Up until today Church Farmhouse Museum in Hendon belonged to all the people of the borough of Barnet. After today (31 March), because of cuts, its most likely fate is to be sold to one individual as their private dwelling. We don’t believe this is fair or necessary. The museum costs little to run and has been open for 55 years. In return Barnet residents and visitors have enjoyed a slice of the history of our borough, and a wonderful exhibition

Defend Chase Farm Hospital services Friday 1st April 12 noon for a rally between 12 and 2 At The Main Entrance at Chase Farm hospital (directions below) The BEH (Barnet, Enfield and Haringey) Clinical Strategy has within its proposal, suggested that as part of moving forward, that they close the Chase Farm A&E moving these services across to the main Barnet Hospital, and turn Chase Farm A&E into an ‘Urgent Care Centre’. As I’m sure

There were, even according to the BBC's first reports, at least half a million people on the demonstration. They came from all parts of the country in hundreds of trains and coaches: old people, families with children, students... there were youngsters singing anti-Tory songs, French trade unionists, a merry group performing 'random acts of kindness', and another offering free hugs to anybody, I even got a snapshot of a group of policemen under their

John Burgess is the branch secretary of Barnet council Unison. He has seen at first hand Barnet's existing attempts to privatise public services. He also has personal and professional experience of adult social care. John has written an excellent article that gives an overview of the risks involved in Barnet's current rush to privatisation. The final part of this tells us that Barnet council has now issued an improvement order to Catalyst Housing

Public Services...Don’t wait until they’re gone to defend them! Trade Union members, friends, work colleagues, families, community groups and residents from Barnet are going to march together as a community. Join us on the TUC's March for the alternative on Saturday 26th March 2011 and say NO to unfair and unnecessary spending cuts! Meeting places in Barnet: Finchley Central Tube Station: 9-9:15am (sharp) Brent Cross Tube station: 9-9:15am (sharp)

Barnet PCT is making further cuts to the drug and alcohol services for the borough. Having made £250,000 cuts in the last financial year, they are now imposing even more cuts (the extent of which are not clear yet) on services which are are already stretched almost to breaking point. Even cut-price social care provider, Turning Point, has walked away from their part of the contract - fearing that the level of service provision being asked for the

Lorraine, a south London secretary, does a spot of old skool agitation on a bus, telling people why they should come on the TUC's 'March for the alternative' on Saturday 26 March. Barnet residents will be on the march. Join us if you care about your public services! [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l490VFv2PBE?fs=1&w=480&h=295]

If you weren't able to get to this evening's Barnet Alliance public meeting on the future for public services in Barnet under the easyCouncil/One Barnet plan, there's a taster of Dexter Whitfield's speech in this video. Thanks to Roger Tichborne of the Barnet Eye blog for sharing this. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czyfZwHTdH4&w=640&h=390]

Barnet UNISON & Barnet Alliance for Public Services (BAPS) have organised a Public Meeting and have invited Professor Dexter Whitfield as the Guest Speaker. The meeting takes place on Tuesday 15th March at 7pm in the Greek Cypriot Community Centre, 2 Britannia Road, London N12 9RU. Barnet Council on 1 March passed a Budget making £54 million in cuts/savings which included cuts to frontline services and increases in fees and charges to Barnet

Library Love-In... come along On 29 March Barnet Council’s Cabinet meets to decide the fate of Barnet’s Libraries. On 19 March, Barnet Alliance for Public Services, the Barnet Eye, Barnet UNISON and the East Finchley Library Users’ Group are inviting the residents of Barnet to take part in a Library Love-In. We are inviting residents to show the Council how much they love their local library and what it means to them. They can do this by emulating