Volunteers Sandra, Ashley and Derek with Steve Pound MP

The work of scores of volunteers who serve their neighbourhood through a church-based community project was celebrated as part of National Volunteering Week.

Ealing North MP Steve Pound, ward councillor Bassam Mahfouz and the entire Northolt West End Safer Neighbourhoods police team joined volunteers for supper at the Dovetail Centre, which is the community project run by St Joseph the Worker Parish Church.

Over a typical year 80 people, ranging from teenagers to pensioners in their late 80s are actively involved in volunteering at the Dovetail Centre, ranging from carer and toddler groups, youth drop-ins and summer activity weeks to after-school clubs, community lunches, intergenerational mentoring and administrative support.

Volunteers were treated to supper served by project workers Sue Church and Chris Hill and project chair the Revd Simon Winn and during the evening were presented with certificates for their service by local MP Steve Pound.

Dovetail community project worker Sue Church said:

“National Volunteering week was the perfect opportunity to thank our volunteers in a tangible way because we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without them.”

Steve Pound MP congratulated volunteers and staff and said:

“I so admire what you all do through the Dovetail Centre for everyone in this community, irrespective of race, religion or background. You offer such a huge amount, all on limited resources.”

Now into its 10th year, the Dovetail project is a grassroots organisation, run by local people for local people, and the doors are open 50 hours a week. It has almost outgrown its premises and the management committee are now looking to renew the building and broker new partnerships with existing funders and groups seeking to bring new opportunities and renewed hope to the community of Northolt West End.

It was only a few months ago that the man who will always be remembered as “Mr Northolt” was bestowed with the honour of becoming an Alderman of the borough and celebrated his Diamond Wedding Anniversary with his wife Jean.

Wally, as he was known to everyone, was a charmer who always had a story to tell. Having left school at 14 he began his working career in a factory in order to help pay the family bills. In 1940 Wally joined the RAF and flew Wellington’s, Lancaster’s and Halifax’s over Europe in the fight against the Nazis. Throughout Wally’s retirement he played an invaluable role in passing on his experience of the Second World War to the pupils of west London’s Primary Schools, making the pages of history come alive as the children attentively held onto his every word.

Soon after the War, Wally married his wife of 60 years Jean with whom he had two children Cheryll and Peter. He also brought many smiles to the faces of football fans in north and west London as he tendered goal for both Arsenal and Fulham simultaneously!

Wally’s real passion was housing and he soon became the Greater London Council’s Housing Welfare Officer. His housing expertise also proved priceless as he represented Northolt’s Mandeville ward on the council from 1971 to 1990 and his knowledge in the field earned him the position of Chair of Ealing’s Housing Management Committee. As a councillor, his hard-work and dedication were legendary. There are still many on the streets of Northolt whose lives he touched, who point to his kindness and efficiency in dealing with their cases. Having stood down in 1990 with nearly 30 years tireless service to the people of Northolt, he continued working through his retirement as a governor at a number of Northolt schools, including Northolt High and Willow Tree Primary.

Wally will be remembered by many across Northolt for the positive impact he had on so many lives and for his warm and personable nature. Nobody will forget this grass-roots politician who comprehensively understood the issues that residents faced and expressed those views with vigour and elegance. He will be sorely missed, may he rest in peace.

Cllr Bassam Mahfouz
Labour Councillor for Northolt West End

Wally’s funeral will be held at Breakspear Crematorium on Tuesday 11th December at 2:30pm.

Cllr Bassam Mahfouz, who has been leading on this project said, “It all started in October 2005 with a packed public meeting.  There was a strong feeling that action needed to be taken in order to tackle speeding rat-runners through the main roads of the estate.  Over the past year or so I’ve organised meetings with local residents in order to draw up plans that they felt would have the biggest impact.  We had the plans drawn and then all we needed was the funding.  The news that Transport for London is going to deliver the scheme for us is everything we had hoped for.”

Monica Smith, who has led for the local residents said, “We’re jumping for joy; what is there at the moment is useless and we need these measures to stop another accident from happening.”

The council will now carry out an official consultation early in the New Year and it is hoped that works will start as early as April 2008.

Read what the Gazette wrote back in October when local residents presented a petition to the council:
Rat-run speedsters situation is critical

Following much controversy earlier this year (more on Northala Fields) the park will now be officially open to the public to roam. Residents will be able to scale the heights of the mounds and take in sights of the fishing lakes and the London skyline. The opening is unofficial because some of the work in the park is yet to be complete, including a fisherman bailiff’s office and two tree-lined avenues that will cross the park north-souh and east-west.

If the weather is suitable then a tour of the park will be given to attendees of the opening.

The opening will be at 2pm in the park’s new playground at the Dolphin Road/Kensington Road entrance.

This week the Lottery fund has announced that it has awarded £1.3million to refurbishing the library on Church Road to be an even better resource for the local community.

Cllr Mahfouz who attended a meeting with local residents in March pushing for the funds said, “As someone who has used the library since I was a boy I want to see this library more welcoming and provide even better facilities for local residents in Northolt. I am also calling on the council to continue a reduced library service whilst the building is closed for refurbishment and to make sure that the neighbourhood police team at the library can be kept open for business.”

The council will be consulting residents as to what you would like to see at the facility so make sure you take part and have your say!

Around thirty students were given the opportunity to quiz local councillors from all parties about local democracy, being a politician and the political issues that matter to them.

At the end of each session students scored each councillor out of 5 on points such as “listening skills”, “approachability” and “would you vote for them”. The votes were tallied, and Councillor Mahfouz was declared the winner for the second year in a row.

Councillor Mahfouz said:

“I’m thrilled to have been chosen as the winner, and it was great to see so many young people showing an interest in politics. The biggest issue that came across was the feeling by young people that they were all being portrayed as yobs. Most young people are hard working, studious and want to get on in life and enjoy it. It’s great that there are events like this that promote politics amongst the younger generation and I can’t wait to see what they will achieve in the political arena. I’d like to see the council promote this more so that we have even more schools involved next year.”

If you would like to present a petition to full council or would like more information about what you can do to help tackle climate change then e-mail Cllr Bassam Mahfouz on bassam.mahfouz@ealing.gov.uk

Speaking to Newsnight’s Michael Crick, Bassam welcomed the final agreement on Crossrail saying, “I am delighted that Crossrail has now been agreed. I met with Ken [Livingstone] on the night that the City had agreed to fund the scheme and clearly today’s events mark an important mile stone in the birth of Crossrail.”

Discussing the possibility of an election, Bassam said, “I don’t mind when it is called, I am up for it, but people I’ve been speaking to have told me there is no appetite at the moment for an election. They tell me they know Gordon Brown has done a good job as Chancellor and want to see him continue that good work as Prime Minister.” “If they are called upon to vote then they will back Brown and the reforms he has proposed.”

You can watch the episode online:

FRIDAY’S NEWSNIGHT

The Tory-run organisation London Councils has issued statistics showing that last year 1,824 appeals against parking tickets were made in Ealing, with 1,458 (79.9%) of those being upheld. In 2005/06, just 52.6% of appeals were upheld.

The most recent figures are also the highest in West London, with 65.7% of appeals upheld in Brent, 47.4% in Hammersmith and Fulham, 46.9% in Hounslow, 44.2% in Hillingdon, and 36.5% in Harrow.

Cllr Bassam Mahfouz, Shadow Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said:

“It’s obviously good that so many motorists who have been punished unfairly have been able to win appeals against the Council.

However, the sheer number of upheld appeals shows that there are a shocking number of tickets being handed out for no good reason.

The Council should be ensuring that their parking wardens are only ticketing those who have genuinely broken local regulations. Instead they are going through a laborious and expensive process of cancelling unfair tickets that should never have been given in the first place.”