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Spectacularly wrong over women’s centre
• OPEN letter to Councillor Faruque Ansari.
We would like to invite you to the Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre as a number of users from throughout the borough who would like to ask you questions as an elected representative in regards your inaccurate portrayal of Hopscotch funding in last week’s New Journal letters page (Women’s centre has plenty of cash, February 22).
Hopscotch last week made a deputation to the executive and presented our surplus figures in the current month in 2007 which were greatly reduced from our 2004/5 figures. I think it would have been useful if you had checked the current facts before writing your letter.
In our recent meeting with The Leader, Deputy Leader and Executive member for Children Schools and Families we stated that we were not interested in putting our case regarding the proposed cuts all over the local press but preferred to influence decisions via negotiation and discussion.
Hopscotch has built its reputation on informed debate and discussion. The letter written by our ward councillors was not written by us and therefore we were shocked at the personal nature of your letter.
I hope now you are aware of the inaccurate current position that you portrayed regarding our finances and the good practice recommended by the Charity Commission in regard having 6 months operating costs in reserves, with Hopscotch currently employing over 50 staff. I hope you will amend your view.
We look forward to receiving your reply in regard our invitation to our Centre.
Nahar Choudhury
Director Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre
Phoenix Road NW1
• I HAVE attended two meetings recently where Councillor Faruque Ansari was present. He made no contribution to either and when directly asked by the chairman to express his opinions on the implications of the pending change in funding for Hopscotch he remained silent.
His letter which argued strongly in favour of a cut in funding for Hopscotch, seemed to have almost been written by another person.
I cannot believe that Cllr Ansari would allow someone else to write his letters to this paper for him, but he is a regular correspondent on issues relating to my community.
If he remains so tight-lipped in meetings it would indicate that this could possibly be the case. Could it really be that Faruque is being treated like a stooge by the Lib Dems while he tries to legitimise cuts to excellent groups which work with Camden’s Bengali community?
I hope that Cllr Ansari finds a voice to prove my perceptions wrong. As it stands his constant silence in public meetings would indicate that the strong opinions expressed in these letters are not his own.
Abdul Begum
Harrison Street WC1
• I WAS dismayed at the letter sent in last week by Cllr Faruque Ansari stating that the Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre has plenty of money in reserves and does not need funding. The Charity Commission insists that all charities have a Reserve’s Policy and have funds in reserve as a contingency in case of emergencies.
The next three years will be very difficult years for the Community and Voluntary Sector in Camden. They are facing severe cuts to their funding, agreed by Councillor Ansari’s Lib Dem/Tory council. There is a lot of concern amongst voluntary organisations in Camden, some of which will have to close because of the funding cuts.
All these organisations provide excellent services at a very low cost. I am very concerned about all the services that we are going to lose because of the funding cuts.
The £25,000 which was cut from Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre used to pay for a homelink worker who helped to increase the educational attainment of children from the black and minority ethnic communities. This is an area that still needs a lot of support.
During my year as Mayor of Camden, I was honoured to visit some of the services provided by Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre and the other voluntary sector organisations. The quality of the services were of the highest standard and the achievements of the members were outstanding.
In future I would urge Cllr Ansari and his colleagues to learn more about the Community and Voluntary Sector and how it functions before they make rash decisions and comments.
Councillor Nasim Ali
Town Hall
Judd Street WC1
• YET again Cllr Faruque Ansari gets the tone spectacularly wrong with his criticisms of Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre who are facing a considerable cut to their budget by the Lib Dem/Tory administration.
Cllr Ansari clearly has little knowledge of basic book-keeping and good budget management in the voluntary sector. More importantly he appears to have scant regard for the women and children in the ward we represent that will loose a vital service.
We hope that after time for reflection Cllr Ansari will use the opportunity at the budget setting meeting to retract his comments and to support this much respected organisation, which is facing a less than certain future.
Cllrs Nurul Islam, Roger Robinson and Anna Stewart
Town Hall
Judd Street WC1
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