Ted Striker
Foot's on the other hand
"I'm calling Japser's on this one"
Brixton is a village and local businesses need to ensure they are engaged with the local community.
- Thread starter Lee Japser
- Start date
"I'm calling Japser's on this one"
Lee Japser
Well-Known Member
Lee Japser
Well-Known Member
Facebook and twitter accounts are all ok the link has broken is all. Thanks for pointing this out.
editor
hiraethified
Could you explain why the comments are 'racist' please because I'm really not seeing the connection.
edit
Shippou-Sensei
4:1:2.5
i'm thinking an ali g.
Shippou-Sensei
4:1:2.5
bit early to play the hate card
Rushy
basically a scrotum
This explanation could be up there with his "No black person in the UK can be racist" statement.
Brixton Hatter
Home is south London mate
I think you're taking it a bit too literally. It's a metaphor.
Never too early
I'm leaving this thread anyway. I have nothing to add. I've only been to Brixton twice lol
editor
hiraethified
Always too early to post up those kind of deeply unpleasant comments.
Lee Japser
Well-Known Member
The accusation that the sponsoring pack of Brixton Splash was an attempt at blackmail and the accusation of us being "shady characters" is stereotypical that is out of order. The inference is that we are engaged in some sort of criminal activity. Its a disgraceful thing to say. We have raised legitimate issues and this is type of response is malicious and libellous. We are more than happy to debate the wrights and wrong of our approach but such comments are designed to obscure genuine debate and descend into mud slinging.
Shippou-Sensei
4:1:2.5
out of order is not equal to racist.
also i would say that your naming and shaming (if you don't wish to call it the B word) is exactly the same thing. mud slinging.
let he who is with out sin throw the first mud
Rushy
basically a scrotum
Rightly or wrongly you are seen by many as a shady character who is not immediately trustworthy (or even likeable). Like it or not, that is probably an important factor in Splash's failure to get enough support from local businesses. If not causal, it certainly will not have helped.
It is up to you to convince everyone otherwise but instead you have decided to sling mud at those who have not immediately welcomed you. That never impresses anyone.
Calling people racist for thinking you are dodgy is not going to help your cause because everyone can see that you have no argument. Even if you can't see it.
ricbake
working out how
Hello Mr Jasper
And if I may be so bold, welcome to Urban75.
The debates available here are many, varied and on very many different levels. Trolls, philosophers, anarchists, idealist, the clever, brilliant, wayward, bored, inane, inept and semi conscious all post here in what ever condition they find themselves at the moment.
Local issues as I'm sure your aware always attract colourful responses. Your opening sentence quoted above is where to keep your aim and keep in mind most threads will have a devils advocate or two to keep them warm.
I'm sure the Brixton Splash will be excellent, hopefully it won't be a financial nightmare for the organisers.
Kind regards
northsouthfood
New Member
Can you clarify what measures you have put in place to allow businesses to offer employment opportunities to people who are currently unemployed? Were Splash going to offer the insurance to take people on for the day to get work experience? Were they going to liaise between businesses and the JobCentrePlus about the problems of doing work while on benefits? Were they going to cover the expenses for people to take up this as work experience rather than unpaid work that might lead to unemployed people being taken advantage of, have benefits problems and get businesses into hot water? There are rules to be observed. It's not bob a job week out there
I'd want to know all that before my intentions of offering a local kid some work experience in the local community could happen. And yeah, the website company not being local who make me wary. Why aren't Splash leading by example and keeping it Brixton based? Because I agree that this should be an opportunity used to the max...
urbanspaceman
Well-Known Member
Assuming that you really are LJ, and not a satirical imposter, out to damage the real LJ's reputation: did anybody say "all black men" ?
And are you "in Brixton". An old Evening Standard story suggests that you live in an agreeable street in Clapham.
www.standard.co.uk/news/kens-117000-aide-lives-in-90pw-council-house-6651527.html
Of course you might have moved since then. And Brixton is not a village, but contiguous with the rest of London, so it normally it would be silly to obsess about whether you lived strictly with the five wards of Brixton. But you've made this about Brixton per se.
So, to play the ball and not the man:
1) Several commentators, who actually run businesses in Brixton, have observed that they are constantly asked for charitable donations, and don't have the money or time to attend to these requests. One commentator pointed out that to get a good response, it's necessary to build a relationship and familiarity, and not just walk in and ask for money a few weeks before the event. What was your approach ? Did you expend the necessary time and energy to cultivate relationships with these businesses ?
2) Another commentator pointed out that the new mentoring aspect of Brixton Splash is a major departure from running a street festival, and that making a good job of mentoring/placement schemes is arduous, complicated and requires sustained effort. If anyone asked me to support a mentoring scheme, I would want to see a detailed, written plan. Did you present such a plan to these businesses ?
3) Brixton Splash is a non-profit company. Now you might think that this is a personal attack, but there has been a lot of adverse comment in the press about your previous funding activities.
www.standard.co.uk/news/auditor-condemns-ken-aide-in-city-hall-funding-scandal-6741798.html
The District Auditor said that your behaviour in channelling grants to close associates was “not appropriate,” that you concealed your personal relationships with them in a “conflict of interest” and that your conduct fell below “the standards expected” from a GLA officer. The auditor also observed grants to your associates had not passed through the normal procurement process and that City Hall “could not demonstrate that [it] had achieved value for money” from any of the payments.
No doubt the District Auditor is a racist too, but I think it's reasonable to say that many people would require a bit more due diligence before handing over money, when aware of this kind of history.
Why not publish Brixton Splash's accounts on your website, along with detailed info on income and expenditure ? Surely the more transparent you are to the community the better ?
Lee Japser
Well-Known Member
We are in partnership with the Green Man Employment Zone and the Brixton JobCentreplus who are working with us to offer these opportunities. I can send you more specific information about this shortly if you are interested. We have over 40 young people volunteering for us at the moment and we are jointly assessing individuals training needs and benefit status with a view to matching them with any local opportunities we can secure. Actually our website designer is from Brixton we commissioned that site in 2010 and he has subsequently moved. We are experienced in dealing with the rules relating to youth employment training and I hope this provides you with some reassurance on that point.
Lee Japser
Well-Known Member
2. We asked for simple expressions of interest with a view to a follow up with our partners Green Man Employment Zone and Jobcentreplus.
3. The matters you raise here are a fair point however the fact is that the Auditor also found that no grants were "channelled to close associates " no evidence of " corruption or fraud " facts confirmed by the Boris own Forensic Audit Panel chaired by Sunday Times editor Patience Wheatcroft and the subsequent investigation by DLA Piper Forensic Accounts. I , through the then Mayor, requested that he refer the whole of these fabricated allegations for investigation by the Police who 2 years later completely cleared all 17 individuals, including myself and their associated organisations.
I cannot answer in terms of the GLA in terms of their failure to provide the Auditor with the information he required. Suffice to say that whilst the Auditor accepted that all monies had been accounted for because of the failure of the GLA he could not demonstrate " value for money was achieved. It is to be noted the Auditor refused to take evidence of delivery from the groups themselves despite them offering to provide this.
In relation to his comments re standards and conflict of interest Im sorry I take a different view . The Chief Executive of the GLA at the time July 2007 issued a report looking into these specific allegations whilst I was in post and he concluded that there were no conflicts of interest and all appropriate declarations had been made. I acted on that advice however the Auditor took a different view.
In any event this is all so much ancient news having occured some 5 years ago.
I am more than happy to publish Brixton Splash accounts which have had full and forensic scrutiny by all those who fund our event in the period I have been chair from 2010 onwards. All have been more than happy with our accounts. ItAll have continued to fund because they are confident in our accounting systems. Thats why this year has been more successful than in previous years in terms of our fundraising efforts
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
Care to spell it out? Are you referring to the largely unproven accusations of the Evening Standard that were since rebuked.
I've always enjoyed Brixton splash but I do hope it doesn't lead into another riot. It was of course all peaceful last year until well after the music stopped.
Rebutted or refuted, not rebuked.
Lee Japser
Well-Known Member
Shoot the messenger all you like but at the end of the day I have said clearly that our debate will include, highlight and applaud those business that are supporting other local charitable or community initiatives other than Brixton Splash. Had we received such a responses they would have been welcome. The point is to spark a debate and that has been achieved. The festival bring tremendous economic and social benefit to Brixton and seeking to encourage a culture of engagement from local businesses in addressing the issues of unemployment and poverty is a win win for everybody whether thats through Brixton Splash or some other organisation.
Lee Japser
Well-Known Member
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
There's a surprise. Big business doesn't give a shit, and most small businesses can't afford to, thanks to "the credit crunch" and Gideon Osborne's attempts at social cleansing via housing policy (less disposable income in boroughs like Lambeth)
Is coming across/allowing yourselves to be perceived as attempting to strong-arm local businesses into participation the right way to bring about change? Myself, I'm not sure it is. What most small businesses look for is some sort of quid pro quo. If they don't feel that what you offer them is relevant to their business, they're not going to put their hands in their pockets.
Arghhh! Business-speak!
Are you sure most local businesses don't actually continually re-calibrate their practices and products to suit the needs of local markets? They wouldn't last very long if they didn't.
The biggest social issues facing us locally are ones you can't do anything about: High rental prices; continued diminution of local authority social housing stock through "Right to Buy" and "gentrification".
Without dealing with such issues, which unfortunately local community groups have no ability to tackle, the demographic changes being wrought will do what the Tory party, riot, police oppression and "new Labour" malice couldn't - it'll wipe away the local working class even from our enclaves on local estates.
Not being saucy, but how did you contact them? If it was via e-mail, you made a rod for your own back. So many businesses don't respond to e-mails it's ridiculous, and that's if your e-mail gets past their spam filters.
A letter in the post, enclosing a (2nd class) SAE is obviously more expensive (£1+ a throw, factoring manpower and stationer costs), but it's also slightly more likely to get a reply
True, but how you do it is almost as important as getting it done.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
It's a state of mind. A Brixton state of mind.
Oh, and there is (unfortunately) a new private housing development that pushes the theme of "Brixton Village" (pronounced "villaage", some wags claim), but given that they're aiming their properties at people who can scare up £300,000 for a small flat, I suppose they feel entitled to engage in a bit of marketing hyperbole.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
Unfortunately, it comes across as such an attempt, and as an experienced media hand such as yourself should be well-aware, if something can be perceived in an incorrect manner, it will be, whether by over-earnest types who take offence easily, or by the sort of yellow press that have kicked you in the arse in the past. You've given a hostage to fortune. Why are you surprised that some people might use it?
That's kind of how bulletin boards work, Mr. Jasper. They're not fora where you can drop in, say your piece and expect people to immediately conform to your expectations of good behaviour. 9 times out of 10 mudslinging happens, but {and this is crucial) it also clears the air and allows preconceptions to be corrected. It's give and take.
Rushy
basically a scrotum
Splash started as a community event/celebration - not a business opportunity. So it seems a bit much to tell businesses that they are now benefiting from an event which few, if any of them, asked for and must therefore contribute towards or face consequences. You need to show them what additional benefit they can get by contributing. And, like it or not, you just have to keep reaching out until either you win their hearts or you decide that you are flogging a dead horse.
You keep talking about these hard times but do not seem to understand how a small business operates and the huge demands on the operators time and cash. That you say you sent them a letter and were outraged that they didn't reply just shows that you do not understand the pressures on small businesses resources. So many politicians are given huge budgets, like the one you refer to in your profile, which they did nothing to earn and armies of administrative support to deal with everything. But that's not the world the rest of us live in.
Your language is usually one of confrontation and your propensity to respond to criticism with cries of racism and discrimination makes you a highly ill-judged figurehead, in my opinion. I am surprised that you were given this role and I really hope that your personal character does not taint the nature of this event which is held on my doorstep.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
"Identity politics", Shippy. Something we had in the '80s where people challenged words and phrases on the grounds that they denigrated a group or individual, ergo "blackmail" = bad word. Less clinical than "coercion" or "extortion" though, which are the immediately obvious synonyms.
Also "shady characters" could, if you were being politically-correct (
), be construed as solely referring to non-white criminal types, even though the use of "shady" to mean "of dubious legality" originates from before Windrush. 
Shippou-Sensei
4:1:2.5
i would promote such an idea if it wasn't that such a niggardly use of my personal lexicon would blacken my name.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
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