News/Events & Publications

The Liberty Festival is an annual event at Trafalgar Square, celebrating the contribution of deaf and disabled people to London’s culture.
Sports and Arts - Working with visual artist Rachel Gadsden and Wheelpower from Stoke Mandeville, an area celebrating collaboration between sport and the arts.
Aerial Zone - A programme of performances, featuring Amici Dance Theatre and Cirque Nova. Plus collaboration between Scarabeus and Candoco entitled 'Heartland'.
Street Arts - A programme of performances including Kazzum, Epic Arts, Rhinestone Rollers and Chutney. Plus 'Tandemonium', presented by Extant, a new performance installation combining music theatre and choreographed tandems.
BSL Interpreted Talks - National Gallery, Trafalgar Square
The Scientific Self: Sir Joshua Reynold's ‘Examination of Himself’. In Gallery 36 at 3pm to 3:35pm with Serena Cant; Claude-Oscar Monet's Irises. In Gallery 43 at 4pm with Jennifer Little
Theses talks are free of charge and there is no need to book.
Children’s Zone - This year’s activities will have an “up in the air' theme with an Icarus character helping participants to harness the power of the wind as they enter a 'Windy Wonderland” area of wind machines, fabric and sound. The Children’s Zone will also include installation work by disabled artists from Arteast. Curated by Emergency Exit Arts.
Cabaret and Comedy - This year’s activities will have an “up in the air' theme with an Icarus character helping participants to harness the power of the wind as they enter a 'Windy Wonderland' area of wind machines, fabric and sound. The Children’s Zone will also include installation work by disabled artists from Arteast. Curated by Emergency Exit Arts.
Music - A music stage at the foot of Nelson’s Column with performances by Yunioshi and Orpheus Centre plus three exciting young bands produced by Heart 'n Soul - The Fish Police, KDNA and Lizzie Emeh. Also extracts from Reasons to be Cheerful; Graeae’s new musical theatre production set during a time of political change with Ian Dury’s songs providing a powerful emotional backdrop.
Dedication to David Morris - There will be a special dedication to the life and work of David W Morris, 1958-2010, who was instrumental in helping to develop and direct the Liberty Festival. The programme will include a 'Chill out zone with films, music and open mike slot, programmed by Red Jesus Productions in memory of David. Supported by Disability LIB (Listen, Include, Build). Everyone is welcome and everything has been organised to be accessible and inclusive. Programme may be subject to change. Look out for further updates in July and August.
Liberty Festival is looking forward to 2012 and collaboration with 'Unlimited', LOCOG’s disability arts, sports and culture programme.
Access information - Liberty welcomes everyone and is organised to be inclusive and accessible. A range of facilities and services are available on the day, including:
· Disability awareness trained stewards
· Programmes in different formats
· BSL interpretation and audio description
· Induction loops at information points
· Wheelchair loan service
· Free TfL Dial a Ride bus from Westminster Tube station to Trafalgar Square
· Free parking nearby for blue badge holders (bookable in advance only, email:liberty@london.gov.uk)
Liberty Festival is organised by the Mayor of London and produced by Greenwich+Docklands Festivals. Thanks to Attitude is Everything, Shape, Artsline, Independent Living Alternatives and Cooltan Arts for their helping in developing this year’s event.

This event takes place in the month of September every year - brochures for the 2010 festival and are available in the libraries, voluntary/community groups and various other places in Merton. Click Festival Brochure 2010 to view online or download a copy of the brochure. See the Festival Focus Spring 2010 Newsletter for more information. If you want to run an event in next year's festival then the people at Celebrating Age Festival would like to speak to you. Please contact Sue Tickner: celebratingage@yahoo.co.uk or 8648 5792.

These excellent workshops which are run by Consultant Nurse Catherine Gamble on alternate Tuesdays at Springfield Hospital and Queen Mary’s, Roehampton from 6.30-7.30pm, providing expert advice and support to anyone who is concerned about a friend or relative. The workshops run on a rolling programme and can be joined at any time. Please contact Catherine direct on 8682 6318, Catherine.gamble@swlstg-tr.nhs.uk for more information, dates of specific sessions etc.

Merton Community Transport operates an Excursion Club which runs regular trips to places of interest and shopping centres throughout the year and this year it is being supported by The Big Lottery Fund. All excursions are £10 (except Oxford Street Lights which are £7) which includes an annual membership fee, but does not cover any entrance fees or refreshments. All places must be booked and paid for a minimum of 14 days before the excursion date. There will be no refunds for cancellations made less than 7 days before the excursion date. We will endeavour to advise people of any entry costs, and to collect people either from their home or a nearby central point. To book your place call 020 8648 1001 or email info@mct.uk.com

Royal Mail AND The Trading Standards Office are making people aware of the following:
A card is posted through your door from a company called PDS (Parcel Delivery Service) suggesting that they were unable to deliver a parcel and that you need to contact them on 0906 6611911 (a Premium rate number). DO NOT call this number, as this is a mail scam originating from Belize. If you call the number and you start to hear a recorded message you will already have been billed £315 for the phone call. If you do receive a card with these details, then please contact Royal Mail Fraud on 020 7239 6655.

Merton Council’s Neighbourhood Renewal Team are working with colleagues in Merton, Croydon and Sutton to develop a cross-borough Credit Union by extending the existing Croydon Savers Credit Union to the additional boroughs.

To do this, we need to apply to the Financial Services Authority (FSA). An application form will be submitted to the FSA in October 2009 and, if successful, credit union services will be available to Merton residents by the end of this year.

The proposed Croydon, Merton and Sutton Credit Union will be a savings and loans co-operative, which will:
- encourage and support members to save
- provide members with access to low cost loans at times of need
- be open to those on low incomes and welfare benefits
- have no shareholders so any profits go to members
- keep money in the local area

The fundamental ethos of a credit union’s work is to assist people to escape from the cycle of debt. This is essential at a time when an increasing number of Merton residents are becoming reliant on doorstep lenders, pawnbrokers and loan sharks.

For more information on the development of the Croydon, Merton and Sutton Credit Union, go to: www.merton.gov.uk/creditunion or contact Sue Neville on 020 8545 3754 or email on: sue.neville@merton.gov.uk

Help is available for people suffering from mental or emotional health problems who want to get back to work from Sutton and Merton Psychological Therapies in Primary Care (PTiPC). If you live in Merton and are signed off from work because of mental health issues or stress, or if you qualify for mental health related benefits or statutory sick pay, you could receive advice, help and support on CV writing, finding and applying for jobs, and interview technique.

To find out more contact the employment specialists: Stephen Charlery 0771 213 6902 Stephen.Charlery@swlstg-tr.nhs.uk or Melissa Oshinowo 07525 668 720 Melissa.Oshinowo@swlstg-tr.nhs.uk or visit www.swlstg-tr.nhs.uk

See 'Your Health, Your views' flyer - Groundwork is looking for volunteers to take part in a consultation we are organising on behalf of Sutton and Merton Primary Care Trust as part of a
large project called Better Health Care Closer to Home. We want to talk to people who have had experience of any health care linked to one of the following: Coronary Heart Disease (e.g angina, heart attack), Dementia, Broken Hip resulting from Fall (Fracture of Neck of Femur).

The purpose of the consultation is to gather your views of your experience of receiving treatment for any of these conditions and this will be taken into account when shaping future health care for these conditions in Sutton and Merton through the Better Health Care Closer to Home programme. We will be organising workshops, interviews and focus groups in March 2009.

What’s in it for you? A chance to have a say in future health services in your borough. You will be provided with free refreshments and given £5 to cover travel expenses. Childcare cost can also be covered if organised and agreed individually in advance. We can also assist with arranging transport. How can you get involved? To register your interest or for further information please contact Emma Naqvi on 02086945000 or Hannah Crump on 02079604283. You can also email Emma.Naqvi@groundwork.org.uk. Looking forward to see you, but please phone or e-mail to register first! Contact - Hannah Crump, Community Project Assistant, Groundwork London - Tel:  020 7960 4283; website www.groundwork-london.org.uk

Welcome to the Better Healthcare Closer to Home Bulletin. This is a regular update for those of you who are interested in the future of healthcare in Merton, Sutton, East Elmbridge and Mid-Surrey.

First Friday in every month - Wandle LETS get together from 7pm. Wandle LETS is a community based trading system covering the boroughs of Wandsworth & Merton. Its purpose is to allow members to exchange goods and services among themselves without the need for conventional money. Website: www.wandlelets.org.uk

Every Saturday - Wimbledon Farmers' Market 9am to 1pm at Wimbledon Park First School, Havana Road, SW19 - Located in a school playground, this market is very popular with the local community. The market opened in May 2000 and is centrally situated in Wimbledon, serving people who live in both Wimbledon village and Wimbledon town. To get there: Walk, cycle, bus (156), Nearest tube Wimbledon Park (District).

Tackling the issues affecting local people - Local councillors on Merton's overview and scrutiny panels regularly carry out reviews of issues and services that affect people living in the borough. These reviews involve finding out about local people's experiences and looking at how other towns and cities deal with the same problems. Councillors then suggest ways of making things better in Merton. Past reviews have covered issues ranging from the council's library service to preventing ill health to services for young people. The Council wants help to identify issues that need to be reviewed to make sure that Merton Council and partners respond to local people's needs and concerns. It could be how the borough deals with the challenges of climate change and peak oil. Ideas are not limited to council services. The scrutiny panels will consider any suggestions as long as they affect people living in Merton. Please note, however, that scrutiny cannot deal with individual complaints or look at issues dealt with by another Council committee (for example Planning/Licensing), unless the issue deals with procedure. If you have a suggestion, you can fill out the online suggestion form at http://www.merton.gov.uk/scrutiny

Programme of healthy walks in Merton organised by Sutton & Merton Primary Care Trust. See Exercise classes and Healthy Walks for detailed information.