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Boxing club petition fight
All Stars fail to secure grant despite winning over the public
A PETITION to save a boxing club in Queen’s Park from closure has yet to be submitted to the council
Two weeks ago at a crunch meeting, the club’s plea for an £7,000 grant was turned down by councillors.
Joanne Cash, the Tory parliamentary choice for Westminster North, made several references to the petition of more than 1,000 during her campaign to save the All Stars boxing club in Harrow Road.
In October, she said: “It is the time for the community to unite, back this petition and ensure that the future of this tremendous charity is permanently secured.”
The document was intended to have been delivered to the council ahead of the meeting to determine the grant. But this week David Kerrigan, Westminster’s sports chief, said: “The council has not received a petition in support of All Stars. It is not the council’s place to comment on a prospective parliamentary candidate’s campaign, which is in no way related to our work with the club.”
All Stars founder Akay Isola has written to Sir Simon Milton, leader of Westminster council, expressing disappointment but thanking him “for the time and effort you are all making in helping us”.
Cllr Daniel Astaire told the full council: “Through discussion with our council officers we are understanding the problems they are facing and we are helping them to work this out.”
But since the meeting, questions have been raised over the petition.
Labour group leader Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg said: “Why did they not present it to the council when the All Stars’ grant was being considered by the council? Surely that was the best time to submit the petition? Now that the Conservatives have refused the grant application, the All Stars will have to wait another year before being to apply again for financial help.”
“It appears that many people have signed the Conservative’s online petition in the mistaken belief that they were supporting the All Stars and that by signing the petition they would be helping the All Stars.
“The fact of the matter is that the Conservatives appear to be simply collecting email addresses with little or no intention of actually submitting the petition”
Ms Cash said: “More and more people in the local community are signing the petition every day and there is a now a strong local movement in place to help save this vital community facility.
“The idea proposed by one local Labour councillor this week, of submitting the petition to the council after only three months of lobbying and while large numbers of people continue to sign it both online and at the club would be grossly unfair to those who have not yet had the opportunity to show their support for this campaign.” |
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