Funding for Charidee........

[mk1]

Did you all see the list of Dumbo's largesse in tonights Mail?

Now I know  it all for a good cause but why is so much of it earmarked for 'salary'?

The full list of groups to receive
funding is:
Epilepsy Outlook,
£9,163 towards the costs of the operations manager's salary;
Families First,
£21,958.89 towards the cost of three salaries, two core workers and one project worker;
Hartlepool Access Group,
£23,949, towards the cost of live salaries including a manager, administrator and equipment worker;
Hartlepool & District Hospice,
£24,314 of funding towards the salary of a head of bereavement;
Hartlepool PROP,
£7,070 to help fund a manager's post;
Owton Fens Community Association, £22,760 to help fund project manager and development worker;
Peoples Centre,
£l7,823 towards project manager's salary and contribution to running costs;
Salaam Centre,
£18,432 towards heating, lighting, telephone costs and caretaker salary;
Voluntary Wheels,
£6,058 towards the co-ordinator/drivers' salary.


I presume we will be bombarded by those set to recieve the money telling us how the 'lurve' to be in the voluntary sector-they just don't 'lurve' it enough to be a volunteer voluntary worker!

This next bit  raised my eyebrows:



Voluntary Wheels has been operating in Hartlepool and the surrounding area for 25 years providing low cost transport to the voluntary and community sector, plus elderly and disabled residents.
The not-for-proiit scheme, which
has four voluntary drivers, has a 14-seater minibus and averages abou five bookings a week.
The grant of £6,058 will go towards
funding co-ordinator Haydn Austins salary.

Now is it really only used 5 times a week and if so  has anyone ever heard of a Taxi?
I am sure it could be done at a fraction of the current cost.

[no6bus]

what about the data protection act and the right of an individual not to have their salary made public by people looking to score brownie points

[Straight Talking]

Can we have the NAMES of all those being paid salaries and their connections to Hartlepool Labour Party?
Surely this must be available under The Freedom Of Information Act?

Why just the Labour Party, I know that there are people working in the VCS who are involved with other political parties.
What about their salaries.

[dangerman]

My wife worked in a very well known charity shop in York Road three days a week when asked if she could spare a few more hours she agreed 'all unpaid' the mangeress asked would she come in 10am - 3pm five Mon-Fri and Saturday morning every other week.

Enquiring if it could be offered as a waged position to someone younger was told Oh No we depend on the likes of you, who are prepared to work for nothing.

'Well' my wife asked do you work for nothing? Of course not I'm paid as shop manager.

I'm sorry but I gave my time for free thinking I was doing the right thing but not to be taken for a MUG. and left the shop.

[mk1]

Enquiring if it could be offered as a waged position to someone younger was told Oh No we depend on the likes of you, who are prepared to work for nothing.

'Well' my wife asked do you work for nothing? Of course not I'm paid as shop manager.

You would not believe how these 'Managers' operate. They have finacial target just like any shop manager and they get a bollocking if they miss them.
I watched as one of these clowns recieved back a bought item that was faulty. The item in question was put straight back on sale because 'not everyone will look hard enough to find the fault'. He then laughed as he said 'some people will buy anything"

[Straight Talking]

ST - I'll stick to my original suggestion thank you and stick to the involvements of the Joseph Stalin Appreciation Society aka The Labour Party.
I'll extend it to other parties later, but lets see what skeletons 'fall out of the closet' with the examination of Comrades' first shall we?

Furthermore, I'd like to extend the request to include a list of 'Assets' acquired by each of these organisations and how they are accounted for in their 'articles of association'.

The true test of the integrity of these paid employees is when they are revealed to be self-serving to the extent that the preservation of their 'nice little earners' is visibly apparent to all and the purpose of the charity becomes of secondary consideration.

Seems a bit biased to me, KD.  Can you clarify what you mean by "acquired"? As some charitable organisations have actually bought assets, in some cases many years ago, much the same way as others do that are not charitable.

I also think it is becoming quite tiresome that you label those involved with the labour party as "the Joseph Stalin Appreciation Society" - this is an inaccurate description and shows your own political bias.

I am sure that admin would have something to say if each time I reply to you, I include descriptions such as "goose-stepper, nazi salute", just a few of things taken from your own political past.

I am not asking for special protection, as I don't think that is needed, just a bit of fairness, with regard to what is said and what is deemed unacceptable.

[for fawkes sake]

Can I be first in the queue of those overcome with fear of being branded 'racist', Islamaphobic or similarly maligned' which is apparently the only explanation for anyone taking a different point of view to Mr KD.
Interesting that you should use the phrase "White, Christian people in Hartlepool" when none of the references to the Salaam Centre mention colour.

[Stig of the Seaton Dump]

Anything sectarian what ever that sect may be proves that they have failed to be equal with the common person.

Hart Gables proves that the LGBT people in Hartlepool have not integrated into normal society if they have their own stand alone group.

Same goes when there are sessions for women advertised or a president is highlighted for being black.

It makes me laugh when I see things like gay bird watching groups. What has bird watching got to do with sexual persuasion !!!!

What if I jumped on the bandwagon and looked for a community centre to host events for middle aged blue collar white socialist straight socialist men with mild christian views who don't really care if the person next to them is is not the same as them as long as they are not a dangerous extremist. 

We are all unique but that doesn't mean we have to be a society of ones.

[The Great Dictator]

What a con, £24k for OFCA to fund a non existent job for one of Wilcox's cousin 3 times removed.

If thats not bad enough the Hospice are conning £22000 for a head of bereavement, did they have one when Alice Bendle run the place, i think not..

Then the Salami centre getting £380 a week to pay for phone calls to Pakistan and central heating that our pensioners can't afford.

Put this £70k towards reinstating the Seaton and Headland buses, everyone say AYE !!

FU**ING FU**ERS !! 

[dangerman]

When the old Salaam centre was in Murray street N.D.C. funded another centre opposite Horizon Centre now closed.

I asked why a centre for black people and one for white? it was seen and taken as a racist remark.

I then enquired.

Why not use Lynnfield centre for everyone is'nt that what mutli-culture is all about, again this was seen by NDC people in charge as my being racist, so I walked away. 

I'm not and never have been a racist. I respect people their culture & religion.

Horizon centre / Salaam costs ??  public money so what the heck.. SPEND SPEND SPEND.

[Straight Talking]

Did you all see the list of Dumbo's largesse in tonights Mail?

Now I know  it all for a good cause but why is so much of it earmarked for 'salary'?

The full list of groups to receive
funding is:
Epilepsy Outlook,
£9,163 towards the costs of the operations manager's salary;
Families First,
£21,958.89 towards the cost of three salaries, two core workers and one project worker;
Hartlepool Access Group,
£23,949, towards the cost of live salaries including a manager, administrator and equipment worker;
Hartlepool & District Hospice,
£24,314 of funding towards the salary of a head of bereavement;
Hartlepool PROP,
£7,070 to help fund a manager's post;
Owton Fens Community Association, £22,760 to help fund project manager and development worker;
Peoples Centre,
£l7,823 towards project manager's salary and contribution to running costs;
Salaam Centre,
£18,432 towards heating, lighting, telephone costs and caretaker salary;
Voluntary Wheels,
£6,058 towards the co-ordinator/drivers' salary.


I presume we will be bombarded by those set to recieve the money telling us how the 'lurve' to be in the voluntary sector-they just don't 'lurve' it enough to be a volunteer voluntary worker!

This next bit  raised my eyebrows:



Voluntary Wheels has been operating in Hartlepool and the surrounding area for 25 years providing low cost transport to the voluntary and community sector, plus elderly and disabled residents.
The not-for-proiit scheme, which
has four voluntary drivers, has a 14-seater minibus and averages abou five bookings a week.
The grant of £6,058 will go towards
funding co-ordinator Haydn Austins salary.

Now is it really only used 5 times a week and if so  has anyone ever heard of a Taxi?
I am sure it could be done at a fraction of the current cost."


Questions were raised at the time of the decision, but the Mayor decided to go with officer recommendations. He was just for clarity, acting alone, as the cabinet had not yet been selected.

[no6bus]

if you actually read the post before yours kipperdip you will see a paragraph in bigger font than the rest , it explains the mayor accepted the council officers reccomendations, in other words no he did not suggest them he merely agreed with them. as for the racism question i will leave that for someone else to answer.

[Straight Talking]

It's an unambiguous question from me, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect an unambiguous answer. 
My question to ST still remains - "Did the FULL council, or the appropriate FULL committee unanimously approve these payments"?

No the full council did not approve these grants. They are not required to.
Grants are dealt with by the Cabinet. Normally a 3 person committee is formed from the Cabinet to deal with grants.
However, as there was no cabinet, the Mayor acted alone. The report from officers recommended these grants be paid.

Despite questions being raised - he approved them.
The list of those who did not get any money at all, is just as revealing as the list of those that did.

[dangerman]

Dont forget you guys these are the electorate who put the crosses on the ballot paper at election time. It's an effective way of gaining added publicity too.

What I can't understand is why the rush? this could have easily have been sorted when the mayor appointed his new cabinet, but he must have thought wow I can do a lot of good here 'for myself'.

The grants committee? what committee? a committee of ONE is that legal? I thought a committee had to be quarate but what do I know.

This guy the mayor simply does what he wants.

[Straight Talking]

KD -  Objections were actually raised by Cllr. James, who attended the meeting and requested the right to speak.
The Mayor agreed with the points made, but decided to go ahead with the officers recommendations anyway.
What you need to remember is that Cabinet members only use the powers given to them by the Mayor, powers which he can take away at any time.
He has also on a couple of occasions outvoted the whole of council.

What residents need to realise is that Mayoral Power is Absolute Power, with the exception of Council Policy and Budget. But even here, he only needs 1/3rd to outvote 2/3rds.
The Mayoral system is a lot of things but democratic isn't one of them.

With regard to the Mayor answering questions, I suggest that you use your own right to ask questions at council, you are allowed a direct question + once he has answered the original question you also have up to 2 supplementary questions.

Dangerman - The Grants committee has in the past been made up of 3 Cabinet members, the Mayor + 2. This is the minimum amount of members to be called a committee. The minimum constitutional quorum is 3.