Category: News

Turkey and Syria Earthquake – How to Donate

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Two powerful earthquakes have struck Turkey and Syria in the space of 12 hours.

The first earthquake measuring 7.8 magnitude hit south-eastern Turkey, near the Syrian border and the second one struck four kilometres outside Ekinozu in central Turkey.

Over 5,000 people have died so far in Turkey and Syria, and more than 20,000 people have been injured and displaced.

Major buildings have collapsed and the numbers are expected to rise as the search for survivors continues in both countries.

Right now, rescuers are racing to save people trapped beneath the rubble, and get shelter and support to those who have lost their homes or are afraid to return inside.

Islamic Relief teams are on the ground right now responding to the disaster in both Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria.

Their teams are providing emergency medical assistance, shelter and cash grants to enable those worst affected to meet their immediate needs. In Syria, their priorities will be providing health and medical supplies to hospitals and clinics, as well as blankets and tents for those made homeless by the quake.

You can donate to Islamic Relief’s Türkiye Syria Earthquake Appeal on their website.

The British Red Cross, part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, is raising funds which will go to its sister charity the Turkish Red Crescent (TRC).

The Turkish Red Crescent has launched a crisis response operation and mobilised teams in more than 10 regions across the country, while the Syrian Arab Red Crescent is delivering assistance and support to those in need in the regions of Hama, Aleppo and Lattakia.

Together, the British Red Cross and Turkish Red Crescent are  providing emergency first aid and evacuating people to safety.

You can donate to the British Red Cross Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal on their website.

Oxfam has launched an appeal to support people affected by this disaster.

Their teams in Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria are working with partner organisations to assess the types of immediate and longer-term support that are needed to help people in the aftermath of Monday’s devastating earthquakes.

The emergency response is expected to include water and sanitation, shelter and food support as well as longer-term rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Any donation, big or small, matters right now.

You can donate to the Oxfam Turkey and Syria Earthquake Appeal on their website.

The DEC are also launching an emergency Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal.

Immediate priorities are medical treatment for the injured, shelter for those who have lost their homes, heating in safe spaces, blankets, warm clothes, and ensuring people have food and clean water.

You can donate to the DEC Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal on their website.

ActionAid will be responding with shelter, food, medical aid, warm clothing, heaters and cash for those who have lost their homes and are out on the streets.

 

You can donate to the ActionAid Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal on their website.

Save The Children’s teams are on the ground in the region and ready to respond.

Homes, buildings and essential infrastructure have been destroyed and children will need urgent support to access food, shelter and warm clothing.

In any crisis, we know that children are always the most at risk. The Children’s Emergency Fund enables Save The Children to respond to crises around the world, whether from conflict, climate change or natural disaster.

You can donate to the Save the Children’s Emergency Fund on their website.

ULEZ Expansion – Scrappage Scheme Information

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The £110 million fund has been designed to support Londoners on certain lower incomes, disabled Londoners, London-based charities, sole traders and business with 10 or fewer employees prepare for the expansion of Ultra Low Emission Zone London-wide on 29 August this year. Successful applicants will receive funding to scrap or retrofit their old, polluting vehicle.

To accompany the scrappage scheme, the Mayor and TfL are also announcing a range of ULEZ support offers from businesses for all Londoners, including additional exclusive offers for successful applicants of the scrappage scheme. This will enable Londoners to benefit from discounts and promotions on subscriptions, rentals and purchases of bicycles, e-bikes, cargo bikes, cars and vans.

It follows the Mayor’s decision to expand the ULEZ London-wide from August. Already around 85 per cent of vehicles seen driving in outer London meet the standards, meaning the majority of drivers will not need to pay. The new scrappage scheme and grace periods will help drivers of the remaining non-compliant vehicles prepare.

Londoners receiving certain means-tested benefits and non-means-tested disability benefits can apply for cash grants of up to £2,000 to scrap their non-compliant cars or motorcycles. As a new feature, successful applicants can also choose to receive a higher value package comprised of up to two free annual bus and tram passes and a lower cash grant.

Disabled people who want to scrap or retrofit a non-compliant wheelchair accessible vehicle will be able to apply for grants of £5,000 to reflect the higher cost of these vehicles. Disabled people can also apply for a nominated driver if they do not drive themselves. The nominated driver does not need to live at the same address as the applicant.

Charities, sole traders and business with 10 or fewer employees registered in London can apply to scrap a van (£5,000 grant) or a minibus (£7,000 grant), retrofit certain vans or minibuses (£5,000 grant) or scrap and replace a van or minibus with a fully electric vehicle (£7,500 or £9,500 grant respectively).

In addition to the scrappage scheme, further support will be provided for disabled people, through new and extended grace periods. The two new grace periods provide exemptions until October 2027 for recipients of certain disability benefits (or their nominated driver) and for all wheelchair accessible vehicles and some vehicles with other adaptations. The grace periods are available to all eligible people regardless of whether they live in London, and they will apply to the current ULEZ zone as well once approved.

The new disabled benefits grace period means that anyone who receives benefits that automatically make them eligible for a blue badge will also qualify for the new grace period. More Londoners currently claim benefits that would make them eligible for this grace period than currently hold a blue badge.

For further information, click here.

Power for People – January Update

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On the Monday before Christmas, we made another stride forward in our campaign to create dramatic growth in community renewable energy generation.

This time the setting was the House of Lords, where our two amendments to the Government’s Energy Bill were debated. To recap, these amendments are based on our Local Electricity Bill, which would enable community energy schemes to sell their clean power to local people, thus triggering a surge in community renewable energy generation.

We likely have enough support in the House of Lords to win a vote on our two amendments at the next stage of the Energy Bill, which will probably be in early February.

If this happens, it would mean that the Energy Bill would come to the House of Commons, probably around March, with our community energy enabling powers contained in it. And with all opposition parties and 125 Conservative MPs lined up in support because of our nationwide public campaign, we are in a strong position to see what we are calling for ultimately pass into law.

After a much-needed bit of Christmas rest, we are now working to bring Ministers and Whitehall officials to the negotiating table.

Thank you very much for your invaluable support. It will likely get tougher from here on out. We have come this far largely because ever more people have lobbied their MP. So we need to keep building our numbers.

Over 300 MPs are already supportive, but more are needed. Could you please join us in signing up to the campaign and writing to your MP?:

https://powerforpeople.org.uk/sign-up

Christmas and New Year Waste and Recycling Collections

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Waste and recycling (including clinical waste) collections will change during the weeks beginning 26 December 2022, 2 January 2023 and 9 January 2023. Collections will be up to 4 days later than usual.

Collections will return to normal from Monday 16 January 2023. Please remember to put your bins out by 6am on your collection day.

You can check your collection dates on the Croydon Council website here.

Croydon Council will be collecting your unwanted real Christmas trees from Monday 9 January 2023. Click here for more information.

Croydon’s Budget 2023/2024 – Have Your Say

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Between 1 December and 8 January, Croydon Council are asking for your views on our budget plans.

You can read an overview of the council’s financial situation and their proposals below, and find more detail on the budget plans in the medium term financial strategy report.

Croydon Council’s budget
Croydon is home to 390,800 people – more than any other borough in London – and the council spends around £300m a year providing them with a huge range of essential services.

Most of the council’s money is spent on protecting vulnerable children and adults, with the rest on other services like collecting the bins, keeping the streets clean, libraries, parks and leisure centres.

Each year the Council set a budget to decide how much we’re able to spend on services for Croydon residents and businesses for the next financial year.

The council’s financial situation
Croydon Council has been facing serious financial challenges.

Last month, the council said it would be asking the government for a new package of support because without extra help, it would be unable to set a balanced budget in 2023/24 or for the next four years, which it has to do by law.

To balance its budget, the council would need to reduce its spending by £130m next financial year alone – which is just not realistic out of a budget of £300m.

The council has published a Section 114 notice and said its financial situation is unsustainable, and that it needs a new approach from the government.

What happens now?
Firstly, it is important to remember that Croydon’s financial challenges will not prevent the council delivering vital services – the council will still deliver the everyday services that residents depend on and it is required to do this by law.

The council is taking this action and asking the government for help now, to protect local services in the future.

While we wait for the government’s response, the council is doing all it can to tackle its financial problems including:

  • transforming the council – so it does less, and focuses on delivering essential services well, becoming a smaller, more efficient council
  • selling buildings and land
  • making savings – this means stopping delivering some non-essential services and changing the way it delivers others.

We may also need to increase council tax and the council will take a decision on that as part of the budget for next year.

It is important to remember that even if we do all these things, we will still need the government’s help and that is why we have asked them for a package of support.

Tell us your views
It is really important to us to hear your views on our budget plans, any ideas you might have, or suggestions for how we could do things differently. You can read the council’s budget proposals here and take our short survey.

For more information, see the Croydon Council Website.