Elderly are sacrificed

Published: 3 February, 2011

• KNOWING how principled and compassionate council leader Councillor Catherine West is, I am shocked at this council’s treatment of elders at Sotheby Mews in Highbury and call on her to intervene. 

There can be no excuse for frightening an  83-year-old woman to the point of desperation where she has to write to her local paper for help (Will young replace old, January 28). How dare this council distress elders, desperate to keep using a building they have paid for many times over with their sacrifices during World War II and their taxes over the decades. 

Councillors who want to be re-elected should come out now and reassure these elders that they will not lose this building, which gives them the boost of putting on their Sunday best and mixing with their peers, taking exercise and creative classes and thus saving the council and NHS thousands.

I first heard of Sotheby Mews a year ago when our Irish community press ran an article about Irish elders’ use of the building. 

The Fairness Commission does not seem to know that elders exist in Islington. With almost 100 per cent of a recent meeting devoted to discussing the needs of youth with experts, computer displays and reams of printed paper handed out – and talk of spending £200,000 on an individual youth – I was then shocked at the dismissive manner in which they treated one person who dared to raise the subject of elders. 

 Removing elders from Sotheby Mews may lead to the decline and deaths of several. It is unlikely that continuing to keep Roundhouse activities dispersed over several venues for a year will have the same effect on its more resilient youthful users. 

The Roundhouse has called in experts as it disagrees with the council’s wish to demolish the building. 

The council, with empty houses and brownfield sites all over Islington, plans to build houses on that site and seems willing to sacrifice elders to this crusade.

ROISIN NI CORRAIN
Irishequality@waitrose.com