For the Common Good

A. Homes for All Organisations that help the homeless are warning that people will face even greater hardship this winter if urgent action is not taken to offer shelter to those without a home. Susan Evans of the organisation Homes for All said, ‘With a shortage of accommodation, more people than ever before—young and old—are having to sleep rough. A cold winter is predicted this year, which means that these people will have to put up with subzero temperatures. Action must be taken urgently to offer these people shelter.’ A nationwide demonstration to raise awareness of the problem will take place this weekend.

B. Village Protest Residents of a local village called Shilden are preparing for a night of protest to save their village from government planners. Proposals for a new motorway that will run within 2 kilometres of Shilden have caused uproar amongst the residents. Tony Fellows, the spokesperson for the Village Protest campaign explains, ‘The planned route cuts across some of the most picturesque countryside in the region. Shilden welcomes thousands of tourists each year. Many of the shopkeepers depend on this trade and would almost certainly face problems if tourists were put off by the damage this road is likely to cause.’ The all-night protest will take place in the fields.

C. New Youth Club Youngsters in the city centre will lose out on a much-loved project if substantial funds are not found this year. The New Youth Club, which is open to young people from the ages of 10 to 17, is being threatened with closure by Health and Safety officials who claim the building is unsafe. The club, built 30 years ago, was badly damaged by heavy storms last year, and engineers estimate that one hundred thousand pounds is needed to repair the structural damage. Youngsters from the club have organised an open day on Tuesday in an effort to raise some of the money needed to enable the repairs to be undertaken. ‘This alone won’t be enough, however, warned Adam Ross, the club leader.

D. Save Lea Valley A rare species of butterfly and many native plants face extinction if the Lea Valley Office Complex project goes ahead. The local environmentalists argue that the proposed development, to be built on the site of woodland dating back hundreds of years, will rob the country of several rare species of wildlife. ‘The local people would be horrified if they knew the consequences of this project,’ claimed environmentalist Ian Wilson yesterday. ‘We are starting by writing letters to everyone in the area asking for their support. Then, we are planning a meeting for everyone to get together. We must unite. The office complex developers must not be allowed to do this.’