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We don’t live in fear on Lisson Green Estate
• I TAKE issues with your article on page four of February 16 (Estate Gripped with Fear Two Weeks After Jevon’s Killing).
I have been involved in many public meetings some of which Tom Foot, one of your journalists, has attended.
He also contacted me at home on Wednesday February 14 asking me about the estate and comments made by Jevon’s mother, neither of which have appeared in your report.
The report contains several inaccuracies, which I find unhelpful to the investigation and community cohesion on the estate.
I accept that journalists have a duty to report events, but I find this article totally unrepresentative of the majority of residents on the Lisson Green Estate.
I would go as far to say that journalistic license has got the better of Tom Foot and Simon Wroe.
I have no desire to influence a free press but I do expect articles to be honest, balanced and reflective of the community reported on. I would suggest the views of a nine-year-old may not be representative.
Paul Switzer
Chief Inspector Partnership, Marylebone Police
• Many of us who live on Lisson Green estate were surprised and upset by your article in the February 16 edition.
The Lisson Green Tenants and Residents Association (TARA) were disappointed as the article does not describe the Lisson Green that we know.
TARA and others have worked extremely hard over the last five years or so to tackle the difficult issues we are living with today in the UK.
It seems as if much of the work we have done to improve life here and the reputation of the estate has been wiped out overnight by your inaccurate article.
I am writing this after meeting many residents who felt strongly enough that we should express our dismay at the misrepresentation of our community.
We are not a community at odds with itself as you describe. The article grossly exaggerates a couple of quotes and some inaccuracies, and does not give a fair view of where we live.
There is very strong feeling that we have made real, positive and lasting changes and that your article has set our sense of progress back.
We do not have gangs stalking our estate, we are not afraid to walk around where we live at night.
Jeanette Buckley
Chairwoman, TARA
• As a local councillor I was disappointed to read this one-sided report about conditions on Lisson Green.
It relied on anonymous comment and the rather subjective views of a nine-year-old boy.
Why was no comment sought from committee members of the TARA or others who work hard to make sure Lisson Green is a pleasant place to live?
They work closely with the police, council officers and local councillors.
Why not do another report which gives an alternative view, after speaking to people who really know what is going on on the estate?
People like to read constructive, not destructive reports about the place where they live.
I have heard people say they like living there, why not try to speak to them.
Cllr Antony Mothersdale
(Lab)
Westminster City Hall, SW1
• I am disappointed and dismayed by your article Estate Gripped with Fear.
It was both inaccurate and inflammatory and has the potential to damage and misrepresent the hard work being done every day to create opportunities and to tackle disadvantage for residents on the Lisson Green Estate.
At Vital Regeneration, we have worked with this community for more than nine years – initially through our ICT learning centre Firststep.com and more recently by providing management and community development services from The Greenside Community Centre – in the heart of the estate.
Many residents make use of our services on a daily basis to improve their skills, gain support and confidence, socialise, volunteer and build essential life skills.
The Greenside Community Centre hosts a range of community-led activity events, including mother-and-toddler groups, healthy-living programmes, youth learning and leisure activities and events for older people – to name but a few.
As an example of our local impact, in the last three months alone Vital Advice – our Learning and Employment Advice Service has supported 35 residents to help them into training opportunities and our Apprenticeships’ scheme has enabled 11 local young people to gain access to apprenticeships with housing organisations.
I hope this but gives you a flavour of the valuable grassroots work that goes on to improve the quality of life for residents on the Lisson Green Estate.
We would welcome your commitment to covering the many positive and diverse activities we have on offer for local people.
Angela McConville
Chief Executive, Vital Regeneration
Lilestone Street
NW8
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