NEWS

International Women’s Day 2021

International Women’s Day is celebrated on 8 March every year around the world. It is a focal point in the movement for women’s rights.

It is a day dedicated to celebrating women and girls and all they have accomplished. The day also acts as a call to action to reach gender equality.

Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and, therefore, half of its potential. However despite many changes for the better, there is still a long way to go to achieve full equality of rights and opportunities for women and girls, both within the UK and throughout the world. From action to end the many forms of gender violence to securing appropriate childcare support; from fair access to education, health, training and employment to full participation in political life and to reaching positions of leadership and decision-making - the agenda is large and challenging. The international IWD 2021 campaign theme is #ChooseToChallenge

The theme highlights that: We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s and girls’ achievements. And together, we can all help create an inclusive world.

In Lewisham Covid-19 restrictions prevented the usual public event on March 8th. Instead this year’s programme of activities – prepared by a cross-sector working group – took place on line. However this did not stopped an amazing and diverse range of contributions to inform, entertain, educate and inspire. Contributions included: • A short film of female Lewisham

Council leaders, including the

Lewisham Mayoresses, sharing experiences and challenges. • Young Mayor Advisors’ selection of 5 women who changed the world. • A 10 minute history of IWD and today’s challenges. • Recordings of inspirational local businesswomen and community activists. • The premier of a lockdown film produced by the Broadway Blazers,

Broadway Theatre’s very own pensioners drama group Plus lots of information, webinars, readings, demonstrations and a quiz on women who chose to challenge. The virtual programme has also been shared with Lewisham schools as an online learning resource.

The programme of events and International Women’s Day features remains available to view on I Am Lewisham - www.iamlewisham.uk/ international-womens-day-2021.

£160M FOR GREEN PROJECTS

to tackle climate emergency

Pioneering energy efficiency programmes have helped to secure more than £160 million in government funding for the capital.

The projects will boost London’s Green New Deal mission, led by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and London councils, which aims to sustain and create new green jobs whilst tackling the climate emergency.

This sits alongside the investment the mayor is making to support action on the climate and ecological emergency through other City Hall programmes on housing, adult education, skills and transport. Almost £46 million has been secured for home retrofitting to upgrade London’s energy-inefficient homes, cut energy bills and reduce the local carbon footprint. London has been successful in its bid for the government’s Local Authority Delivery scheme, which aims to raise the energy efficiency of low-income and low-energy performance homes. This will apply to all housing tenures, including owner-occupied and privately rented homes. Retrofit measures will include air source heat pumps, solid wall insulation, solar PV, flat roof insulation and more. Around £10 million of this fund will boost the £4.95 million Warmer Homes programme, which provides muchneeded home upgrades and advice to fuel-poor Londoners. London has the second highest rate of fuel poverty in the country, with an estimated one in nine households in the capital unable to meet the cost of heating their homes. Sadiq Khan said: “I am delighted to have helped secure more than £160 million for projects that will create green jobs in London as part of our Green New Deal to help support our economic recovery from COVID and tackle inequalities faced in our city. “The funding will directly help those living in ageing, energy-inefficient homes, and also support Londoners with the skills they need for jobs in the green economy.”

by “unnecessary” red tape

The London Assembly has expressed concern about the burden of red tape facing musicians and other touring artists following UK’s departure from the EU.

The assembly has written to the Mayor of London, claiming there is a “real worry” that artists from the UK and EU countries will need working visas to allow them to perform, which would lead to a costly administrative burden.

The letter from the EU Exit Working Group highlights that the Free Trade Agreement does not include the required regulations for musicians and other artists to go freely between the UK and the EU when touring. With live music accounting for around one fifth of the £5.8 billion contributed to the UK’s economy by the music industry, and the importance of live events to London’s cultural offering, the assembly said there was an economic argument to allow musicians to travel freely between the two regions. Len Duvall OBE AM, chair of the EU Exit Working Group, said: “There has been a lot of criticism from high-profile artists in both the UK and Europe about the impact of Brexit on musicians. Concerts and other live events bring so much joy to people’s lives, something we have all been missing in one way or another since the start of the pandemic. The issue of working visas for big artists must be noted but the unnecessary red tape will take a massive toll on the less-known artists or those who are just starting out in their careers.” The letter raises several other concerns including the possible long-term impact of immigration rules on the health and care sector workforce, and the impact of the new immigration rules and supply chain issues on the construction industry. It also stresses the need for London to play to its strengths and ensure the city remains an attractive place for people to visit, live and do business, particularly for those in the financial sector.

Council backs hospitality sector with £3MILLION CASH BOOST

Royal Borough of Greenwich Council is backing its hospitality businesses with a raft of grants ringfenced specifically for pubs, restaurants, bars, cafés and hotels in the borough.

The Hospitality Recovery Grant offers grants of £10,000, £15,000 or £25,000 to companies whose core business is serving seated customers to eat and drink in their premises.

This builds on the 500 businesses that the council has already helped across a range of sectors with £2.7million worth of additional grants administered on behalf of the government since last November. These have been helping closed businesses that didn’t qualify for other grant schemes or businesses that can remain open but have been adversely impacted by the national restrictions. Across all grant schemes being managed by the council, 6,500 grant payments have already been made to businesses totalling more than £13.8 million. Cllr Danny Thorpe, leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: “Pubs, restaurants and hotels are an integral part of the identity and economy of our borough. They bring life and a vibrancy to our local high streets and can make a place a must-visit destination as well as being major employers and helping to keep our economy afloat. “When we have come so far, and are beginning to see things improve, now is not the time to stand by and let them wither. When we can meet each other again we’ll want to eat, drink and laugh in our favourite café, restaurant or pub – so we have to ensure they’ll still exist then.” The level of Hospitality Recovery Grant available is based on a company’s rateable value, which is determined by the rental value of their premises calculated by the Valuation Office Agency.

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