YMCA threatened with
closure – after 152 years
by David Skentelbery
WARRINGTON YMCA, which celebrated its 150th anniversary two years ago, is threatened with closure as a result of losing a major grant.
The grant, from Warrington Primary Care Trust, funds one of two full-time staff at the YMCA centre in Winmarleigh Street.
Its loss will mean general secretary Susan Blythe will be the charity?s only full-time worker.
She said: ?Obviously it would be difficult to carry on with any sort of a service with just one member of staff.
?The grant funds Alison Smith, our health and social inclusion worker. Without her, we would be unable to carry out the work we do in the community.
?We are already running on a shoestring. We rely on volunteers and part-timers. The work we do is unique in Warrington. We are the only day-time centre in the town where people can come in off the street and receive help.
?Most of the people we help are socially excluded ? the homeless, refugees, asylum seekers and so on. Our centre is a drop-in centre offering information, advice and support But we also work with people leaving hospital with nowhere to go and help provide furniture for socially excluded people moving into new homes.?
The YMCA says it was informed of the loss of its PCT grant by telephone, with no prior consultation.
Ms Blythe added: ?We will be seeking alternative funding, but it will be very difficult. There is so much competition for funding.?
The YMCA has been in Warrington since 1855 and has been at the Winmarleigh Street premises since 1931.
A number of other groups which receive vital funding from the PCT are also to have their grants axed.
PCT acting chief executive Jon Tomlinson said the organisation, like many others in the NHS, was experiencing significant financial pressures and had a duty to achieve financial balance. A rigorous review had been carried out with the aim of finding savings which would have a minimal impact on clinical services.
He said: “Part of the PCT’s budget historically has been allocated to a number of local voluntary organisations in the form of grant aid which contributes to their core funding. We have scrutinised these grants and have taken the difficult decision not to renew the grants of five organisations when the present agreements come to an end in April. We are continuing the grants for eight organisations.
?We have also looked very carefully at the discretionary funding we allocate to set up pilot projects with partner organisations. These projects, which predominantly do not provide direct health care, all receive short-term funding on the understanding that funding will not be renewed. With much regret, we have decided to cease funding four of these short-term initiatives. Two initiatives will continue to be funded as short term projects and three initiatives have been given long term funding from the PCT.?
In future, the PCT plan to budget to make a surplus so there is money to invest in new services which meet local health needs Any organisation will be able to bid for funding from March.
? We are committed to working with organisations across the town to secure services which have a real and positive impact on the health and well being of Warrington people? added Mr Tomlinson.
Freemasons’ ?1,000
boost for heart girl
by staff reporter
A 13-year-old heart transplant girl who has been selected to represent Great Britain in the World Transplant Games in Bangkok has been given a ?1,000 boost by Freemasons at Warrington.
Jade Carr, a pupil at Helsby High School and a member of Halton and Frodsham Harriers and Halton Table Tennis Club, has to raise ?5,200 to pay for all her own expenses to take part in the games.
Her grandfather, Charles Carr, who is a Freemason in Warrington, arranged for her to use Warrington Masonic Hall for a special funding raising day to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her transplant and raise money for the Thailand trip.
When Warrington Freemasons heard about her they decided to help bring her dream trip closer by donating ?1,000.
Ian Boswell, chairman of the Warrington and district Group of Lodges, handed over the money at her fund raising day.
He said: ?Jade?s is such a wonderful story that when we heard about her special night to raise money to go to the games, we decided we had to support here. We just hope she continues to make such wonderful progress and that she will return from Bangkok with the medals she deserves.? Jade was diagnosed with the heart condition Dilated Cardiomyopathy when she was just four months old in 1993.
Her life hung in the balance until a dramatic flight to Harefield Hospital in 1996 with the Merseyside Police Air Support Helicopter team. She was given a new heart after a nine-hour operation performed by Professor Magdi Jacoub.
That was the start of Jade?s recovery. Five months later she started at primary school and in 1997 she entered her first British Transplant Games, winning medals for welly throwing and the 25-metre race for five-year-olds.
Since then she had won more than 20 medals ? resulting in her selection to represent Great Britain in the 100 metres, long jump, badminton, table tennis and ball throw. She will also be a member of Great Britain relay teams.
Among people at Jade?s special evening were members of the Merseyside Police Helicopter Support Unit and Premier Aviation, who have raised ?225 for her appeal. A football signed by Manchester United players put another ?320 in the kitty while a raffle raised more than ?680.
A raffle among oil rig workers raised another ?1,000 and the Masonic Province of Cheshire is to donate ?250.
Jade told her supporters: ?Your support is fantastic and I will try my hardest to bring home lots of medals.?
Driver “trapped” – in
six inches of water
by staff reporter
SEVEN fire appliances – including a boat and a line-rescue team – were mobilised at Warrington early today – to rescue a motorist “trapped” in six inches of water.
The drama took place in a field off Watery Lane, Winwick and followed a police alert that a car was in a lake with a man trapped inside it.
Fire crews from Warrington, Stockton Heath and Knutsford were sent to the scene. In addition to the rescue boat and line-rescue team there was a hydraulic platform mobilised.
But when they arrived at the scene they found the car parked some 50 yards into the field in a six inch deep “puddle.”
The driver was sitting patiently waiting to be rescued.
A Fire Service spokesman said: “I think it was a case of a message getting exaggerated as it passed through various hands.
“Two firefighters in dry suits walked the man to dry land. We left the car where it was.
“I don’t know how the car got there. It was very muddy and I would have thought it would have got bogged down before it could get that far into the field. We don’t know how it came to leave the road.”
Clean Team spectacular!
THE Warrington Clean Team ? the group of volunteer litter-pickers led by borough councillor Trudi Wood ? started their New Year programme in spectacular style.
A record 45 sacks of litter were collected along Whittle Brook at Great Sankey.
The team also recruited a new member during the litter pick.
Coun Wood said: “This was our best ever pick. It was just incredible how much litter we found.
?The sun was shining for a pleasant change and we just carried on picking as long as the light lasted. When we got back to the van none of us could believe the mountain of rubbish! Recruiting a new member was the icing on the cake.”
The Clean Team will be holding its next litter-pick on Sunday, February 3, tackling Cromwell Avenue near Asda at Westbrook. They will be meeting at 2pm on the car park to the left of the petrol station. All are welcome.
For further details contact Coun Wood on 01925 790712 or emailclean_team@btc
onnect.com
MP speaks up for
runaway children
by John Hendon
WARRINGTON South MP Helen Southworth has presented a new Ten Minute Rule Bill to Parliament – the Safeguarding Runaway and Missing Children Bill.
The Bill, forming part of her campaign calling for the introduction of a national strategy to protect the estimated 100,000 children and young people who go missing each year, has support from MPs from the three main parties as well as a number of local and national charities, including Warrington-based Talk…don’t Walk, the Children’s Society and the National Missing Person Helpline.
Mrs Southworth said: “At present, many vulnerable children and young people are not getting the protection they vitally need and are running from danger into danger.
?In Warrington we are lucky to have a charity, Talk…don’t Walk, which is dedicated to working with young people and families who are facing difficulties at home, and giving them an alternative to running away. Most, however, aren’t so fortunate.
?Safeguarding vulnerable children is a responsibility which we cannot ignore and I will continue to work to see that more is done to help those who feel they have no choice but to run away from home.”
Hospital radio
seeks memories
by staff reporter
RADIO General ? Warrington Hospital?s volunteer-run in-house radio station ? celebrates 50 years of broadcasting this year.
The station, which over the years has won many plaudits for the quality of its programming, is planning special programmes to mark the occasion.
To do so, they are hoping to draw on the memories of former volunteer presenters, technicians, etc and also former listeners.
Anyone who has any memories or experiences of hospital broadcasting at Warrington is asked to contact the station on 01925 662122.
Station spokesman Kevin Farrell said: ?We will return all calls.?
