The Hunger Games

[steveL]

I went by the OFCA Farm the other day - it's a total tip - an agricultural scrapyard populated by what looks like the cast of Shameless. It would pass as the worst example of an unkempt Traveller's site. I wonder if any Health and Safety audit has ever been conducted on this place and I would shudder at the thought of the occupying inhabitants that I saw handling food - especially for my kids. This lot probably think E. coli is a Rap artist!

http://www.hartlepoolpost.co.uk

[jawsbbc]

( looks like they are recruiting  training ect anyway they can get money)  You can fill the forms in on the day or I could send them via messenger in the morning when I'm in the office, if you can print them out and bring them with you, we just need 24hr notice for pack lunch numbers I will send you just a bit of info on the project  with a risk assessment prior to you coming up and filling in the forms
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OFCA Community Farm
OFCA Community Farm Monday and Wednesday in school holidays 11 till 3

[not4me]

Its just a scam to pay for his wife's horses out of public money.

[Johnny Bongo]

Maybe someone (a child ideally) should go 'undercover' and film/ record the actual events of the days to see what is really going on! 

[Foggy]

Well it appears the Rifty has also jumped on the free lunch bandwagon.  The wonderful Community News came through my door today and my eye became immediately drawn to the sentences:

"The Rifty Youth Project will be running its Free Summer Club.  There will be a range of activities including a free lunch"  I'll gloss over the poor wording. 

It doesn't specifically state that this 'free lunch' is courtesy of the funding from HBC but I think this is a likely scenario.  My problem with this is not that children get a free lunch.  I did say not so long ago that I thought the project was valid as I wouldn't want any child to go hungry.  However, my problem is how this project is being delivered.  The original Mail article about this (aka the Council press release) said:

"And voluntary and community organisations will be invited to bid to the council for a share of £25,000 funding to deliver holiday hunger initiatives such as providing meals." (Yes, The Fail did begin a sentence with the word 'And')

I would be very interested to know what actual 'bidding' took place and how it was decided which organisations were given funding.  I would also like to know what processes are in place to ensure the funding is spent where and how it was intended.  Is there an audit trail?  I think we all know the answers to these questions.

This project is supposed to be about making sure that children who usually receive free school meals are fed adequately during the school holidays, not giving out free lunches to anyone who turns up at a farm or 'summer club'.  How do we know that everyone that needs the help is getting it?  I would guess that the answer to that is 'we don't'. There lies the problem and begs the question, what is this project really all about?

Front cover of the Community News in case anyone is interested (sorry about the poor quality):

[Alnwickist]

Is he still running his shop from Jutland Rd ?.

[Inspector Knacker]

'Rifty?' I have never heard that word used by anyone living in the area. Who thought that one up ? It sounds like something visualised by a group of middle aged old fogeys trying to 'get down wiv da yoof'.

[Heknocks68]

Stop all this, right here , right mow. This guy has done so much good, aided and abetted by equal fur lined auburn haired wild life. The bottom line is simply they are less than reputable. However they do tend too fit in quite au fait, a worrying trend. But did they not do well? No. The retainment of a service, not really. Overjoyed, well had they demonstrated the same in retaining the A and the E in Hartlepool perhaps, just perhaps, they would have a little something to allow a smile, allbeit a small one. Do these folk posses any standard of education? Is there any hope left?

[jawsbbc]

yes Alnwickist he is still running the (shop) still running the youth club with no staff making and delivering meals and delivering them the list is endless what cranny has going