Fundraiser Friday 01
Give a little, get a little
Fundraisers and mutual aid:
Incarcerated fire fighters
Whilst the majority of the threat of new fires seems to have passed, fire fighters in Los Angeles are still working night and day to bring the inferno under control. You may have seen LA Mayor Karen Bass offering her sincerest thanks to the generosity and heroism of… Disney, Netflix et al.
I mentioned earlier this week that a number of those actually doing the dangerous, unrelenting work of trying to control the fires are prisoners paid just $1 an hour.
The Anti-Recidivism Coalition are fundraising specifically for those fire fighters. You can find details on their website here.
Children of the Grenfell estate
I put a call out for listings and fundraisers last week and my wonderful friend Lucy got in touch asking if I could include the fundraiser for the incredible Latimer Community Art Therapy. Formed as a direct response to the horrifying fire at Grenfell Tower by Susan Rudnik, an an art psychotherapist and also a local resident of the Henry Dickens estate (a west London estate in the shadow of the tower). In 2024, the youth club provision at the community centre on the estate lost its funding.
I asked Lucy, who is a trustee of LCAT, to write some words on the amazing work they do and what they’re trying to fundraise for:
“The art therapy service began on the 17th of June at the Community Centre on the Henry Dickens estate, this was the first therapeutic space to open in the area. With the help and support of local residents, donations were cleared and an art therapy room made possible. Art Therapists held a space for the young people in the centre, as some art therapists went out on the street and facilitated an outdoor space on Walmer Road where teenagers spontaneously and collectively made a memorial. This initial work in the community held some of the immediate raw and painful feelings and became the building blocks of the LCAT service we now have.
Throughout this early stage the therapeutic spaces were kept confidential, protected from public and press intrusion and the artwork made in private sessions was not on public display. These important boundaries in art therapy allowed for a safe space to develop and be trusted in the community.
Within just two weeks what became LCAT had arranged for art psychotherapists to go into nine schools. This is now a commissioned service which has grown, offering accessible mental health support to the wider community. The work at Henry Dickens (HD) has developed as the community needs have grown and this is now a thriving service for adults, families, children and young people, providing a safe space, educational, creative and physical activities underpinned with a therapeutic ethos and run concurrently with access to the art psychotherapy services. Additional wellbeing activities, adult coffee mornings and community events have also been developed in response to the community needs. The co-working and shared thinking between professionals at Henry Dickens allow for a holistic multidisciplinary approach when working with vulnerable people.
The work in schools is partially funded by the schools, local authority and charitable grants but the HD has faced a funding crisis in 2024. It supports hundreds of local children and families and we are fighting to keep it going.”
When we say ‘never forget’ and ‘remember them’, I believe that includes those continuing to live with the pain, trauma and horror of what happened that night in 2017 as well as those who tragically lost their lives. Fighting for justice means making sure communities have access to support and spaces they need to find a path to healing. It’s why the work that places like LCAT do, as well as so many others, is so important. If you have a couple of quid please do consider donating to their fundraiser here.
Recommendations:
As I write this email the ceasefire in Gaza stands on the precipice of faltering.
When it was announced on Wednesday evening, there was joyous celebration in Gaza. After 15 long, brutal months, there was finally concrete hope for an end to the genocide. Of course we know that Israel continued to bombarding Gaza throughout this, with 15 people killed at Jenin refugee camp since the ceasefire deal was made public.
What really struck me as I was scrolling through the videos of joy and messages of resistance was a post or two I saw from people in Gaza talking about how they would finally have time to grieve.
There is grief all around us right now. Some of it is very immediate — like the choking smoke of a forest fire enveloping a city or the relentless pounding of genocidal bombs on already decimated communities. Other parts of it, like the burnt out shell of a tower block looming over the homes of the teenagers that relive the inferno that killed so many people in their nightmares, loom over us and our communities.
One thing I have never been very good at is reckoning with the grief. Understanding how to process it and how to utilise it to ignite change. I am very lucky in my life to be surrounded by astounding and incredible people who help inspire and inform me. One such person is Sarah Jaffe who has written ‘From the Ashes: Grief and Revolution in a World on Fire’. A powerful and touching exploration of grief and community, it is an urgent and timely intervention. For those of you also struggling to reckon with the pain of the now, I can’t recommend it enough.
You can grab yourself a copy at your local bookstore or by clicking on the image below!
Weekend Listings:
Friday 17th January
London: Solidarity with the Filton 18, 9:30am, EC4M 7EH
Eighteen people are now held in a prison awaiting their trial after an abuse of counter terror legislation that allowed the state to hold them in solitary confinement for up to a week without charge. They have now been charged with non terror offences and accused of costing Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons firm, over 1 million in damages and are being held in remand.
Come down and show your support for the prisoners and their families in this unprecedented case. Bring banners and your voices. Mobilise from 9.30am.
Saturday 18th January
London: National Demonstration for Palestine, details TBC
The first national march for Palestine is scheduled to take place this Saturday in central London. As I explained towards the top of this email, rhe original route (from outside the BBC on Portland Place to Whitehall) has been banned by the police so details are TBC but keep an eye on the socials of the organisers (Stop the War, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Palestinian Forum in Britain, Friends of Al-Aqsa, and Muslim Association of Britain) for updates!
London: BOOBLESS Cyro & Richard's Top Surgery Fundraiser Event, 3 - late, E17 4RQ
Drag icons and power couple Cyro and Richard are holding an all day event at Walthamstow Trades Hall to raise money for their gender affirmation treatment. With day time set to include DJs, workshops, stalls and more and the evening featuring raucous cabaret and drag performances and dancing into the night with Queer House Party, this is not to be missed!
Tickets and more information can be found here.
Sunday 19th January
England: Avanti Train managers strikes
Avanti Train managers continue their weekly strikes over pay and conditions this Sunday. You can find your local picket on STRIKEMAP and find out more about the dispute from the RMT here.
Thanks so much for reading. I will be back on Monday with the bulletin, bringing you updates, analysis, the week’s listings and save the dates. If you have any events, festivals, demonstrations, actions or fundraisers that you would like included, please do get in contact with me.
As ever, I hope to see all of you on the streets soon,
ben x