Noticeboard on Northcross Road

[Jellybeanz]

So today after over a year of emailing to get the vandalised noticeboards repaired I emailed our local councillor Charlie Smith only to be told the board will now just have info about food banks, from tenant associations and other not for profit organisations...

Maybe just my opinion but I always thought the boards were useful for new mums to see baby groups, and for local small businesses to advertise. The demographic in ED surely should mean middle classes get a say as to how these boards are used, not just councillors dictating what will be put on there.. plus I can only think if the council are responsible for keeping the info updated it'll be once a year if we're lucky!

Yes I'm sceptical but honestly I'm a super patient person and just don't feel this is fair.

The noticeboard was vandalised and broken for years before I brought it to their attention and they eventually agreed to get it fixed when James Barber former Lib Dem councillor supported too.

Humph. Feeling disappointed. 

No doubt possibly controversial post but I feel strongly about supporting businesses making a profit as well as not for profits and community groups. Plus there are noticeboards near ED station and other roads closer to estates with tenants associations. Definitely supportive of food banks but you can get that info off here or by ringing the council anyway, plus I assume it'll be posted on the station noticeboard as the Albrighton centre has a food bank.

[NewWave]

Is this a joke?

Are you a troll?

I'd rather see foodbanks and things to genuinely help the local community (including the elderly or less well off some of whom may not have internet acesss or a smartphone/home computer)

If you're a new mum or looking for a baby group surely theres 'Mumsnet' or similar and indeed a section of this forum dedicated to this sort of thing.

I'm actually in shock at your post the whole of East Dulwich is not populated by 'middle class' mums there is plenty of local authority housing and elderly and mums who cant afford to pay to go to mother and baby groups and are struggling to feed their kids and keep a roof over their head.

You need to step out of your bubble.

[CPR Dave]

I'm amazed we still need food banks and not for profits. 

I thought we elected a labour government in 2024 to end all that stuff and make everyone rich.

[Sue]

1 hour ago, CPR Dave said:

I'm amazed we still need food banks and not for profits. 

I thought we elected a labour government in 2024 to end all that stuff and make everyone rich.

Give Labour a chance, they've only been in government for a short time, and they inherited a mess!

As regards the notice boards, to the best of my recollection they were originally intended as community notice boards, and certainly not for advertising local businesses (who would decide which businesses  should have the limited space on the boards, anyway?)

East Dulwich may have become more gentrified since the boards were first introduced, but that surely doesn't mean they should now be completely  taken over for the benefit of  the "middle classes", to the exclusion of everybody else?

As  NewWave says, surely these people have other ways to find out about groups and events of interest to them, which the "non middle classes" may not have access to, and even if they did may not be able to afford them.

Several people including myself have complained to councillors about the state of the noticeboards in the past. 

I think one of the issues is that they were originally maintained by local volunteers, who may have either moved out of the area or lost interest - or given up in despair when the boards were flypostered and/or vandalised.

I completely  agree that the boards should be used for information about not for profit organisations in the area, but if regular maintenance can't be provided and/or they continue to be vandalised, then I think it would be better if they were removed altogether.