Sheltered housing national demonstration, 12.30, Wednesday 22 July, Parliament Square

As became clear when we campaigned to save the wardens in Barnet, the cuts to sheltered housing are a national issue. Along with the work of Sheltered Housing UK, and Hendon MP Andrew Dismore's raising the issue in Parliament, our own efforts in Barnet have helped to force a belated national debate on this issue (although still not on the scale that it deserves).

"Panorama" in August will cover sheltered housing; several Barnet celebrities and notorieties will feature in it. One of the stars of the show is David Young, the chair of Kingsley Court Strategy Committee, who lives at one of the sheltered housing schemes due to lose its warden.

Dave has ploughed his own furrow, pretty much, seeing what needed to be done and doing it. As well as building the protests organised by Barnet Community Campaign, he organised a petition which Kingsley Court residents handed in to 10 Downing Street in May; Kingsley Court residents turned up en masse at the surgery of their councillor Joan Scannell in Edgware; and Dave arranged for BBC News to interview residents on the day that the council decided to cut wardens.

Now the Kingsley Court campaigners have got permission for a long-overdue national demonstration on the issue of sheltered housing. It assembles at 12.30 in Parliament Square, on Wednesday 22 July. Then a letter will be handed in to 10 Downing Street; the delegation will include Joan Bakewell.

The gist of the message to Gordon Brown is:

“Pensioners from sheltered housing schemes throughout England demand the Government reverse their policy on sheltered housing, so councils will reinstate sheltered wardens. The Government says they can’t intervene, because this is a local government issue. We have come from across the nation and are all affected — this is a national issue! Take responsibility for once, Gordon, and sort it out.”

More details on the Barnet TUC website.