Opening day Saturday 20th Jan

2pm - Cafe serving coffee, tea, cold drinks, cake
5pm - Social Centre Presentation. Find out who we are and what’s going on with the place
7pm onwards hot food, drink and chilled music


map:  http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=533113&Y=186502&A=Y&Z=1
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On Sat 6th Jan a group of local people, along with others, occupied 139-141 Church Street with the intention of opening it up as a social centre. Previously the home of the famous Vortex jazz club the building is set to be demolished by notorious landlord Richard Midda to make way for a Starbucks on the ground floor with luxury apartments above.

This development highlights the continued erosion (and unique character) of Church Street as a community hub, where corporate logos increasingly proliferate while the cost of
housing in Hackney escalates beyond the means of most ordinary people. Again and again rich property developers and the dominating power of capital determine our social, living and cultural needs - as with the eviction of the original Vortex private greed always wins out against community need.

Social centres are a means whereby people can come together to create, conspire,
communicate and offer a collective challenge against this domination.

Stoke Newington has always had a rich radical tradition: Mary Wollstonecraft writer, philosopher and early feminist worked in Newington Green, the Angry Brigade plotted against the state from Amhurst road, as well as the The Radical Dairy social centre being situated round the corner in Kynaston road. We hope to continue this tradition.

The idea of social centres is not only to occupy social space but to create a critical
visible presence in the community where people can engage with radical ideas and events and encourage participation in creating those events.

Already planned is a regular café, cinema and jazz nights, an exhibition space for local artists, a parent/baby group and regular benefits. We intend it to be a meeting space for all manner of local campaigns as well as political events. We invite you to participate and contribute to the success of the new social centre as a radical way of organising
ourselves......

The Social Centre meeting every Wednesday 7pm, all welcome.

PS Richard Midda has issued court papers (court date: January 24th 10.30 am at Shoreditch county court) to take repossession of the building. We intend to fight against the proceedings and invite people to get involved in the campaign to prevent Midda turning Church Street into another corporate wonderland.

Come on Saturday to find out more.

2pm - Cafe serving coffee, tea, cold drinks, cake
5pm - Social Centre Presentation. Find out who we are and what’s going on with the place
7pm onwards hot food, drink and chilled music

website: www.londonsocialcentre.org.uk
email:  occupiedsocialcentre@hushmail.com
tel: 07960641707