News from Westminster Labour

Labour to cut Council waste to help Westminster’s voluntary groups

Labour Councillors have pledged to restore almost £600,000 of cuts to voluntary sector groups by axing Council waste. Labour say that they will restore grants to voluntary groups by cutting the following waste:

* Staff bonuses for the highest paid senior Council officers – £360,000
* Council hospitality, including food and wine for Councillors – £210,000
* Civic Dinner – £23,000

Nearly 80 voluntary projects have been refused funding, despite the fact that many of them are recognised by the Council as delivering important services. Some of the projects that have been refused funding are:

* St John’s Wood Adventure Playground: £19,300
* Youth Project for Lillington and Longmore Gardens: £12,000
* Queens Park Bangladesh Society: £20,000
* Friends of St Anne’s, Soho: £30,000
* Cardinal Hume Centre in Victoria: £28,000

Speaking at the Council’s Budget meeting on 3rd March, Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said:

“Next year’s voluntary sector budget has been slashed by over half a million pounds despite local voluntary groups playing a vital role in delivering services to the community, particularly to those who are vulnerable. We will cut of hundreds of thousands of pounds of Council waste so these groups can get the finance they need to continue the great job they do for local people.”

Other news from Westminster Labour

• Twelve questions for the next Leader of Westminster Council - 10 February 2012
• Westminster Council joint bottom of London league for Adult Social Care - 6 February 2012
• Westminster Labour calls for an 'outbreak of democracy' over election of new council Leader - 2 February 2012