Minutes:
Ella Roberta Family Foundation -
Rosamund Adoo
Kissi-Debrah
Hello everyone. I am here to simply
introduce myself and the work of the Foundation. Feel free to ask
questions after. Ella Roberta Family Foundation was set up by
myself and Dr Wallace from Great Ormond Street Hospital, after my
eldest Daughter Ella passed away from asthma. We still to this day
do not really know why she passed away, this was one of the reasons
that that Dr Wallace felt we should set up a foundation. There were
a few issue for him as he worked for great Ormond Street. My late
daughter was incredibly passionate about the local area, she was
born here, she went to Holbeach school, she went to Lewisham
Hospital, she was in the hospital over 40 times. She was a server
at St Swithern’s Church, her whole life was about Hither
Green, Catford, Lewisham, He felt it was only fitting that if we
were setting up a foundation, it should be in Lewisham and Lewisham
Children should benefit from the foundation.
We have the support of Lewisham
Hospital and I work very closely there with the doctors. We are
looking to work with medical students at the hospital and hopefully
to go into local schools to raise awareness about asthma.
aim to I work with doctors, not used to speaking to community, I am
used to talking to doctor and speak to them about doctors. Sadly I
am very medicalised now. There are many issues regarding
Ella’s case, this is a tool kit that the doctors and I are
why I do what I do
Out of every class in London 3
children have asthma, out of every school 12 children a year die in
London from asthma. We were at an asthma event last week, in this
day and age no child should die from asthma. No one should die from
asthma. My daughter was incredibly sever. Controlling it was a real
problem, most people die from mild asthma, such as out of date
inhalers, not going for their reviews and check-ups going to their
GP at any sign of a problem. It is the no 1 childhood illness.
Lewisham has one of the worst asthma rates in the UK. The hospital
is overrun with children with asthma. 10000 a year just on spacers
part of the inhaler…
Ella’s case came to the notice of Jocelyne Coburn, a human
rights lawyer, her interest was personal, she had it herself. She
was very interested in the pollution levels. The EU has certain
limits we should not be going over. We don’t know if the GOVT
will keep to those or do something different. There is an ongoing
case where the GOVT has been breaching these levels. Nitrogen
dioxide levels are very high locally.
A consultation is going on now.
Please fill it in to do with the south circular around pollution
levels. Basically to get your support. I have support for friends
of the earth. There are boroughs in London, who are doing quite a
lot within the community. I don’t really know what is going
on in Lewisham, I have approached for the community. Can you help
join me measuring the pollution levels. It is very important that
the consultation document, The London Mayor will include it in his
policy. There are people in Putney who are very vocal, they are not
include, but they will make a lot of noise, we need to make a lot
of noise too. I now have the Catford Plans, I know the London Mayor
wants to reduce emissions. Please go online make lots of noise to
help. They can put monitoring tubes in more neighbourhoods, there
are likely to be schemes going on and want to let you know that I
am learning as I am going so I am asking you to find out more for
yourselves and join the Foundation to help do something about local
pollution.
Questions.
Q. Chair of Corbett Estate Neighbourhood Forum
stated that part of the development of the neighbourhood plan, we
have had people looking at transport around the roads through the
Neighbourhood. As part of our policies transport is a part of this.
It would be good to talk about getting it into the Catford South
Neighbourhood plan.
Q. Bromley road, the A21, a major road. I wondered
where does Lewisham Council fit into this?
A. Cllr Alan Smith stated that Lewisham have an
environmental team to deal with pollution. The major roads are TFL
roads, so it is at a GLA level… firstly we have no power on
TFL roads. Hotspots were measured by community groups, we have
passed the info onto the GLA, this should be part of the report you
mentioned. From our own point of you we are putting in a borough
wide 20 mph zone which will reduce emission and also removing speed
humps, electric car ports across Lewisham. All small things we have
some control over, the GOVT gives Lewisham responsibility, but no
power. We hope we will get more powers. We have to be given the
powers to enforce things ourselves. The 20mph will be for Lewisham
roads though, not the larger TFL roads.
Q. At peoples Day there was a group opposing the
Silvertown Tunnel; they had a map of air pollution areas.
A. Cllr Smith. The Silvertown Tunnel offers no
improvements Lewisham have formally objected to it. We need bridges
further east.
Q. Natasha will you be rolling out electric buses
in Lewisham. There is a school with a bus route right outside. TFL
run all the buses.
A. About 70% of the buses are already
hybrids.
Q. Surely the answer to air pollution is drive less
and walk more!! How many people drove here tonight
Ros reminded… If you have asthma please go to your GP and make sure your inhalers are in date and working.