HAPPY ST GEORGE'S DAY

Footage taken by rustypearl

Equality & Human Rights Nottingham funding is cut

The Council for Equality & Human Rights Nottingham & Nottinghamshire (CEHRNN) has had funding cut after joining 'anti'-fascist protesters opposing the EDL in Nottingham on December 5th last year.

It looks like it was the last nail in the coffin for them. Here's the full story courtesy of the Nottingham Evening Post...

It states:

"Some council officers felt the CEHRNN's involvement with the recent English Defence League assembly had risked doing more to increase tensions than to reduce them.

"It was noted that the CEHRNN had been attempting to balance its role between defending freedom of speech for the Muslim community, recognising the EDL's right to freedom of speech and encouraging the Police to guard against incitement of religious hatred.

"Nonetheless, the general feeling shared by Nottingham City Council and the Police was that the Council for Equality and Human Rights Nottingham and Nottinghamshire's presence and strategy on December 5 was unhelpful and was contrary to that agreed by the local authority and its partners."

The cost of policing demonstrations organised by the EDL and anti-fascist groups in Nottingham was put at more than £200,000.

Notts Police have refused to clarify why the presence of the CEHRNN was unhelpful and an explanation has not been provided by the city council, despite requests by the Evening Post and the CEHRNN.

Staff at the CEHRNN refute the allegations and claim they are being undermined.

Workers who were at the EDL rally say they simply stayed close to a group of young Muslims who had become involved in a fracas on the day and guided them away from potential trouble.

Nottingham South MP, Alan Simpson, who was involved in speaking with numerous organisations ahead of the EDL rally and on the day, said: "If anyone was scuppering any plan on the day I would have been informed. "This retrospective criticism does not have any credibility."

Other criticisms in the report include:

Inappropriate representation on the CEHRNN board.

Lack of cover for staff in key positions, staff absence and difficulties.

The CEHRNN continues to focus on mainly race inequality instead of looking at all forms of inequality equally

Not setting out new name and remit quickly enough.

Not enough work with groups other than black and ethnic minority groups

Offices sometimes not open or staff not contactable.

Gordon Griffith, chairman of the CEHRNN's board, said:

"The concerns raised in the equality impact assessment have all been and are being addressed.

"For example we have representation on our board with members of Nottingham's gay community and our chief executive is also sitting on boards representing the interests of disabled people.

We are an organisation which has been in existence for 54 years and embedding change can take time but we have been responding to all the points raised. There have also been some staffing issues and again these are being addressed. The city council have also accused us of breaking protocol in relation to the EDL rally but we have not been informed of any protocol. 

The whole report seems to be riddled with these strange accusations. There is no other organisation which is dealing with inequality in the city and this decision by the city council undermines the 54 years of hard work by the former Race Equality Council, now CEHRNN."

The decision to pull the funding was published on Friday following a behind closed doors meeting involving Coun Hassan Ahmed, responsible for equalities, and deputy council leader Coun Graham Chapman.

Nottingham City Council's corporate director for community and culture, Michael Williams, said: "The city council appreciated the work the CEHRNN had done to promote racial equality and diversity in the city.

"Unfortunately, despite considerable support from the city council, it has not been able to fulfil its wider role. In particular it has not been able to monitor and respond effectively to all hate incidents including racial harassment, homophobia, disability-related crime and other hate crime for which it now receives its funding."

"The city council's single equality scheme, Fair and Just Nottingham, makes tackling hate incidents a top priority but the CEHRNN has not been able to complete the areas of work the city council and its partner agencies need to focus on to meet this priority, despite support from the council.

"We have done everything we can to work with the CEHRNN and help it tackle the new requirements.

"The city council will continue to fund these services in alternative ways which will pick up the wider issues in all communities including schools, older people and disabled and vulnerable people."

michael.greenwell@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk

WELL DONE EDL! 

Robbery? Don't worry, it happens all the time.

Robbery and violence is all too common these days and the police don't seem to give a damn about it. They are far to busy clamping down on drivers to capture real criminals. Maybe it's now in their contract not to tackle criminals for fear of getting hurt.

Two weeks ago a pub landlord in Kirkby-In-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, went out the back of his pub to get rid of some rubbish.

What he saw disturbed him. A youth was in the bin looking over towards a betting shop; along side the bin were a couple of holdalls.

The landord called the police but they didn't turn up for over a week.

Later the same day the betting shop was robbed by 5 weapon wielding thugs.

The police said that as 'this type of thing is happening alot in Nottinghamshire, we have no idea who they are, so we are taking no further action'.

So that's it. The raiders have got away scot free with nice sum of money for fifteen minutes work.

There is no mention of this story in any newspaper, tv or even online. I wonder why that is.

The word 'vigilante' springs up in conversations all across the country. That's the state this government has got us into.

Maybe that's what they want so they introduce marshall law.

EDL Nottingham 5th December 2009

English Defence League promotional video for the upcoming protest in Nottingham on December 5th 2009

Video by ChesterCasual

Nottingham Riviera

My first thoughts on seeing an article about an urban beach being set up in the centre of Nottingham was ‘Oh dear’, but having thought about it I have changed my mind.

There are many families that can’t afford a seaside holiday. In fact some children have never seen the sea. So, if they can’t go to the seaside, bring the seaside to them.

The Nottingham Riviera will include a pool, bars, a helter skelter, crazy golf and Punch and Judy shows, as well as shops selling rock, postcards and buckets and spades.

Well done to Notts County Council and businessman Edward Mellors for bringing a little happiness into otherwise gloomy, recession hit days.

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Teacher Charged With Attempted Murder

I wrote an article a few days ago about the youth of today and my experience of disruption, ignorance and vandalism at a local college. Only a few days later the news came of a teacher who battered one of his pupils so badly that he has been charged with attempted murder.

The attack which happened at All Saints' Roman Catholic School in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire on Wednesday morning after a schoolgirl swore at him and tore up a textbook. In retaliation Mr. Harvey is alleged to have kicked her bag, telling her: 'If you damage school property, school will damage your property.' As she fled to reception, Mr. Harvey’s class is reported to have started singing 'I'm staring at the psycho in the mirror’; a take on Michael Jackson’s hit Man In The Mirror.

Mr. Harvey, an experienced teacher who recently returned to work following a stress related stroke, snapped after 14 year old Jack Waterhouse swore at him. He dragged the boy into a storeroom and hit him with a 2kg metal weight from a set of scales. Waterhouse is said to be in a serious condition at the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham with head injuries.

According to many children at All Saints, past and present, Mr. Harvey was an outstanding teacher.

A current pupil said 'Mr. Harvey was an amazing guy and an outstanding form tutor.'

Former pupil Tom Blythe, 19, said Mr. Harvey's bald head and beer belly - accompanied sometimes by a beard or 'wacky' moustache - made him look like 'a kind of Nutty Professor'. But he added: 'I never saw him lose his rag. He'd shout at you but never got physical.'





We all expect our children to be safe at school and never expect a thing like this to happen but there are a few points to consider.

Firstly, was Mr. Harvey fit to go back to work? Is there a procedure in place to make sure someone is fit to return, especially if someone suffers from stress? Mr. Harvey was allegedly seen talking to himself in the school corridors and shaking in lessons.

Secondly, we all know there is no respect for teachers these days. It is impossible to chastise pupils without the fear of losing your job, being taken to court, or both. Some children use this to their advantage and terrorise teachers because they know they will get away with it. Will those in power now put measures in place to teach children the valuable lesson of respecting others, especially their elders? Will those in power help us to teach children that the teacher is the one on charge and not the children?

I doubt it very much. I hate to say it, but under present legislation this type of incident is likely to become more frequent.

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Mosque Denied In Nottingham

Plans to build a mosque in West Bridgford may not go ahead if Rushcliffe Borough Council does not sell the land to the applicant.

Mohammed Malik, of Loughborough Road, won an appeal to build a mosque in Collington Way after the council refused planning permission in June last year.

But the land is owned by Rushcliffe Borough Council and Mr Malik now says the council 'won't even meet with us'.

He said: "I'm very upset, the past two years have been a complete waste of time and money.

"We will carry on and we're going to fight them.

"If they're not selling me the land, why did they suggest for me to go to the appeal?

"They are ignoring me, they don't want to sit with us, I've been trying for two weeks."

"Everybody in the Muslim community is upset."

A spokesperson from Rushcliffe Borough Council said they had not yet made a decision on whether to sell the land or not.

She said: "The council is disappointed to have lost the appeal after initially refusing the planning application.

"The application relates to land owned by the council and any request to buy the land will be considered by councillors in accordance with our asset management policies."

Residents have complained, about anticipated noise and traffic problems, with one elderly man saying he did not want a mosque to 'tower' over their bungalows.

Mr Malik said: "I understand what the residents are saying. I met them last time and I respect them"

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/homenews/West-Bridgford-Mosque-plans-threat/article-1135809-detail/article.html

This is the same Malik that was reported as saying muslims will take over the UK.