NHS Anniversary weekend: local events

Local Keep Our NHS Public groups will be running socially distanced events in several areas to show support for our health service and its amazing staff and to demand it be fully restored as a well-funded, universal public service. Events below are on Saturday 4th July unless otherwise stated.

LONDON

• Ealing: Ealing Save Our NHS is having a combined NHS birthday celebration & protest over the cuts & closures at Ealing Hospital, 12.30 -1.30 on 4th July.There will be banners and placards celebrating our NHS and highlighting the closures of emergency surgery, trauma and orthopedics services, as well as some speeches and songs. Wear a mask and observe social distancing; contact [email protected] if you’re interested in coming.
• Hammersmith & Fulham: There will be a socially distanced rally opposite Charing Cross Hospital from 12.00 – 1.00 on Saturday 4^th – with musicians and placards. Point of contact: website contact form.
• Lambeth: a group of campaigners will display the group’s campaign banner, along with posters and a birthday card to the NHS, at 2pm on Saturday 4th July on the corner of Lambeth Palace Road and Westminster Bridge, outside St Thomas’s Hospital. Please get in touch in advance if you are interested in coming.
• Lewisham: A small group of Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign members will carry out a socially distanced events with placards and banners outside Lewisham Hospital on 4th July. Local campaigners are also producing a video to release over the weekend on the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign’s website and social media pages.
• Tower Hamlets: midday on Saturday 4th July outside Whitechapel Ideas Store (near to Whitechapel Tube station): a static rally with banners and placards. Point of contact: [email protected]. Tower Hamlets KONP is also co-hosting a meeting on Friday 3rd July in support of striking UNISON key workers.
• Southwark: Activists will hold a vigil on Denmark Hill, outside King’s College and Maudsley Hospitals, from 12 – 2pm. Point of contact: [email protected]

GREATER MANCHESTER: There will be three socially distanced protests in Greater Manchester at 12 noon on 4th July. Point of contact: [email protected]. Facebook event here.

• Manchester: Oxford Road, opposite Manchester Royal Infirmary
• Prestwich: near the walk-in centre, Fairfax Road, Prestwich, M25 1BT
• Salford: by Salford Royal Infirmary
• Bristol: Activists with Protect Our NHS will display banners at a number of prominent locations around the time – follow our social media for more information. You can contact PONHS at [email protected].
• Southampton: Campaigners will display banners paying tribute to our health service and expressing solidarity with health workers against privatisation, cuts, under-funding and unsafe conditions, in a variety of public sites around the city. Contact [email protected] if you would be keen to help hold a banner in a socially distanced way. The local group is also taking orders of posters to promote the Anniversary weekend.
• Romsey (Hampshire): There will be a static protest with banners and placards outside the Plaza theatre at 10:30am, which will then move to stand outside Romsey Hospital. Point of contact: [email protected].
• Coventry: Coventry KONP is organising a car cavalcade, meeting at West Midlands Ambulance Hub, Ibstock Road, Coventry CV6 6JR on Saturday, July 4th at 10:30 and then visiting George Eliot Hospital, Nuneaton, and University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, via local shopping areas.  For further information contact [email protected] or ring/text 07970294237
• Derbyshire: A motorcade with placards and slogans will leave Royal Derby Hospital at 11am on 4th July and will end up in Chesterfield. This will be broadcast onsocial media. Point of contact: [email protected].
• South Warwickshire: There will be a rally outside Leamington Town Hall, Saturday 4th July, 11am, with social distancing and masks. There will be ‘Happy Birthday NHS’ banners and posters. Point of contact: [email protected].
• Nottingham & Nottinghamshire: Activists will have an event during Friday evening rush hourfrom 4pm at the Bramcote roundabout on the A52 out of Nottingham towards the MI. There is a pedestrian bridge over the dual carriageway there where we hope to hang the banner for maximum visibility. There is parking in Bramcote village just off the roundabout. Point of contact: [email protected].
• Harrogate: There will be a socially distanced rally outside Harrogate Hospital at 11am on Saturday 4th July 4th: “Our NHS Deserves More than a Clap!”
• Leeds: Leeds KONP are organising small but striking pop up events with banners, some costumes and music at  both main sites of Leeds Teaching  Hospitals Trust early afternoon on Saturday 4th July as well as a motorcade through suburbs of Leeds on Sunday 5^th from 11am. We are also offering some banners  to Leeds supporters  who would like to organise their own event in their locality. If you would like to be involved in any way, please e mail [email protected].
• Sunderland: Sunderland and District KONP are organising a motorcade of cars and bikes on Saturday at 1:30pm. The procession will start off at Ashbrooke Street (just off Thornhill Terrace, near to Thornhill School) and will follow a route that goes past Sunderland Royal Hospital, and along the coast road to South Shields General Hospital, then following the same route back in reverse. Please join us if you can. Point of contact for more information: [email protected].
• Newcastle: activists will be displaying banners celebrating and reclaiming our NHS, firstly at the Millennium Bridge (10.30am) then at the Monument, and finally at the Royal Victoria Infirmary. If you would like to take part in this socially distanced event, and have not already let us know, please make contact at [email protected]
  We have banners for about 20 people and are restricting numbers for this event.  Gloves and hand sanitiser will be provided but please bring your own mask.
• Liverpool: A car cavalcade will meet at around 11.45am on meet Beaumont St (near the Kingsley Road/Crown St junction); then progress to meet static, socially distanced campaigners at the Liverpool Women’s Hospital. The cards will then process to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, again meeting with static campaigners there. There will be a short 12:30 rally and drive-past. The cavalcade will then go to the Aintree Hospital, meeting again with static campaigners there, and will finish with a brief rally from around 1pm – 1:15pm.
  ‘Our NHS’. For more details: [email protected].
• Ormskirk & Southport:
  At 10.30 am on Saturday 4th July activists will display banners and placards at the Omskirk Saturday Open Market. Protesters will keep to the social distancing requirement of 2 metres, wear masks and use hand sanitiser.
  On Sunday, 5th July, 10:30am protesters will do the same outside Southport Hospital
• Belfast: Demonstration organised by NIPSA (Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance) Join us on Saturday 4th July 12 – 1pm,  Writer’s Square, Belfast.
  Guidelines:
  1. Demonstration will be socially distanced and proper precautions taken including wearing masks and sanitisers.
  2. The event will be stewarded, however we ask participants to be disciplined and use proper precautions.
  3. We suggest the widespread use of banners between protestors to ensure social distancing with key political messages and slogans in defence of our health service.
  4. Speakers will be limited, with proper precautions and awareness of sharing megaphones or PA mics.

This page will be updated with more events as they come in.