Last week marked the official opening of the office in the St. Christopher’s Community Centre on site at Dale Farm. So far, it only consists of a table, some chairs, a sign-in sheet and a kettle, but we hope to be kitted out with at least a computer, printer and broadband this week. Adding to the crucifixes and portraits of Mary that already decorated the walls of the centre are new posters with messages such as “£18 Million wasted on Dale Farm. No sites identified. Who is really to blame?” and “Tell us where to go and we will go. If not here, then where?”
The new office on site at Dale Farm, photo by Susan Craig-Greene
Someone has to be in the office at all times to sign visitors in and to answer any questions the residents have about their precarious situation. Today, it was 11 year-old Dale Farm resident, Eileen who was manning the office. Unlike most of the adults at Dale Farm, Eileen can read and write and was proudly showing me and my 3 year-old daughter, Molly, how much she had learnt so far at Crays Hill Primary School. She even drew Molly a picture of a princess that has now become her most prized possession.
Dale Farm resident, Eileen, manning the new office on site at Dale Farm, photo by Susan Craig-Greene
Father Dan, the priest at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Wickford, blessed the office after the final in the series of nine prayer services he has led on site at Dale Farm over the last nine days.
Eileen's picture for Molly
Tags: Basildon Council, children, community, Dale farm, education, eviction, homelessness, human rights, Irish Travellers, literacy, protest
Way to go, Dale Farm! This is the best way to show the finger to the Basildon council, and its multimillion pound intimidation machine.
Would you kindly refrain from giving law to the lawless. i’m sure you are mistaking these low-life, scum, PIKEYS for the original GYPSIES that used to do so much good in the land. This lot are just FREE-LOADING, NON TAX-PAYING drop-outs from our society. They go on about their traditions when most of the families have only been “travellers” for the last 50yrs or so. Original Gypsies were Romany….Not Irish Tinkers.
…..As for HUMAN RIGHTS……What about all the rights of the people these thieving wastrels have abused for so long.