The unkindest cut of all - a callous disregard for voluntary groups! - Waverley
Residents will be disappointed to learn that Prime Minister Cameron's vision of support for the "Big Society" has not filtered down to his colleagues at Waverley. Although Waverley boasts of its own sound financial position Conservative Councillors, at the Borough Council's budget meeting on Tuesday 15th February, showed a callous disregard for the financial plight of key voluntary groups in Waverley. At the budget meeting a Liberal Democrat amendment to re-instate £43,000's worth of cuts in Waverley's grant to the Borough's voluntary sector was rejected by every Conservative Councillor present.
Even though Waverley is clearly in a position to fund the voluntary sector at the same level as the current year, (without any need to increase council tax), the Conservative group showed their true colours when faced with this charitable decision. The Conservative cuts have been distributed unevenly with unfair reductions falling on a number of essential services such as CITIZENS Advice Waverley (CAW). Even though this voluntary service saves the Borough Council an estimated 21/2 times what it receives in grant, amounting to at least £1/2 million annually, Waverley's Conservatives still insisted on cutting CAW's grant. Many who read your newspaper will have been dismayed to learn that because of just a £20,000 budget shortfall for next year CAW, with its willing band of 140 unpaid volunteers, has regretfully announced that it is being forced to reduce opening hours across the Borough. However the threat to the "Big Society" from Waverley's Conservatives goes even further; this misguided rejection by Conservative Councillors will have an adverse impact on many other voluntary services in the Borough.
Many, including Age Concern Waverley, Museums in Godalming and Haslemere, and the Farnham Maltings, are having their grant cut by 10%, and the Arts Centre in Cranleigh faces a swingeing 17% cut. I understand, that as a result of the £5,000 cut to its grant, the Arts Centre is planning to reduce its opening hours from April 2011. Sadly another local casualty is the Cranfold Job Seekers Club. It is having its grant of £500 cut completely and follows last years mean decision to halve it from £1,000. Not one Conservative Councillor at Waverley, (even members local to those areas affected), raised so much as a murmur in protest at cuts that are significant to the organisations concerned, but the equivalent of "pence" to Waverley.
If you, like me, believe that the coalition government's vision of "localism" means elected representatives acting in the best interests of the whole community, but especially for the frail and disadvantaged, then they should vote to remove this callous Conservative administration at next May's elections. If returned to power at these local elections the Liberal Democrats will immediately re-instate total funding to Waverley's voluntary sector for 2011/12 to at least the level of the current year.
Ken Reed
Leader of the Lib Dem Group at Waverley
Ward Member for Cranleigh East