Your Weekly Update on news and events 11 October 2024

We hope you are able to support the events and to share the information with others to help widen our network and connections.

A number of events were held locally and nationally over the last few days to mark the year since the genocide began and to highlight the increasing attacks on Lebanon in particular . The National March in London and local events in Cambridge including a silent vigil and rally last Saturday were well attended.

1. Update on Labour City Council Palestine motion and banking with Barclays.

This is the written answer we have from Cambridge City Councillor Alice Gilderdale, dated 7th October, who met with one of us after we requested an update on the Council’s announcement at a full meeting in May this year https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/news/2024/05/23/motion-on-palestine-israel regarding their banking arrangements with Barclays.

‘The City Council remains committed to considering alternative banking arrangements and is considering how to go about this. From feedback from officers, changing bank accounts is not simple and the Council will need to go through a procurement exercise to get a new supplier.

The Council’s current contract with Barclays is due to end in spring 2026. Due to banking complexities, a procurement exercise is likely to take up to a year, and there may be implications we need to understand better. This timeline does not include implementation time. We will need to be mindful that this wouldn’t just mean setting up and agreeing a whole new contract (via procurement) that we will have to put in place, it’s the entire set up and implementation of the new facilities throughout the whole council.

Currently, the finance team are working on our upcoming budget and budget consultation, but once that has moved on, we will look into how we can set up a procurement plan for the banking relationship going forward, however as I’ve highlighted, we’re very early on in the process.

We have noted that Islington council has also begun a procurement process to bank more ethically. Their contract with Barclays comes to an end in 2025 and therefore we will be communicating with Islington to learn from their experience. Additionally, we will be working with them to consider how we can communicate Cambridge City Council’s reasons for considering a new banking partner directly with Barclays’.

2. Local events

Healthworkers 4 Palestine

invite everyone to join us for a

Vigil for Palestine

Friday 11 October

6pm

Addenbrookes Roundabout, Cambridge

Cambourne Vigil for Palestine

Friday 11 October

4-5pm

Cambourne Square ( near Morrisons)

All welcome

Regular weekly Cambridge PSC stall outside the Guildhall, Market Square Cambridge

Come and meet us, get information and buy Palestinian products. We have increased our range of items that are for sale on the stall which is proving very popular. So do pay us a visit !

Saturdays

11.30-1.30pm (Weather dependent )

Peaceful assembly with flags and placards, Saffron Walden

Every Saturday

12-1pm

Outside Saffron Walden Town Hall, Market Square

All Welcome

Talk Dr Morgan McMonagle & Alex Smith “Surgery in War and Conflict”

Organised by Friends of MSF Cambridge , PalSoc and CUMLS

Friday 11th October

11.30am

Venue : Bateman Auditorium, Gonville and Caius College

Ticket info :https://fixr.co/event/fomsf-x-palsoc-surgery-in-war-and-conflict-tickets-675487473

Screening of the Film ‘Where Olive Trees Weep’ – organised by Cambridge Artists for Palestine and supported by CPSC

12th October

7pm

Storey’s Field Centre, Eddington, Cambridge

Booking information and further details:

https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/67686

Rally – ‘Mobilise to demand that the University boycott and divest from all companies complicit in genocide’

organised by C4PAL supported by CPSC

Sunday 13 October

2pm

Kings Parade