For the last four years, May 2006 – 2010, the East Dulwich councillors Richard Thomas, Jonathan Mitchell and myself have provided two face to face surgeries per month except August and xmas week.

I remember my first surgery well. A dozen angry residents turned up with an awful lot of angst built up over some time. I was delighted to help them and being my first piece of juicy casework have a soft spot for the residents of Halliwell Court.

However, during that period the numbers turning up to face to face surgeries have declined. Every year we’ve hand delivered to every home in East Dulwich a surgery card detailing where and when we’re available to meet face to face without an appointment with a little map of where to find us. Quite regularly we now don’t have a single person attending.

So after a lot of heart searching we’re changing. This rethink is partly as it’s a new four year period with Rosie Shimell joining us and Richard Thomas standing down.

From now on we’re going to hold one face to face surgery in East Dulwich – the 4th Thursday of each month (excepting August and xmas) at the East Dulwich Community Centre on Darrell Road. However we’ll be adding two mobile surgeries a month where we go knocking on residents doors, having alerted them we’ll be doing this with a letter in the preceding week.

As ever we’re also available to receive casework, problems, ideas by email, phone calls, letters and facebook. Emails are quite often the quickest way for us to help you but all are effective.