Page 9 - link magazine

The Link Magazine • February 2005 9

Campaigner to meet PM
Well known Swindon activist Martha Parry will be one of 450 people
from the South West who have been invited to meet Prime Minister
Tony Blair and wife Cherie at a reception for people involved in the
not-for-profit sector.
Martha, right, has 8 setting up the Swindon
been a leading figure Civic Trust and is a
in the development of member of the newly
the New Mechanics' formed Swindon Cul-
\
Institution Trust, tural Partnership.
which has been bat- . The reception in Lon-
tling to save the der- don on 26 February is
elict Mechanics' Insti- for 'those who work so
tute and return it to hard in what is such a
community use. She diverse field of worth-
was also involved in while causes.'

The cutbacks loom

The annual machinations at Swindon Council to agree next years'
budget come to a head on 21 February when the full council meets to
set the level of council tax to be levied.
The Conservative administra- Chris Lau, director of Voluntary
tion is proposing a 3 per cent rise, Action Swindon, believes that the
£28 per year on a Band D property, council does not understand the
and £10 million worth of reduc- relationship with the voluntary
tions and efficiency savings to re- sector. "Voluntary organisations
direct more money into Education provide services that compliment
and Social Services. the council's activities, often in
Over 120 council jobs are being wards which rank in the top 10 per
shed and charges for council serv- cent most deprived in Britain.
ices will rise. Councillors are look- Those that are cut back may no
ing at a 23 per cent reduction in longer be viable which will force
funding to the town's voluntary people in need to turn to the coun-
organisations by removing cil for help.
£250,000 from the present £1.1 mil- "Although the council makes
lion allocation. £1.1 million worth of grants to vol-
The arts and cultural landscape untary organisations, this is ex-
for the town could take a hit as ceeded by further grants from other
well. sources like the lottery, central gov-
The Conservatives complain that ernment or the European Union."
Central Government support for The council's commitment to the
local authorities has fallen drasti- arts also looks in line for a savaging.
cally, whilst councils have been Swindon Artscape's budget could
expected to take on more respon- be reduced by half which means
sibilities. Moreover Government fewer exhibitions around the town,
support for Swindon is lower than less support for local artists and
other councils because it is deemed cutting of arts workshops in the
to be relatively well off. community.
Cynics say that without council The annual summer street festi-
elections this year the Conserva- val weekend is likely to be a fea- Pine&Cane
tives are using the opportunity to ture of the past.
cut down on voluntary organisa- The £10,000 subsidy to the Wilt-
tions and reduce expenditure shire Festival in Lydiard Park is ,^Taum Hi h St 34 WOOD ST.
which they believe unneccessary. likely to be chopped as well.
Plne&CaneH ,iT EJA OLD TOWN,
^ Arts
. 1 . Crntre SWINDON
Dez'izes Road Tel: (01793) 535320
Victoria Rd wro"ghton—►
Noun =r^ EASY OPEN : Monday to Saturday
c` t
" °I PARKING 9.00am till 5.30pm.
`
,,s`,,"7 in Old Town
Sunday : 10.30 am till 4.30pm.