Chuka Umunna MP

The government has outlined plans for establishing a network of after school Olympic sports clubs. The Change 4 Life programmeis aiming to inspire teenagers of all abilities to play an Olympic sport and build a world class sports system on the back of Britain hosting the Olympic Games.

£6m of government and lottery funding will be spent on 3,000 new after school clubs to open in the summer offering sports as diverse as badminton, boccia, fencing, handball, table tennis, volleyball and wheelchair basketball.

The initiative will build on the successes since winning the Olympic Games in 2005 which include increasing adult sport participation by 600,000 and ensuring that 90% of 5-16 year olds have at least 2 hours of school sport every week.

As well as the obvious health and sporting benefits, it is hoped that the scheme will contribute to building a sense of community spirit. In addition the government aims to get 2 million people playing more sport, 1 million more physically active, and to ensure that 5-16 year olds are offered 5 hours of school sport per week.

The Labour government has announced a major expansion of the financial services offered by the Post Office as part of a £180 million investment in the organisation, creating a ‘People’s Bank’.

The plans are set to put banking back into the heart of communities and build on the Post Office network’s existing expertise in savings, insurance, credit cards, loans and currency exchange.

This will open up a range of good value financial products for everyone, and is a major step in the creation of sustainable neighbourhood banking service through the Post Office.

A range of products have been developed to benefit the general public. The government has worked with the Post Office to create a Weekly Budgeting account helping people on low incomes manage their household budgets, as well as new Current and Children’s Savings Accounts.

Furthermore, customers of other banks will now be able to manage their accounts at the Post Office, while Post Office business accounts will be developed alongside a new mortgage product with a 90% loan-to-value ratio aimed at first time buyers will be offered, helping people make their first steps on the housing ladder. In addition, the Saving Gateway account has been launched, aimed at kick-starting the savings habit, with the government adding 50p for every £1 saved.

Record numbers of Streatham parents have claimed the government’s Child Trust Fund, a savings and investment account available for all children at birth, receiving £250 free to start their account and a further £250 when their child reaches seven and eleven.

A total of 7,045 children in the Streatham constituency now have Child Trust Fund accounts set up, although a further 2,581 vouchers have been left unclaimed by parents.

For parents who do not claim the £250 and open a Child Trust Fund, an account is set up on behalf of the child so parents can subsequently claim the Child Trust Fund if they have not done so already.

To claim the fund and open an account for their child, parents should log on to http://www.childtrustfund.gov.uk/ for further details and a list of providers for managing the account.

Child Trust Funds were introduced by the government in 2005 and apply to all children born after 1 Sept 2002. They are designed to provide a ‘nest egg’ for young people when they leave education.

Families can add to the fund, and given the growth the investment makes over eighteen years adding as little as £10 per month means the fund will be worth as much as £4,500 on maturity. If the maximum amount is added each month, it could eventually be worth as much as £37,000.

While the funds are initially set up with a total of £250 when a baby is born, they are topped up again by the government at the age of seven. In September of last year, as the first beneficiaries of Child Trust Funds reached seven the government began topping up the accounts, whilst making a further £250 payment being to children of low-income families and in care.

Both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives opposed the introduction of Child Trust Funds. Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats, has pledged to scrap the funds.

Chuka Umunna, Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Streatham said: “Child Trust Funds are a great way to save for our children’s future. As well as giving youngsters a ‘nest egg’ for when they reach adulthood, they help teach children about personal finance and the benefits of saving.

“I urge all parents in Streatham who have not yet claimed their £250 and set
up an account to do so.”

Last week’s budget outlined the government’s plan to secure the recovery, provide for growth and continue to help people through challenging economic times.

Crucially, the Chancellor set out how the budget deficit will be halved within four years, through growth, asset sales and savings outlined by government departments. The government is also taking action to stamp out tax avoidance and generate further revenue by taxing bank risk.

The Chancellor announced that government borrowing is £11bn lower than had previously been forecast, while the City bonus tax announced in December’s Pre-Budget Report raised more than £2 billion. The help the government has provided to support jobs has meant that unemployment – and the amount paid out in unemployment benefit – has been kept down compared to the last recession in the early 1990s. In Lambeth, unemployment is 56% lower now than in 1992.

The key measures outlined in the Budget were:

• The guarantee of a job or training for all 18 to 24 year olds who are unemployed for six months will be extended beyond March 2011.

• First-time buyers will be helped by a two year stamp duty holiday for all properties worth up to £250,000. This will help nine in ten first –time home buyers, and will be paid for by a 5% increase on stamp duty on houses worth more than £1 million.

• Combating financial exclusion through bank accounts for all, allowing everyone to save and manage their finances. Savers will be helped by an increase in the ISA limit from £7,200 to £10,200.

• From April 2010, additional payments of £100 will be made into the Child Trust Fund accounts of disabled children while severely disabled children will receive £200 per year and Child Tax Credits for parents of one and two year olds will increase.

• A £100 million emergency fund to deal with potholes after the most severe winter in decades.

• This year will see a 2.5% increase in the basic State Pension, benefiting over 12 million pensioners

• The government will set up a new green investment bank to channel funding for major infrastructure projects such as wind farms and high-speed rail, which will raise more than £2bn for environmentally-friendly improvements.

• Help for small and start-up businesses with a doubling of the Annual Investment Allowance to £100,000 and the creation of a new national investment corporation, Finance For Growth, to channel financial support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

• Britain will push hard for a uniform bank tax, working internationally with other countries to create a levy on risk.

Commenting on the Budget, Chuka Umunna said:

“To keep banks and building societies like those on Streatham High Road open, the government had to borrow vast amounts of money to prop up the banking system.”

“The Chancellor today set out how the government plans to reduce the deficit while protecting frontline services and continue into the recovery the action it has taken to help people through the downturn.

“Measures outlined today including raising pensions, prolonging the guarantee to young unemployed people and providing assistance to first-time buyers will make a real difference to people here in Streatham”

The current level of house prices in Streatham will mean that the cut in stamp duty announced by Chancellor Alistair Darling in last week’s Budget will particularly benefit first-time buyers in the local area, new research shows.

Last week, the Chancellor announced that purchasers of properties worth up to £250,000 will benefit from a two-year Stamp Duty Holiday, doubling the threshold at which they pay the levy from £125,000.

The move will help first-time buyers make their first step on the property market. To pay for this change, Stamp Duty for properties worth over £1 million will be increased to 5 per cent.

In Streatham, there are far more properties on sale for less than £250,000 than over £1 million, meaning that first-time buyers in our area will particularly benefit from the change, and will save up to £2,500 when buying a home.

On the property website Find a Property, which aggregates homes on sale from different estate agents in a given area, out of a total of 803 properties available in the SW16 and SW2 postcodes, 370 are priced under £250,000 and just 18 over £1 million.

Of the 1,526 properties advertised on another property aggregator website, Prime Location, 689 are for under £250,000 and only 23 are on the market for more than £1 million.

Chuka Umunna, Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Streatham, said:

“Exemption from stamp duty for properties under £250,000 will mean that more first-time buyers can get their feet on the property ladder.

“It is clear that first time buyers in Streatham and areas like it stand to benefit most from raising the stamp duty threshold.

“This will provide a boost for the local housing market and help secure the economic recovery in our local area.”

Two of Streatham’s leading community figures have been honoured by the Prime Minister at a Community Heroes Reception at Number 10 Downing Street.

Raj Acharya of Lambeth Asian Centre and Gloria Bailey MBE, who runs the Make a Difference Group, met Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah at Number 10 Downing Street accompanied by Chuka Umunna, Labour’s
Parliamentary Candidate for Streatham.

Those invited to the reception were chosen in consultation with local parliamentary candidates and Members of Parliament. Mr Umunna invited Raj and Gloria to the event in recognition of the contribution they and their
organizations have made to lives of senior citizens in Streatham.

Both Lambeth Asian Centre and Make a Difference Group are based at Streatham Darby & Joan Club at the Woodlawns Centre on Leigham Court Road.

Raj Achaya was one of the founders of Lambeth Asian Centre in 1998, operating a day centre for elderly people alongside offering support to promote independence, health and well-being. He has been Vice-Chair of Streatham Darby & Joan Club since 2001 and is currently its acting chair.

Gloria Bailey is the founder and Chair of the Make a Difference Group. After joining Streatham Darby and Joan Club in 2002, Gloria realised that the club had very few members from the black community.

She founded the Make a Difference Group, which has helped revitalize Streatham Darby and Joan Club. It runs events such as keep fit sessions for seniors and social gatherings, as well as volunteering projects including mentoring for young people.

Having also run recruitment drives for foster parents and launched the Godparents initiative to provide opportunities for local youngsters, she was made an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List earlier this year for services to the community.

The Woodlawns Centre on Leigham Court Road, where the Streatham Darby and Joan Club, Lambeth Asian Centre and Make a Difference Group are based, received £1 million from the government’s Community Assets Programme to refurbish its building. It provides a wide range of activities and services for diverse groups of older people, in conjunction with its community partners.

The Prime Minister said:

“Sarah and I were delighted to welcome Raj and Gloria to Number 10 in recognition of the great work of the Make A Difference Group and Lambeth Asian Centre, based at the excellent Streatham Darby & Joan Club.

“Chuka has told me about the work they do and I am glad, through the government’s Community Assets Fund, that the work renovating the Club’s building is well under way.”

Chuka Umunna said:

“I was proud to have the opportunity to honour Gloria and Raj and tell the Prime Minister about their work.

“They and their organisations make an invaluable contribution to Streatham. Lambeth Asian Centre and Make a Difference Group have a major impact every day on the lives of senior citizens in our local area.”

The government has announced a consultation on new measures to tackle the problem of dangerous dogs.

This comes after the 12-fold increase in complaints to the RSPCA about dog fights between 2004 and 2008.

The Kennel Club and the Communications Workers Union, which has a large membership of postal workers, have welcomed the consultation.

The issue of ‘status dogs’ and dog fighting is one that resonates with the local community and Chuka Umunna fully supports the consultation. The Safer Neighbourhood Team in Tulse Hill, introduced by Labour, has successfully targeted dog fighting following its identification as a ward priority by the community members on the area’s Safer Neighbourhood Community Panel.

The consultation looks to build on the changes last year which saw new police and court orders to restrict the movements of gang members and prohibit them from owning or being in control of dogs.

Options include extending the provisions within the Dangerous Dogs Act to all places including private property, giving police and local councils more power to tackle potentially dangerous dogs through the introduction of Dog Control Notices and the removal of exemption notices which allows some people to keep banned dogs.

If you wish to contribute your thoughts to the consultation then you can do so via email to animalwelfareconsultations {at} defra.gsi.gov(.)uk or by writing to Defra, Animal Welfare Act Implementation Team, No 9 Millbank, c/o 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR. The consultation documents can be found on the Defra website along with a consultation letter and an online questionnaire.

When Boris Johnson was running for Mayor in 2008 he included a pledge in his Transport Manifesto that said he would halt “the proposed Tube ticket office closures”, and ensure “there is always a manned ticket office at every station”. During his campaign he signed a petition that condemned plans to close Tube ticket offices and drastically reduce the opening hours of many others.

However, recent proposals from Transport for London suggest that the permanent closure of eleven ticket offices is under consideration and dozens more could face drastically reduced opening hours. The proposals would affect tube stations including Brixton, Clapham South, Clapham Common and Balham and result in hundreds of jobs being axed.

Under the proposals, Clapham South station ticket office would see its opening times cut by 46 hours per week, while Clapham Common station’s ticket office would be open for 32 fewer hours each week.

While currently Clapham South’s ticket office closes at 9.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays, under the Mayor’s planned changes it would be without a ticket office after 3.45pm on Saturday and 4.00pm on Sundays.

The ticket offices at Balham and Clapham Common will close at 7.45pm from Monday to Friday and Clapham South’s at 7.15pm, also closing for most of the afternoon, between 1.30pm and 5.00pm on weekdays.

If you would like to register your disappointment with the current proposals then you can contact to Transport for London at enquire {at} tfl.gov(.)uk, we will post any consultations on the proposals as soon as they are available.

Chuka Ummuna, who is opposing the planned reduction in ticket office opening hours, commented:

“Thousands of people use our underground stations on a daily basis and they form a vital connection with central London.

“The Mayor’s drastic cuts to opening times would see our local tube stations without ticket offices for hours on end at peak times.

“As well as the loss of customer service for tube users, I am concerned about the impact the changes could have on the safety of stations, particularly late at night.”

Brixton Windmill is to be reopened to the public after funding for its restoration has been secured from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Around £400,000 is being provided by the fund after campaigning by Lambeth’s Labour Council and local residents, in addition to almost £200,000 contributed by the council itself and Friends of Windmill Gardens.

With this long-awaited project becoming a reality the windmill – which is a unique historic landmark and a source of great local pride – will now be restored, given a secure future and maintained for the enjoyment of future generations. Its interior, which is currently closed, will become accessible to the public.

The Heritage Lottery Fund grant will also be used to fund educational and community activities at the windmill, alongside a new exhibition demonstrating the mechanical parts of the mill in operation.

The Grade II* listed windmill, which was built as Ashby’s Mill in 1816, is the only one of its kind in inner London.

Jean Kerrigan of Friends of Windmill Gardens welcomed the news:

“This is tremendous news and we are so excited that all of our hard work has been rewarded.

“We would really like to thank our friends and the community in Brixton, as well as Lambeth Council for the support and help they have given us in taking this meaningful project to the next stage. Brixton Windmill now has a glorious future for generations to come.

To find out more about the windmill and its history, visit the Friends of Windmill Gardens website.

The children’s charity 4Children has launched a campaign to protect the Sure Start programme, which has the support of the public services union Unison and Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Ed Balls, along with Chuka.

While Labour is committed to the continuation of this well loved and hard fought-for programme, the Conservatives refuse to say whether or not they would protect the service.

‘Shout Out for a Sure Start’ aims to show how much support there is for the Sure Start programme among parents and in the wider community and demonstrate that attempts to make cuts will be met with firm resistance.

The Sure Start local programmes have been one of Labour’s flagship initiatives – before 1997 there were no Sure Start children centres, and last week – 12 years later – the Prime Minister and Ed Balls visited Streatham to open the country’s 3,500th centre. These centres are so important because they bring a variety of services under one roof, meaning that parents don’t have to navigate a number of disparate institutions in order to provide for their child’s wellbeing.

Ed Balls has referred to the Sure Start initiative as being a “new pillar of our welfare state for the 21st Century”. Sure Start provides childcare, healthcare, parenting advice, family support and opportunities to get back into work or training. Currently the service offers 12.5 hours of free early years childcare per week to children between 3-4 which will soon increase to 15 hours per week. Lambeth is one of thirty-four ‘pathfinder’ local authorities that is providing this service to all children between 3-4.

If you want to support your local Sure Start centre then you can sign the 4Children pledge and Ed Balls’ petition to Save our Sure Start. If you feel particularly strongly about one of Streatham’s ten excellent Sure Start centres then you could write to 4Children letting them know about your experience.

Anne Longfield OBE, the chief executive of 4Children, commented:

“Sure Start Children’s Centres are providing real help to families across the country but often this goes unsung. That is why we want to build a mass movement of people to ‘Shout out for a Sure Start’.

“We also know that there are families who have not yet discovered their local Children’s Centre so we hope to spread the word still further and inspire more parents to find out how their Sure Start Children’s Centre could support them through all the ups and downs of family life.”