Holocaust Memorial Day

It was a privilege to honour Holocaust Memorial Day here in Lambeth on Sunday 24 January because we are one of the most diverse communities on earth.  Our very existence as a community that is tolerant and celebrates difference is our legacy of hope that defies the bigotry and hatred that led to the death camps.  We heard at the Memorial Day, from Mala Tribich, a holocaust survivor.  She said it is our duty to remember the victims.  We also heard that hope begins by remembering and that remembering must inspire us to act to support today’s victims of intolerance. So, in that spirit of remembrance, I want to share a few powerful but terrifying words written by Elie Wiesel about his time in the Auschwitz death camp.

“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed.

Never shall I forget that smoke.

Never shall I forget the small faces of children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky.

Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever.

Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live.

Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes.

Never shall I forget those things, even were I condemned to live as long as God Himself.

Never.” 

From the book Night by Elie Wiesel

Lambeth launches new online form

We will soon launch a new online benefit claim and calculator which will dramatically improve the benefit claims process. The online benefit claim and calculator will allow Lambeth residents to find out how much benefit they could get and claim housing benefit and council tax benefit straightaway. Lambeth will be the first London borough to launch this new way of claiming housing and council tax benefit, which will  improve on the current process by being faster, more accurate, easier and greener.

Better Neighbourhoods

I am delighted that, as part of our Better Neighbourhoods programme of environmental improvements, the council has been able to fit in an extra special tree planting ceremony on the Westbury Estate on 22 January. The Mayor of Lambeth, the Borough Commander, Nick Ephgrave and local residents will plant a new tree dedicated to the memory of PC Patrick Dunne, who was killed on duty 17 years’ ago. PC Dunne died while attending the scene of a shooting in Cato Road, Clapham, in 1993. He was widely respected by the local community and it is wonderful that so many people from the local area will turn out to pay their respects.

The tree will form the centrepiece of a ceremony celebrating the end of a programme of improvements to the Estate. Westbury Estate is part of a £3.5 million package of improvements to five areas to make Lambeth greener, safer and more attractive. The scheme is seeing Lambeth resurface dozens of pavements and roads, replace tired and outdated street furniture, improve play areas and estate recycling facilities and introduce new bins.

250 new trees will be planted, bringing colour to dozens of roads across the borough.