Skip to content or view screen version

USE YOUR LOAF EVICTION THREAT: HELP NEEDED

William Cuffay | 23.07.2004 12:20 | Free Spaces | World

The Use Your Loaf squatted Social Centre is under threat of eviction. Come down and help us save this space.

USE YOUR LOAF SOCIAL CENTRE: FURTHER 'EVICTION' ATTEMPT

Use Your Loaf is a squatted social entre, in Deptford, South London, which has been occupied since Spring 2002.

On Wednesday 21 July the building was boarded up out of the blue, by agents of the owners (a property company, with who we have had no contact at all since we squatted the place). However, 3 hours after this the collective repossessed the building, as they had not damaged or secured the place. There was unfortunately no-one in the Centre when this happened.
On Friday 23rd at around 10am, people in the building
were surprised by a group breaking in, claiming to be
agents for SKT, the letting agents and chartered
accountants who act for Glen International, alleged
owners of the place. They
left notices (not particularly legal), telling us to get out, and
told occupiers verbally that work was starting on the
place soon... They seemed unclear on the law, and the
fact that they have to take us to court to get us out.


About an hour and a half later, 2 cops arrived, saying
they had been told to meet someone from SKT here, as
the place had been or was being burgled! Since no-one
from SKT turned up to meet them they went away.

We don't know if they are planning to return today or
not. The notice they left tells us to leave by Monday
(26th July), so we assume they will come back to try
and take the place then. So far they haven't been
heavy, the opposite in fact, but that may change if we
continue to refuse to move.

So we are asking for people to come down and help
defend the Centre. Certainly we need people to come
Monday morning, we are also asking for people to come
down today (Friday) if they get this message, to help
secure the place, and to support the cafe tonight
(hopefully not our last cafe!). People can ring us on
07984 588807. Please at least come down Monday morning
as that may be the crunch time.

We're not planning on leaving without a fight. This building has been empty for ten years at least, we've made it into a lovely little space for friendly and happy self-activity. We want it to stay that way. So give
us a hand if you can.

The Use Your Loaf Collective

Use Your Loaf, 227 Deptford High St, London, SE8

Tube: New Cross
DLR: Deptford Bridge
Overland: Deptford
Buses: 47, 53, 188, 199, 225, 453.

William Cuffay
- e-mail: useyourloaf@btinternet.com

Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

go for it

23.07.2004 13:10

yeah - get down there if you can. this is a lovely little space, very positive stuff been going on there, lets defend it and help out the folk who've done so much to make it good!!

x

zz


let it go

23.07.2004 13:57

forget it, if people wanted it so much there wouldn't have been the lack of energy and support that has resulted it the squat being left empty so that the developers could board it up. if these spaces are so lovely then perhaps people would use them while they were there instead of waiting to defend them when they are going.

c


use your loaf is well worth defending

25.07.2004 09:38

Use your loaf is kept going by a very small number of people which means it is difficult to have people in the squat 24-7. The squat is very popular- loads of people stopped to tell us that they want the squat to stay when we were fixing the door yesterday.(and to rant about their housing situation and give us wildly innacurate advice!) Now is a good moment to use the space to the maximum, which for sure it has not been up to now. Use your loaf is a very positive and friendly place, welcoming to all comers.

Up and coming events: film night- farenheight 9-11 on Thursday 29th
cafe Friday 30th

millie