Holocaust Memorial Day 2021

Tonight (Wednesday 26th January), a group of residents, along with the Mayor of Chesterfield gathered to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

The event, where a large number of candles were lit, and reading and poems were shared, was coordinated by Cllr Ed Fordham.

Ed said “I believe it is really important that we never forget and that we learn the lessons of the Holocaust and past genocides.  My grandfather served in WWII and saw the camp of Bergen Belsen. I myself have worked in The Balkans and been to Srebrenica where there was modern day genocide as recent as 1995.

“Each year I have lit candles on my own drive in the form of a triangle of lights but decided that this could be a more public commitment. Accordingly working with fellow councillors, The Mayor, Derbyshire LGBT+ and Chesterfield’s Stand up to Racism. Tonight we gathered in New Square and made the commitment to never forget.

“In the aftermath of the Holocaust of WWII gay men were kept imprisoned after camp liberations as being gay was still a crime under the penal code of most countries.  Upon learning this I pledged for myself - NEVER AGAIN. NEVER FORGET.”

Thanks also to Cllr Shirley Niblock and Cllr Jill Mannion-Brunt for their support.

Is old age safe under the Tories

Consultation on care homes to go ahead but there will be no repairs.

 

A controversial decision to consult on whether 7 of Derbyshire County Council’s care homes should be closed had a bizarre twist when the Tory members of the Improvement and Scrutiny Committee passed the following motion 

‘ to advise Cabinet that as to carry out all of the necessary repairs and refurbishments would not make the seven homes fit for purpose in order to provide good and appropriate care for the residents of Derbyshire, it would seem inappropriate to undertake that work’.

 

We think that means they intend to “consult” current residents and their families but one of the options cannot be continuing in their existing care home that would have been re-furbished. 

 

“Pie in the sky before you die?”

The Tory position seems to be to dismiss all that is currently being achieved in the existing care homes (which may well have maintenance issues) because they are not shiny new cutting edge buildings. This is disappointing for both residents and care home staff.

If the Conservative controlling group were prepared to stand by their pre-election commitment to build new state of the art care homes to replace those they describe as less than ideal, then shouldn’t there be one taking shape in eg Bakewell before they start considering moving residents out of Gernon Manor, the DCC care hpme in the town?