Swap your old stuff for new stuff next Saturday.

Bring along your unwanted but still useable items to pass on to others, or take something others have left. It’s like Freecycle without the Internet or a cash-free bring & buy!

No electrical goods and portable items only please, eg books, clean clothes, shoes and household items. If you have something large (eg a sofa) please bring along a photo, short description and your contact details.

This is part of a Family Fun Day being organized by the Queen Edith’s Community Forum and Cambridge City Council, and will take place outside the shops on Wulfstan Way. Any queries, please email mark.buckton@cambridge.gov.uk.

Yes!

On 5th May we have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to change the way we elect our MPs.
Today’s Unfair System
Under the present ‘first-past-the-post’ (FPTP) system, most MPs get elected even though they are not supported by half of the voters in their constituencies.
Under FPTP, Labour won the General Election in 2005 with the support of only 35% – roughly one in three – of the people who voted.
Tomorrow’s Fairer System
Under the ‘alternative vote’ (AV) system, a prospective MP will have to get at least half of the votes to be elected.

AV is a simple system. Instead of voting for just one candidate, you list candidates in order of preference. If no candidate obtains half of the votes, the candidate with fewest votes drops out. All votes are counted again (both the first and second preferences of those who voted for the bottom candidate). If one candidate then gets at least half of the total votes, then that candidate is elected. If not, the process is repeated until one candidate does get at least half of the total votes.
So the person elected as your MP will have won with the support of at least half of those who voted. Under AV, Parliament will more accurately reflect the political complexion of the nation as a whole, not just of a minority.

Under AV, no MP will have a safe seat and a job for life. Politicians will be brought down to earth: they will have to pay attention to all of their constituents.

Our present voting system is not very democratic – it is based on a minority rather than a majority vote. Do you want to reform it so that elections are fairer? The British National Party does not – it wants to stick with first-past-the-post.
But Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Izzard, Greg Dyke, Honor Blackman and Martin Bell are among the many who want to change to AV. Do you?
Let’s make history on 5th May!     Vote YES to AV!

Battery

Cambridge residents are now recycling 44% of household waste, just under 700 tonnes a month, and up 3% on last year, before the blue bins arrived. The City Council will be offering three extra recycling services in May and June:

1. a battery bag to attach to your bin at home
2. plastic ‘pots, tubs & trays’ collections from supermarkets
3. small electrical goods from supermarkets

The Council will get some money from the batteries for local services, but the main benefit is that the batteries will stay out of landfill and not contaminate our water.
So hang on to your batteries till May so we can get the service off to a flying start.

To hear all about the new scheme, come to the next Area Meeting on 18th May at the Queen Edith Chapel.

The Queen Edith’s Community Forum is planning a fun and informative environmental family day in May in conjunction with the City Council.

Paper peopleThere will be loads to do:

• An arts & crafts marquée
• Face painting from T J Kids 10.30-12.30
• Take it or Leave It (swap your old stuff for new stuff)
• Seed sowing with Transition Cambridge
• Cambridge Carbon Footprint – measure your carbon footprint
• Cambridge Woodworks craft stall
• Free Lunch from Cambridge Foodcycle (they recycle unwanted but still edible food donated by supermarkets)
• Nature walk round Nightingale Ave. Recreation Ground 2.00 – 3.00

It’s 10.30 a.m. till 2.00 p.m. at St James’s Church and outside the Wulfstan Way shops. Hope to see you there!

Cambridgeshire County Council has told is it is about to start resurfacing some roads in this area. Here are the details, so you can try to find alternative routes:

Mowbray Road between Holbrook Rd and the QE Way roundabout: this Thursday, 14th April

Fendon Road between the two roundabouts: this Friday, 15th April and Sunday 17th April

Babraham Road: extensive patching from the Audi garage to the hospital: Mon 18th-Thur 21st April (approx)

All traffic will be controlled by stop and go signs.

Anyone away from Cambridge or unable to get to their local polling station to vote may vote by post – a method that’s becoming increasingly popular. But you need to act now, as the deadline for postal vote applications is this Thursday, April 14th.

The AV referendum ‘Yes’ campaign has been sending out application forms for votes in the referendum. This is very proactive, but lease be aware that these forms will get you a vote in the referendum, but not for the local elections. If you want to vote in the council elections at the same time, you will have to apply for a postal vote for that election. Cambridge City Council recommends that you use the form on the City Council website at at www.cambridge.gov.uk/elections or telephone for a paper form on 01223 457048. These forms can be used to request a vote both in the referendum and council election.

I would recommend using the Council’s form as the most efficient way of getting a postal vote in each election.

For general information about voting and eligibility you can visit www.aboutmyvote.co.uk