Tag Archives: Peter Corcoran

Bratislava marathon runners join Neasden Temple fun walk and run

Posted on April 30, 2013 | Leave a comment

Liberal Democrat Leader Councillor Paul Lorber, Syed Shah and Peter Corcoran joined 3,000 walkers and runners from the Swaminarayan Neasden Temple in their annual charity fun 10K event through Wembley.

The running mates, who recently went to Bratislava for Councillor Lorber’s first ever marathon, ran the 10K route which included part of Wembley High Road past Friends of Barham Library near Argos.

Syed Shah Paul Lorber and Peter Corcoran dressed in running gear in front of Neasden Temple

Syed Shah, Paul Lorber and Peter Corcoran after their 10K run

While Councillor Lorber continues to run in support of Friends of Barham Library and welcomes donations to virginmoneygiving.co.uk/paulllorber the 3,000 walkers and runners from the Swaminarayan Temple were raising money for a number of other good causes including national charity Kids which supports young children.

Councillor Lorber said:

As always the Swaminarayan Temple in Neasden organised a fantastic event. The beautifully sunny Sunday morning attracted a record number of participants who walked or run the the 10km with smiles on their faces.

It was great to see people of all ages taking part. The oldest participant was 90 and the youngest just three years old. Syed, Peter and I were honoured to take part.

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Posted in Voluntary Sector

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From home to home to raise money for Barham library

Posted on February 8, 2013 | Leave a comment

Sudbury councillor and Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Councillor Paul Lorber, will run his first ever marathon in Bratislava, the capital of Slovak Republic and place of his birth, to raise funds for Friends of Barham Library.

Paul Lorber and Peter Corcoran training outside Wembley Stadium in the snow

Peter Corcoran and Councillor Paul Lorber have been putting in the hard miles

It will be his first marathon and he will run it with Wembley’s own Ironman Peter Corcoran.

Councillor Paul Lorber came to the UK with his parents in October 1968 following the Russian Invasion of Czechoslovakia and the ending of the ‘Prague Spring’. Paul has lived in Brent since 1969 initially in Willesden and more recently in Sudbury and attended a secondary school in Kilburn.

Paul has been training with Peter Corcoran for some time and it was Peter who persuaded him that “he had a marathon of 26 miles in him” – despite only managing 14 miles as his longest non stop distance to date. As the Bratislava Marathon is on 24 March 2013 Paul still has lots more training to do.

Councillor Lorber said:

Reviving the Library in Barham Park is such a fantastic project that I am willing to go to any lengths to achieve our objective. We have a fantastic group of volunteer and massive support from local people who have donated books and wish us well.

Doing my bit and taking on the Marathon challenge is the least I can do under the circumstances.

Peter Corcoran, who has competed in Ironman triathlons across the world, said:

The Bratislava Marathon is probably the last event in Europe I would have picked for a first-timer, given its tough winter training and five hour time limit.

Paul has trained very hard with quite a few icy midnight and 3am runs to accommodate his busy schedule. If only Paul only been born in Barcelona as the marathon there would have allowed him two more hours to complete the course and all summer to train.

Training Paul has not been plain sailing with his tendency to run too fast in the early kilometres. He will need to curb his speed or he faces a real chance of getting caught out over the long 26 miles distance.

I hope people will see his wonderful effort to date as inspirational and also take part in similar sporting events.

To sponsor Paul send a cheque payable to ‘Friends of Barham Library‘ to Paul Lorber at 17 Stapenhill Road Wembley HA0 3JF. Donations can also be left at the Barham Volunteer Library at 428 High Road Wembley HA9 6AH or in Daniels Estate Agents just a few doors down at 438 High Road Wembley.

You can also sign the petition to support the return of Barham Library to Barham Park.

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Posted in Libraries

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Persistent campaign for Wembley Central station improvements pays off

Posted on May 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

 A long-running campaign to improve facilities at Wembley Central tube station has paid off. Transport for London this week announced details of new lifts and a stair lift installed at Wembley Central station.

Liberal Democrat campaigners including Cllr Paul Lorber, Afifa Pervez, Peter Corcoran and Valerie Brown.outside Wembley Central station before the improvements.

Liberal Democrat campaigners including Cllr Paul Lorber, Afifa Pervez, Peter Corcoran and Valerie Brown.outside Wembley Central station before the improvements.

Brent’s Liberal Democrat Councillors have long campaigned for improvements to Wembley Central. Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson and Alperton councillor Daniel Brown, who has lobbied Network Rail and Transport for London on the issue, said:

At times it looked as if the badly needed improvements – particularly providing lifts to ensure step-free access for people with disabilities – would never happen. I’m pleased that the pressure has paid off and the lifts are in place in the nick of time before the Olympics. It’s just a shame that non-Olympic passengers have had to wait for so long.

The new lifts will help passengers with luggage and buggies as well as wheelchair users. Nearly 4.5 million passengers use the tube station each year.

Funding for the work was provided through the Coalition Government’s £370m Access for All programme.

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Posted in Campaigns, Transport

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Brent Council’s mounting legal costs demonstrate Labour’s contempt for local council taxpayers

Posted on September 22, 2011 | Leave a comment

Labour-run Brent Council has run up legal costs of over £70,000 defending its decision to close six of Brent’s twelve libraries, according to figures released to the Liberal Democrats by the council.

The costs are a result of Labour councillors’ determination to force through the closure of Barham Park, Cricklewood, Kensal Rise, Neasden, Preston and Tokyngton libraries in the face of massive public opposition – which led to the council being taken to court by local library campaigners.

Brent Liberal Democrat Leader Paul Lorber, who is a big supporter of local libraries and who recently ran in the Brent Fun Run to highlight the Brent SOS Libraries campaign, said:

Councillor Paul Lorber and Peter Corcoran in Save Barham Library tee-shirts at the Brent Fun Run

Councillor Paul Lorber and libraries campaigner Peter Corcoran at the Brent Fun Run

This giant lawyer’s bill could have been avoided if Labour Leader Ann John and her followers had been prepared to sit down and discuss working in partnership with the local community.

Cllr Paul Lorber and libraries campaigner Peter Corcoran with Save Our Libraries across the back of their tee-shirts

At the Brent Fun Run

If this money had been spent on libraries rather than lawyers it could have funded three-years worth of new books for a threatened library. It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

The Liberal Democrats are demanding that no more money should be wasted on legal fees and that the council should sit down with local residents to discuss how the six threatened libraries can be saved for the benefit of local children and the rest of the community.

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Posted in Campaigns, Libraries

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Lib Dem Leader Paul Lorber takes up TfL cycling challenge in support of SIX Brent Libraries

Posted on June 18, 2011 | Leave a comment

Following his successful run in the Barham Park fun run last month – when he raised over £1,000 in sponsorship for Friends of Barham Library – Brent Liberal Democrat Leader Councillors Paul Lorber has announced his next physical fundraising challenge for the libraries campaign.

Paul is switching from two legs to two wheels in order to take part in the Transport for London Cycle Challenge alongside Ironman competitor and former Brent Tokyngton Councillor Peter Corcoran. He hopes other local cyclists will join him as part of the Brent SOS Libraries team.

The Brent SOS Libraries team will compete against other teams across London to log the most miles cycled between 18 June and 15 July.

Paul Lorber said:

“Challenging the council’s decision to shut half of Brent’s libraries is an expensive business – but the legal challenge is a vital part of the community campaign to get the council’s leadership to think again. Taking part in the cycle challenge is a fun way to raise funds, raise awareness of cycling and get fitter at the same time.”

Paul is urging local cyclists to join the Brent SOS Libraries team. He said:

“We ask participants to make a donation towards the legal action of £5 and hope to raise sponsorship as well. It doesn’t matter whether you cycle a couple of miles a day on your daily commute, or rack up dozens of miles of serious training at the weekend – everyone is welcome to take part.”

Potential participants should sign up to the Brent SOS Libraries Team at the TfL Cycle Challenge website and make their £5 donation using the details at Brent SOS Libraries where they can also get more information.

Lib Dem Councillor Paul Lorber gets into training with Ironman competitor Peter Corcoran

Lib Dem Councillor Paul Lorber gets into training with Ironman competitor Peter Corcoran

Paul hopes to use his time on the bike during June and July to prepare for a future fundraising event – the Tour of Brent.

“I’m making the most of being trained by Brent Ironman competitor Peter Corcoran. Unlike him I won’t be running a marathon after swimming a mile but I hope he’ll get me fitter than ever before as I prepare for my bike Tour of Brent.

“The most important thing however is to increase public awareness of the Brent community awareness of the continuing campaign to SAVE the popular local libraries in Barham park, Cricklewood, Kensal Rise, Neasden, Preston and Tokyngton.”

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Posted in Campaigns, Libraries, Sport

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Young People in Tokyngton will suffer from library closure, say local residents

Posted on May 4, 2011 | Leave a comment

Local residents in Tokyngton have expressed concern that closing Tokyngton library before the new Civic Centre Library is open would lead to young people in large parts of Tokyngton and Stonebridge wards will be without somewhere to study.

The Council’s own figures show that 58% of the regular users of Tokyngton library are aged under 19 – meaning young people from Tokyngton ward and Stonebridge ward make up the majority of library users.

Liberal Democrat councillors have echoed the concerns of residents slamming the decision of Labour-run Brent Council to close 6 of the borough’s libraries, saying it would have a massive effect on young people in the borough at a time when they would most need to use library facilities.

Tokyngton library is located on Monks Park, on the border of the Tokyngton and Stonebridge wards in Brent. Closing this library, before the new Civic Centre library is built, will mean young people will have to travel all the way to Willesden, Harlesden or the Town Hall to visit a library for their studies.

Local residents are calling on the Council to keep the library open for young people, at least until the new Civic Centre library opens in 2013.

Speaking about the library, local resident, Peter Corcoran said:

“Over half the people who use Tokyngton library are under 19. Young people use the library to study and learn and I’m very concerned about the impact closing the library will have on their education. This library serves some of the poorer parts of the borough and is a vital resource to many youngsters.

I just can’t believe that Brent’s Labour Town Hall bosses are happy to do this to young people. I can’t help but wonder how they intend to explain to the people of Stonebridge and Tokyngton why they’ve chosen to ignore the views of local people and close our library.”

Cllr Paul Lorber, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group who are campaigning to stop the closures added:

“Labour councillors were shown, quite clearly, the effect closing 6 libraries would have on young people in Brent. They chose to ignore the evidence. Over 50% of the users of the 6 libraries now facing closure are under 19. Young people use the libraries to study and learn, taking this much needed facility away can only do harm to their education. Labour councillors should be ashamed.”

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Posted in Campaigns, Labour Failure, Libraries

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