HVDA and the Council

[HVDA]

UPDATE ON HVDA'S CURRENT FUNDING POSITION AND OUR RESPONSE TO THE OUTCOME OF THE FULL COUNCIL MEETING THAT WAS HELD ON 26TH MARCH 2015

At the end of March 2015 HVDA lost a number of key staff that provided important services to the people of Hartlepool.  As a result HVDA is no longer able to provide: Support to groups; The Volunteer Centre function; other practical support services such as photocopying.

Over the last 29 years HVDA has been able to provide the following:
•   A range of Capacity Building support to an average of 263 VCS groups each year.
•   Assist Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) groups to access a total of £7,334,390 in external grant funding from a range of source, an average of £252,910 each year.
•   Influence a range of other agencies to provide a further £3,544,322 to fund the activities of VCS groups.
•   Support to 9,909 adult volunteers an average of 341 each year
•   Between 1999 and 2012 support to 3,397 young volunteers (under 25) an average of 261 each year.

Since the decision taken by the Council in 2013/14 not to fund HVDA, Hartlepool is the only Council in the Tees Valley that will not be providing financial support to a body that supports local voluntary and community sector groups.
At the full Council meeting on 26th March 2015 Councillor Pamela Hargreaves, with the support of opposition Councillors, proposed that if the Council had any money remaining across its overall budget at the end of 31st March 2015 then it should consider providing some financial support to HVDA.  The ruling Labour Group (who have the majority within Council), with the support of the three members of the Conservative Group, did not support the proposal. Instead they voted for a motion that the matter should be referred to the Finance and Policy Committee for further discussion, which was then agreed by the full Council.
As a result, any such request for funding would then be considered against other requests for funding. This seems to be a reasonable proposal except that there is currently no date set for such a committee meeting and the Finance and Policy Committee is controlled by a majority of Labour Councillors who, as a group, had already voted against giving HVDA any money at a previous Council meeting.  It should be noted that some individual Councillors had supported HVDA from their ward members' budgets in 2013/14, this included opposition Councillors and some Labour and Conservative Councillors; but this method of providing HVDA with financial support which, although appreciated, was never going to be sufficient to maintain HVDA's work in the long term.
At one point in the full Council meeting Councillor Marjorie James used an argument which had been used previously about HVDA's reserves being significant as a reason not to support HVDA. The information given by Councillor James was not an accurate representation of HVDA's current financial position.
If you are interested in hearing the comments made by Councillors in the debate you can click the You Tube link below. The debate starts 12 minutes from the start of the video and ends at 36 minutes when the meeting starts to debate a vote of no confidence in the Chair of the Council.

Here is the link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qCdF1gDrDmY

The forthcoming local elections provide a good opportunity to ask all of those standing for office their views on whether the Council should provide financial support to HVDA and the voluntary sector in general.
Keith Bayley
Manager

[fred c]

Since the decision taken by the Council in 2013/14 not to fund HVDA, Hartlepool is the only Council in the Tees Valley that will not be providing financial support to a body that supports local voluntary and community sector groups.

The above statement just about sums up the TorLab Mob.

There has been no shortage of Labour councillors starting CIC companies over the years & looking at the council tax payers of Hartlepool to back their dodgy schemes.

Only In Hartlepool & Only Under The TorLab Mob

[Copper Pipe]

I do think it would be a great shame to lose the services og the HVDA, but and a BIG BUT, the HVDA has historically had a connection to the Local Labour lairs, cheats and fraudsters.

Currently I may be wrong but doesn't Healthwatch operate from the HVDA in Victoria Road, its top fella being councilor Christopher Akers-Belcher, the one who is or has been throwing a sickie for goodness knows how long, with his partner recently sacked and knew all about his partner getting paid whilst spending tax payers dosh on both their jollys.

Could the HVDA outline how many councilors are directors, trustees, employees both past and present in either of the organizations or business supported by or funding encouraged by the HVDA or indeed have been in the employ of the HVDA itself?

This town is full of money grabbing self-serving councilors and allot of them have and are still involved with the HVDA (to my knowledge).

[fred c]

The Manor Residents Scandal was in it self very damaging to the people it was supposed to help, but most damaging are the ideas now embedded in the minds of the people of Hartlepool about the voluntary sector in the town.

An awful lot of people & I include myself in that, are extremely sceptical about HBC funding local CIC groups & in particular councillors earning a living from their employment with such groups.

HVDA have a fully Accountable Track Record & have proven to be a mainstay in local voluntary circles, however i can fully understand where Copper Pipe is coming from.

[steveL]

I don't have a problem with HVDA and I do find it weird that somehow a council with one of the highest deprivation rates in the country suddenly finds itself cutting off financial support to the umbrella organisation behind many, many good causes and a lot of good work. Even odder when the woman behind this situation thought it more useful to use her own ward budget to fund the free removal furniture/fridges etc from her ward's front and back gardens because the locals can't be arsed  - is that a better use of available money?

It's all very personal. Marjorie James consistently and automatically works against any organisation which she is unable to exert some degree of control. HVDA is one example but the Credit Union is another. For James and the rest of the Manor Mafia, it's OFCA, OFCA, OFCA.....everyone else is the enemy.

The Healthwatch money is ring-fenced Government money which is due to last until the end of March next year. It's not available to other HVDA activities. I do wonder though why or how CAB got away with claiming to be too ill to work while continuing with his council work apparently unfetted. From what I hear, Stephen Thomas (another Labour councillor)always did most of the work anyway.

Never mind. Judgement day has barely started yet. OFCA, the organisation which,under Cranney's navigation, gave us Mutual Securities, a £380,000 debt and a couple of jail sentences, is next on the list.

[Copper Pipe]

Thanks Fred and Steve.

So far we have identified two Labour councilors PAID working (or paid whilst on the sick) under the umbrella of the HVDA, and there is no way that you can deny a link between the Local Labour lying cheats and fraudsters and the HVDA because Healthwatch shares the address and employs two of the saps.

In my opinion before the HVDA will get the support of the town they need to hold their hands up and say self serving Labour councilors no longer welcome!

How many more Labour councilors have bulging wallets now or in the past that have a connection with the HVDA?

[fred c]

There is 1 who is on the thick end of £60, 000  + between his salary & councillors allowances.

[Copper Pipe]

With that in mind Fred as well as being Local Labour lairs, cheats and fraudsters, they are also leaches and parasites, with the HVDA knowingly allowing themselves to play host to them, therefore the HVDA need to address the fact or go down as the greedy gits drain the HVDA of cash and support from the people of the town.

[Riqueti]

Thank you for sharing that info Keith, it is a shame what has happened with the HVDA. I know that the HVDA have been involved in some very good work over the years.

[Copper Pipe]

Riqueti, yes I agree that Keith has been good to share it with us and also acknowledge the good that HVDA does year in year out, but its HVDA that have allowed themselves to play host to the Local Labour lairs, cheats and fraudsters, leaches and parasites now and over the years that have financially benefited on the back of our towns community organisations, with some of them but not all of them financially lining the pockets of the greedy self serving councilors. 

The HVDA needs to look at its policys, so they can tell the self-serving councilors to DO ONE!

I cannot bring myself to offer full support for the HVDA, knowing that the HVDA allow this sort of thing to continue.

[HVDA]

A number of points have been raised in comments which we would like to respond to.

HVDA's  connection with Labour Councillors:
Over the years HVDA has employed individuals who have gone on to become Councillors, some of whom have been Labour Councillors and some Independent.  It needs to be remembered that employers have a legal duty to give people time off work to perform such public duties. How individuals perform as an elected member is not a matter for the employer whose only concern is how individuals perform as an employee.

Councillors acting as Directors of HVDA:
There are currently no Councillors on HVDA's Board; there have be some in the past, none of whom have ever received any financial benefit from HVDA.



The money for HealthWatch is ring-fenced by the government and can only be spent on the purposes for which HealthWatch has been established.  It has its own Executive Committee and it would be more appropriate to think of HVDA as the host organisation and the base for this initiative.

[grim reaper]

It is 'brave' of Keith to 'break cover' and explain the why's and wherefore's of HVDA. 
However, two aspects spring to mind;
1) Why now, when Labour are on the ropes, are we receiving such information...damage control?
2) Although under the DPA 1998 you can't comment, I am amazed one of your employees (ex benefit clerk), can be on prolonged sickness and at the same time, holiday in India; have a jaunt to Portsmouth; carry out Councillor duties and manage a re-election campaign.
Any other 'company' would have had him in and either dismissed him or worked out a compromise agreement for him to go.
(Which is what he is no doubt after). 

When you think what Lynda and the others were robbed of by the Labour sh*ts, and the amount of money handed to your organisation by them, it makes my blood boil to think they couldn't do the decent thing by them.   

So bearing the foregoing in mind, the HVDA has lost its gloss for me. 

[Copper Pipe]

HVDA thanks for your update.

I seriously think your policy's need rewriting and updating to move with the times to avoid being tarnished by the past and current actions of the Labour lot, by that I mean you could introduce simply by calling an emergency meeting to adjust your rules similar to what HBC have, whereas HBC employees cannot put themselves forward for election without resigning first, the same should apply to any organisation under the HVDA umbrella. You could introduce, that any organisation that falls under the umbrella of the HVDA cannot have within its employ, directors, trustees or other that benefit financially, elected members therefore not allowing yourselves at the HVDA to play host to Local Labour lairs, cheats and fraudsters, leaches and parasites as you do now.

I am sorry for speaking my mind but it is as clear to me as the boil on my nose (painfull at the moment) that the HVDA are (no matter how you dress it up) playing host to two Labour councilors that share your address and resources, this surely is very wrong.

By the way the boil on my nose will receive treatment to eradicate it, may I suggest you put motions in to actions so your intentions, honesty and good name be tarnished no longer by political members and do the same.

[fred c]

A number of points have been raised in comments which we would like to respond to.

HVDA's  connection with Labour Councillors:
Over the years HVDA has employed individuals who have gone on to become Councillors, some of whom have been Labour Councillors and some Independent.  It needs to be remembered that employers have a legal duty to give people time off work to perform such public duties. How individuals perform as an elected member is not a matter for the employer whose only concern is how individuals perform as an employee.

Councillors acting as Directors of HVDA:
There are currently no Councillors on HVDA's Board; there have be some in the past, none of whom have ever received any financial benefit from HVDA.



The money for HealthWatch is ring-fenced by the government and can only be spent on the purposes for which HealthWatch has been established.  It has its own Executive Committee and it would be more appropriate to think of HVDA as the host organisation and the base for this initiative.

The term "Host" from my point of view isn`t that HVDA have anything to do with Healthwatch.... more...... Why do they have office space within the HVDA building and would it be benificial from HVDA`s point of view, if they were located within the Civic given the make up of personnel working for them ?