Save MelloMello – 10 ways to help

Here at Liverpool Acoustic we’d barely begun celebrating Liverpool City Council’s decision to scrap its ridiculous and (allegedly) illegal anti-busking policy (see what we did there?) when the news came through that MelloMello, the not-for-profit Community Interest Company on the corner of Slater and Parr Street, is facing imminent closure.

The Council, or to be more accurate it’s Director of Finances and Revenues, has decided that MelloMello should no longer receive the 80% discretionary relief it’s received for the past two years and that it should pay the full £30,000 for the full year, plus any arrears accrued during the four months waiting for the appeal to be heard.

There is no way MelloMello can afford this extra money whilst still providing the same affordable services to the local creative communities. If the Council doesn’t reverse this decision MelloMello will be forced to close. It’s as simple as that. You can read MelloMello’s press release here, and SevenStreet’s follow-up interview with them here.

So, having won the Busking Battle (for now, at least) we’re wasting no time in rolling up our collective shirt sleeves and jumping straight into the MelloMello Mêlée.

save mellomello

We’ve set out a list of 10 practical things you can do to help.

  1. Sign the petition –  tinyurl.com/savemello
  2. If you live in Liverpool, contact ALL THREE of your local councillors. You can find out who they are here.
  3. Major Joe Anderson has a remit which covers the whole of the city, including those who work and socialise here. Drop him a line to let him know exactly what you think of this decision which flies in the face of our 2008 legacy.
  4. Register a formal complaint with the City Council here.
  5. Complain to your local (Labour!) MP if you live in Liverpool –  findyourmp.parliament.uk
  6. ‘Like’ the MelloMello facebook page – facebook.com/mellomellocafe
  7. ‘Like’ the special Save MelloMello facebook page – facebook.com/SaveMelloMello
  8. Come along on Saturday 29th September when there will be a mass musical jam and protect on Church Street from 12pm
  9. Join the facebook event here for the jam and protest, and invite all your friends to it (even if you can’t attend yourself).
  10. Share this post! If you’re reading it on the website you can use the buttons at the bottom to share it to twitter, facebook and G+. If you’re received this via email, forward it to your friends. If you’re reading it on twitter, retweet. If you’re reading it on facebook, share.

And finally, feel free to use the SAVE MELLOMELLO graphic – if you click on it, it will open in it’s own window and you can right-click to save it to your own computer.

OK? Let’s get started then!

UPDATE – THURSDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER 2012

Things have been moving since we published this article. Check out the update here.


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