thursday 7th September.

“I am delighted that Sir Steve Bullock has taken the initiative of launching the bid to become one of Sadiq Khan’s ‘boroughs of culture’. But we can so much more ambitious to link all the centres of Lewisham culture to make it a destination for Londoners and tourists alike. And even if we don’t win the competition we will still go ahead with our own massive programme.

“The potential benefits for all our residents is enormous and I will launch this hugely ambitious programme on day one of my mayoralty after taking office and by working together with residents, businesses and voluntary organizations, together we will make Lewisham Arts and Culture Central.”

 

The video clip below is the Greenwich & Lewisham Young People’s Theatre performing at The Fellowship Inn in Bellingham 

 

 

Millwall FC must stay in Lewisham

https://twitter.com/cllralanhall/status/901770486488715264

 

The highlights of Millwall vs Norwich 4-0 victory on Saturday 26th August

 

After the match Delia Smith, Joint Majority Shareholder of Norwich City FC gave her and Norwich City FC their full support for Alan Hall’s mayoral bid and his efforts to keep Millwall FC at The Den in Lewisham.

Delia Smith and AH 260817
Delia Smith endorses Alan Hall and his efforts to keep Millwall FC in Lewisham

The BBC reported the threat to Millwall FC and that the club may have to consider relocation see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41063803

IMG_1859B&W
Alan Hall congratulates Aiden O’Brien man of the match

 

This is why Norwich City have pledged their support – this is seen as an “attack on football” see: The Guardian video and article

 

Here is the email I received from Steve Kavanagh promising to look into support for the Riverside Project

Dear Alan

Thank you for your letter.

I am aware of the project and have discussed it at length with Steve Bradshaw and Peter Walsh, respectively CEO and Chairman of the Millwall Community Trust.  The point they have made very loudly to me is that this is exactly what the Trust do, accessing funds from outside the local community, in this case in the shape of The Premier league, and bring those funds into our community for the benefit of all.  I know they are extremely keen to do this project.

However, as you will know all too clearly the relationship between the Club and Lewisham Council is at best challenged at present with the fear of CPO’s potentially being used by the Council to take away the land operated by The Club and the Community Trust to assist in running this very scheme.  Indeed one of the five candidates standing for nomination, Paul Maslin, as Labour’s candidate for Mayor has today written to me reconfirming his support for the use of CPO’s against the Club.  This puts the Club in a very difficult position: we are being asked to help and assist the very organisation that is threatening our future in this borough.

We also hear much of the lauded Surrey Canal Sports Foundation (SCSF) and I see Councillors saying it’s now been “cleared” by the Charities Commission.  So we have to ask the question: if the SCSF is so important to the Council and the local community – and is worthy of the trust and support of local politicians – why it is not undertaking such projects and taking a lead in bringing in outside funding into our community?  We feel as if we are seen by the Council as a lessor partner in community activity, yet the SCSF is not apparently capable of undertaking these vital projects and is not being asked by the Council to do so.

 That said we do live currently in the Lewisham community and our partners and the residents, especially the Children and Youth of Lewisham, are very important to us and I will therefore speak to my Board and see if I can persuade them, on the back of your intervention, to support the Trust in running this project.

I will respond as quickly as possible.

Kind regards
Steve

<————————————————————————————————————————————->

Letter from Alan to Steve Kavanagh -> Available for download here.

Steve Kavanagh
Chief Executive
Millwall Football Club

Dear Steve,

Riverside Community Club Hub

I am writing to implore you to use all your good offices to support the bid to improve, invest and transform the Riverside Youth Club in Deptford into a thriving Community Club Hub.

I understand that a partnership scheme with Youth First – Lewisham’s mutual youth service, Lewisham Council and Millwall Community Trust could lever in significant funding from the Football League and the Premier League’s Communities Strategy. Indeed, this scheme would improve the quality, participation and diversity of the current youth provision. It is no exaggeration to say that this bid could have a significant impact on the lives of young people in Deptford and change them for the better.

For that reason, I am prepared to work tirelessly to support this scheme and work closely with MFC to bring it about. Of course, I do understand that the Club is concerned about its future in Lewisham but this would demonstrate how important it is to our community. I would ask you and the Board of Millwall Football Club to fully support Riverside Community Club Hub in the interests of all our futures, the young people of Deptford.

With kind regards,
Alan Hall

 

SOMEBODY LIKES US! ALAN HALL SECURES DEAL WITH MILLWALL TO SAVE YOUTH CLUB *Newsflash*

image1SOMEBODY LIKES US! ALAN HALL SECURES DEAL WITH MILLWALL TO SAVE YOUTH CLUB

‘EVERYONE’S A WINNER BUT THE BIGGEST WINNERS ARE THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF DEPTFORD’

PLEA FOR HELP SCORES A RESULT

Councillor Alan Hall said he was ‘gobsmacked’ when Millwall FC Chief Executive Steve Kavanagh gave him the thumbs-up to a request for support for a new venture to save and transform the Riverside Youth Club in Deptford.

The Labour Mayoral candidate wrote to Mr Kavanagh to ask Millwall Community Trust to join a partnership between Youth First – Lewisham’s mutual youth service provision – and Lewisham Council.

The partnership bid would have the potential to lever in significant funding from the Football League and the Premier League’s Communities Strategy which would improve, invest and transform the Riverside into a thriving Community Club Hub.

Cllr Alan Hall said: “To be honest, Millwall and I have been a bit of a mutual fan club ever since I and other colleagues opposed the Council’s plans to compulsory purchase the land around the Millwall stadium for the development company Renewal. Chairman John Berylson said that if it went ahead, the club would have to consider moving to another borough where it had more control over its own land and destiny.

“So I was expecting a sympathetic ear and some vague promise for the future but I was gobsmacked when I got a firm yes! This isn’t just some extra money – this fantastic scheme would improve the quality, participation and diversity of the current youth provision.

“As I told Steve, It is no exaggeration to say that this bid could have a significant impact on the lives of young people in Deptford and change them for the better. For that reason, I am prepared to work tirelessly to support this scheme and work closely with MFC to bring it about. Everyone’s a winner in this scheme but the biggest winners are the young people of Deptford.”

Cllr Alan Hall went to the Pepys Estate in Deptford directly after hearing the news from Steve Kavanagh, Millwall FC Chief Executive.

Local residents were overjoyed to hear that real investment in their youth service would happen.

Riverside Youth 2
“Alan, if I was wearing a hat I’d eat it. Thank you Alan. We never get anything round here. They just keep taking from us.”  Carole Deptford resident (Pepys Estate).

 

The letters from Councillor Alan Hall and Steve Kavanagh, Chief Executive Millwall FC can be read in full here

In the correspondence, Steve Kavanagh says that there is a threat to Millwall FC staying in Lewisham. The BBC have reported this here 

Youth First is Lewisham’s mutual youth service. It is the lead organisation for youth work in Lewisham and provides services like adventure playgrounds and youth centres.

*Newsflash:  Millwall FC have confirmed that their Board of Directors will support this project in The Mercury

MILLWALL HELP (1)

Youth First HQ - Bellingham

LEWISHAM PUBS ARE ‘FELLOWSHIP IN ACTION’ & NEED GREATER PROTECTION

NEW RULES NEEDED TO PREVENT A WAVE OF FURTHER LOSSES

Councillor Alan Hall who has been instrumental in saving Lewisham pubs from closure has said that all pubs now need greater protection for them to continue to remain at the heart of our local communities.

The Labour mayoral candidate and Phoenix Community Housing board member ensured that Phoenix bought The Fellowship Inn in Bellingham which will reopen as a thriving pub, theatre, cinema and community centre next summer.

Councillor Hall also played a key role in saving the once-closed Baring Hall Hotel in Grove Park and The Greyhound in Sydenham which is expected to reopen later this year.

The Mayoral hopeful said: “The Fellowship is a name that has meaning -representing the coming together of people and communities. Pubs are Fellowship in action. Lewisham Council has done very well to save these pubs for communities in key locations around the borough but we must now be ambitious to do better. If elected as Mayor I will conduct a root and branch review of planning and other rules to ensure that we get the best possible protection for pubs.

“A Lewisham council report in 2012 that ushered in tougher planning rules said that ‘Pubs hold an undeniably significant and special position in the history, culture and economy of Britain’. We have a duty to see that continues in Lewisham for the ultimate benefit of all residents.”

For more watch this video click here.

Support for Alan Hall from Pat Fordham MBE

“I have been a Tenant Activist in Lewisham for over 30 years and known Alan Hall since he stepped into Ron Stockbridge’s shoes many years ago. Our paths have joined on many occasions in my role as Chair or committee member of many local organisations; with Bellingham Interagency Alan championed our work to bring groups together to help regenerate the area, including getting more trains to stop at Bellingham station and support the Bellingham Festival”.

 “With Phoenix Community Housing he was instrumental in supporting us in the development of a 60 apartment Extra-Care Housing complex and the restoration of the Fellowship Inn and much more. Then there is “Our ‘Enry”! Alan helped ensure Sir Henry Cooper was remembered for his time living and training in Bellingham with the provision of a Lewisham Maroon Wall Plaque. Alan has a great love for Lewisham, his long history of working with the council has shown he cares about the people of Lewisham and knows how to get things done.”

“I wish Alan every success in his bid to become Mayor – my knowledge and experience of him gives me the confidence to know he will keep the people of Lewisham and their aspirations at the heart of all he does.”

 Pat Fordham MBE