Conservative controlled Redbridge Council have agreed to cut £32,000 to voluntary services. Labour opposition Councillors fought to have this thrown out.Labour Cllr Julia Hughes said that the increase last year in the criteria for social care meant that more people now needed help from voluntary groups, and that there was no indication where the new cut would fall. She said, "Will it be the faith groups, the elderly, children and adults with disabilities, the mentally ill? I'm concerned about how transparent that choice will be."
Conservative Cabinet member John Fairley Churchill defended his decision "Some of the groups in this borough thought it was their God-given right to be funded each year." He went on "The idea of voluntary sector organisations in splendid isolation harks back to the days of gentility when my grandmother was a girl. We want to encourage cross-borough working."
Labour believes in voluntary groups. We think they create a cohesive community. Not only do the recipients of voluntary groups benefit, but also the volunteers themselves; they become involved in a local community and feel empowered. There are many areas that the state are not involved in or are "unsexy", these are the vital areas that voluntary groups often work in.
Savings could have been found, for example:-
- NOT wasting your council tax on Redbridge-i website
- NOT wasting 110k of your council tax on 2 flash Jaguar limos
- NOT wasting your council tax on Redbridge Life
- BY cutting Cabinet Cllrs allowances / salaries
WE SAY: This story is linked to the continued Tory mis-management of this borough - from allotment sales, car parks, elderly centres, pay and display parking, internal rifts between Tory Cllrs who want to do the right thing etc.
2 comments:
Yes. For example, Redbridge Concern for Mental Health. Also in terms of the UK there is Oxfam and the Red Cross. These are all voluntary organisations that receive funding from a variety of sources, inc. government. Many voluntary groups also rely on funding from the National Lottery. The fact is that empowering local groups are the best way to create positive change. It is local people themselves who are on the ground and know what is needed within there community. Volunteering offers a range of benefits. It may help improve the quality of life for the vulnerable but also allows a sense of belonging / contentment by volunteers themselves.
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