Latest news with #BayoAlaba
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Youth and boxing club campaigns to reinstate £1.2m funding after 'massive loss'
A BOXING club pleading for £1.2million in pulled Government funding to be reinstated has written an open letter to the PM urging him to intervene. The Lifstan Boys and Girls Club had been awarded the huge funding boost to redevelop their home in Liftsan Way but cash was pulled after the project was deemed 'unviable'. Social Investment Business, a firm which handles funding projects for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, cancelled the project earlier this month over time constraints and concerns it would not be value for money. Campaign - The club is relying on community support to get behind the campaign. (Image: Danny Neville) Now, the 100-year-old club is launching a widespread campaign across social media calling for the decision to be reversed and has written to Sir Keir Starmer and Secretary of State Lisa Nandy. Jay Solder, youth club deputy director, said: 'We're hoping to apply pressure to get the funding reinstated, lobbying as hard as we can and make people aware of our situation. 'We encourage people to lend a hand to the campaign to help get this decision overturned.' Survival - The future of the 100 year legacy club rests on the success of the campaign. (Image: Danny Neville) Monday evening saw the club meet with Bayo Alaba, Labour MP for Southend East and Rochford, who pledged to help the club in their endeavour. Mr Solder added: 'We hope Mr Alaba can help us turn things around - he's pledged to help us progress our campaign and is being really proactive by engaging with ministers and cross-party colleagues.' The campaign involves a rigorous, high-visibility social media push that's 'really taking off with a real show of support from the local community.' Team - Coaches and members of the club are rallying together. (Image: Danny Neville) Read more 100-year-old Southend youth club has £1.2m Government funding for new home pulled Southend businesses and lifelong club members have been in contact, with offers of donation and endorsement to help keep the club afloat With the campaign gaining momentum, the club hopes to rescue the funding. Mr Solder said: 'We're throwing all our efforts to make this visible and public, and it's really important that we're successful to avoid the closure of the club. 'Our clubs are a long-term feature of the youth scene in Southend - to potentially lose them would be a massive loss for the city in a time where there is such a shortage of youth provision in the area. 'This is no longer just a story about a lost grant, it's a live accountability and legacy issue.'
Time of India
14-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
London plane crash: Was the aircraft used as a medical transport? Labour MP weighs in
A Beech B200 Super King aircraft crashed soon after takeoff from London's Southend airport. The crash created quite a spectacle with witnesses claiming they saw a fireball descend from the sky into the crash site as the plane corkscrewed its way down. Southend Airport has been closed as a result of the crash. Bayo Alaba, a Labour MP from Southend East, spoke to GB News about the fiery accident, and stated that the investigative team were yet to ascertain any further details, such as casualty numbers. He also stated that the plane fit the specifications of a medical transporter, though when pressed on the matter he stopped short of making a definitive statement, as the aircraft could have been modified in the past few months before departure. 'We can't substantiate the details yet.'Labour MP for Southend East and Rochford Bayo Alaba discusses the tragic 'fireball' plane crash at London Southend airport.🔓 Become a GB News Member: The fiery plane crash off Southend Airport happened soon after takeoff The Beech B200 aircraft took off from Southend Airport and was apparently headed for the Netherlands. However, the plane's flight was short-lived, as according to eyewitnesses, the plane took a sharp turn left, flipped, and then crashed down like a fireball. The flight data for the plane showed that it only reached the climbed to about 175 feet before the crash. Further indications that things went awry very quickly are the fact that the plane's vertical speed was 129 feet per minute, and the ground speed was 96 knots. We believe this to be PH-ZAZ crashed on takeoff. The plane was operated by Zeusch Aviation Zeusch Aviation is a Dutech company specializing in medical evacuation and transplant flight services, which would corroborate Labour MP Bayo Alaba's own belief that the plane that crashed was involved in medical transport. BREAKING: Plane that has crashed at London Southend Airport is operated by Zeusch Aviation, a Dutch company specialising in medevac and transplant flights as well as charters The 12m-plane arrived from Pula, in Croatia, and was returning to base in Lelystad, in the Netherlands The luxury private aircraft had a capacity of eight seats, though it is unclear how many of these were occupied at the time of the flight. In response to the accident, Zeusch Aviation released the following statement: 'We can confirm that Zeusch Aviation flight SUZ1 was involved in an accident today at London Southend Airport. We are working closely with the authorities to investigate the incident and will share updates as soon as possible.'
BBC News
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Southend: Future of iconic Kursaal building to be discussed
The leaseholder of an iconic seaside venue has confirmed it is working on plans "for a viable future" for it. The Kursaal in Southend-on-Sea opened in 1901 and has hosted acts such as Queen and AC/DC but last year it was added to Victorian Society's top 10 list of endangered buildings after being left to City Council owns the freehold of the land but London-based property group AEW has a 200-year lease on the of the Grade II-listed building. A spokesperson for AEW said it was "looking forward" to discussing the results of a public meeting on Thursday with organiser and MP Bayo Alaba. 'Exhilarating building' The Kursaal was thought to have been the world's first purpose-built amusement park with a circus, ballroom, arcade, dining hall, billiard room, an ice rink and even its own zoo. Comedian Griff Rhys-Jones, Essex-raised and president of the Victorian Society, told BBC Essex the Kursaal was "an exhilarating building" as it was placed on its endangered list in 2024. Bayo Alaba, the Labour MP for Southend East and Rochford, described the Kursaal as "one of the most iconic buildings in the south of England".The MP - who will chair the public meeting on Thursday 19 June at Belle Vue Baptist Church - told the BBC he had spoken with both the council and the leaseholder to "spark a conversation" about the Kursaal's future."They're keen," Mr Alaba said about AEW, adding : "They know they've got a symbolic building... they want to do something with it".Mr Alaba said he felt that the leaseholder was "serious about getting the building back into community use"."[The Kursaal] is central to the community, it's important to civic pride," he told the BBC."The fact that it's closed - it sends almost a subliminal message that Southend isn't open for business, and we need to fix that." How the Kursaal changed over time The venue has had many different leases of life, and was even the home of Southend United before the club moved to Roots it housed a casino, bowling alley, and hosted a number of major bands including Dr Feelgood, Black Sabbath and the Kursaal Victorian Society said the Kursaal's Wall of Death motorcycle rides were the first such spectacle in whole complex finally closed its doors in 1986 with its ballroom demolished that years of dereliction, and millions of pounds spent on restoration, it re-opened presently, only a Tesco Express occupies a small part of the building. Southend-on-Sea City Council leader Daniel Cowan will also be at Thursday's meeting, which starts at 19:00 Cowan said the council was "keen to bring the Kursaal back into public use and we will pull every lever at our disposal to see that happen"."This icon of Southend deserves a present and future that befits its glorious past, so we're delighted to have the backing of Bayo Alaba MP in making that happen."A spokesperson for AEW said the group was "looking forward to discussing the feedback at a meeting we have arranged with Mr Alaba later this month"."We continue to work on plans for a viable future for the Kursaal, but are not in a position to comment further at this stage," they added. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
South Essex MP welcomes landmark £1.5 billion defence contract extension
A south Essex MP has welcomed a landmark £1.5 billion defence contract. Bayo Alaba, MP for Southend East and Rochford, praised the long-term contract extension between the Ministry of Defence and QinetiQ. He said this will help support jobs at the MOD Shoebury site, which is operated by QinetiQ. Mr Alaba said: "Extending this partnership means certainty for hundreds of local jobs. "I visited the MOD in Shoeburyness recently and had the pleasure of meeting local people who worked there. "I was impressed by the work they do, so I'm pleased to see the Labour Government's vote of confidence in them. "By extension, this is good news for the economy in Shoebury and Southend." As a former soldier, Mr Alaba said matters of defence hold personal significance for him. He also expressed hope that the contract will continue to offer opportunities for young people through apprenticeships and graduate schemes.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MPs applying pressure for more play-off tickets
Labour politicians in Southend-on-Sea say they will "keep the pressure on" to persuade Wembley Stadium to release more tickets for the National League play-off final. The allocation for the Blues and opponents Oldham Athletic have been increased to 21,500 tickets each, not including packages that include coach travel. But two MPs and a council leader said they "continue to implore [Wembley] to allow more fans into the ground". The stadium says it is concerned about safety and has pointed out that no London Underground trains are stopping at Wembley Park station due to engineering work. An extra 2,722 promotion final tickets went on sale at 12:00 (BST) on Monday. Following a meeting with Wembley Stadium, the club said it had secured an additional 1,059 tickets along with 1,663 tickets that will be sold as part of coach packages. A spokesperson for the club said: "We remain committed to pushing all stakeholders to find a solution to the capacity issues." The two Southend MPs Bayo Alaba and David Burton-Sampson, together with Southend-on-Sea City Council leader Daniel Cowan, said they had been "working hard over the weekend trying to build support for our campaign to increase the ticket allocation". In a joint statement, they said: "We will continue to push for more, as we want to ensure the final allocation is meaningful and maximised." Southend United said it was told the capacity was increased for both clubs because extra train services had since been scheduled for Wembley Central and Wembley Stadium stations. The club said it was confident it could sell more than 35,000 tickets. "We are still pushing all stakeholders to think creatively and to find solutions that can safely increase the capacity further," a club spokesperson said. Former Southend, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and England striker Stan Collymore posted on X, to say he had spoken to the Mayor of London's office about the issue. The mayor's office was hopeful that supporter capacity would be upped to at least 60,000 following the next safety meeting on Tuesday, he told his followers. A Wembley Stadium spokesperson said "the safety and security of fans" was of "paramount importance". The engineering work at Wembley Park could not be moved to another weekend, they explained. Transport for London said it had arranged for more Bakerloo line trains to serve Wembley Central. Chiltern Railways will be putting on extra services to Wembley Stadium. The final is due to kick off at 15:00 BST on Sunday. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. National League final ticket allocation increased MP talks to ministers over play-off tickets row Tube station closure to clash with Wembley final Transport for London Wembley Stadium Southend United
