Sign E-Petition against withdrawl of Support for Friends of Park Groups

[admin]

If you were honest you would be saying I expect this funding to come from say Adult Social Care. Anything else is dishonest and intellectually lazy. So tell me which service should bear the burdon of these savings. Given 70% of the Councils spending is on statutory service you limited to the other 30% for the savings. I am not even saying I don't support this petition but before I sign it I need to know the effect on other services, some of which might be more valuable.

Are you accusing me of being dishonest? How can I advise where the savings should come from when the council cannot define what the savings are, or even if there are any savings made by cutting this service? As I have already explained, I believe that supporting Friends Groups is a more efficient way of spending money than not supporting them. So you are completely out of order suggesting that I am "dishonest and intellectually lazy". If anyone is that it is you because you have deliberately ignored the points that I've already made, and not for the first time either. You behave like a typical politician and answer the question you want to answer, not the one you've been asked.

[wheels]

If the council cannot define how much they are saving (as it says in the petition and as The Greenspace Forum has recorded in their minutes of meetings with the council) then how on earth can anyone from outside the council suggest what other areas might bear that "saving" instead? In my own view, the council are not saving money by withdrawing support for Friends Groups, they are loosing money by loss of efficiency and if this results in a Friends Group giving up then they are loosing much more. They are not being asked to work extra hours - until recently Friends of Marple Memorial Park had support on all our task days from the council with the support worker having time off during the week to cover the hours spent on Saturday with us. So what is more efficient use of an operatives time? 4 to 6 hours working on your own or 4 to 6 hours supporting and guiding the efforts of 12 volunteers for 4 to 6 hours each. To me the maths is simple - there is no saving by this action.
Who is this petition setting against each other? It is pulling the community together to tell the council how they feel.

If you were honest you would be saying I expect this funding to come from say Adult Social Care. Anything else is dishonest and intellectually lazy. So tell me which service should bear the burdon of these savings. Given 70% of the Councils spending is on statutory service you limited to the other 30% for the savings. I am not even saying I don't support this petition but before I sign it I need to know the effect on other services, some of which might be more valuable.

[wheels]

local councillor's expenses ;-)

They are determined by an outside body Duke. THe decision on them is removed from members. So no room for movement there old chap

[red666bear]

amazing isnt it, no mention of this in all the lib dem paraphenalia through our doors in the run up to the recent local elections.

maybe though next time candler, bispham, abell etc... want a photo opportunity in memorial park you will tell them where to go.

how about barring the lib dems from using the scout hut for their regular jumble sales, just a thought.

[Duke Fame]

I think organisers of this sort of thing have a responsibility to say which other area of activity should bear the savings instead.

local councillor's expenses ;-)

[Dave]

The point I really make is that this sort of petition divides communities and sets people against each other.

No, it's not setting people against each other, it's setting people against a stupid proposal by the council.  I've signed it, and I hope lots of others do.  We all know the financial pressure which local authorities are under, but this is not a sensible way of dealing with it.  If ever there was a time when councils needed the support of volunteers, it's now! 

[admin]

I think organisers of this sort of thing have a responsibility to say which other area of activity should bear the savings instead.

If the council cannot define how much they are saving (as it says in the petition and as The Greenspace Forum has recorded in their minutes of meetings with the council) then how on earth can anyone from outside the council suggest what other areas might bear that "saving" instead? In my own view, the council are not saving money by withdrawing support for Friends Groups, they are loosing money by loss of efficiency and if this results in a Friends Group giving up then they are loosing much more. They are not being asked to work extra hours - until recently Friends of Marple Memorial Park had support on all our task days from the council with the support worker having time off during the week to cover the hours spent on Saturday with us. So what is more efficient use of an operative's time? 4 to 6 hours working on your own or 4 to 6 hours supporting and guiding the efforts of 12 volunteers for 4 to 6 hours each. To me the maths is simple - there is no saving by this action.

The point I really make is that this sort of petition divides communities and sets people against each other. Its not a way forward in a democracy

Who is this petition setting against each other? It is pulling the community together to tell the council how they feel.

[wheels]

The point I really make is that this sort of petition divides communities and sets people against each other. Its not a way forward in a democracy

[Dave]

I think organisers of this sort of thing have a responsibility to say which other area of activity should bear the savings instead.

That is a reasonable point, but it needs the council to put forward a range of options for spending cuts and/or or council tax increases. 

[marplerambler]

What madness that there should be an attempt to bring to an end the voluntary work being carried out by those who wish to see the survival of the parks. Not only will the local councilllors not fund park staff, they now will not fund volunteer's efforts. More funding is needed. It is impossible to cut anything else so we need to pay more in Council tax.

[wheels]

I think organisers of this sort of thing have a responsibility to say which other area of activity should bear the savings instead.

[amazon]

There is an e-petition open for signature until 15 July on the council web site. Not sure who instigated it but the withdrawal of council support for Friends of the Park Task Days will have a crucial to the well being of Stockport Parks, including Marple Memorial Park. If you love your local park, please take the time to sign it!

http://democracy.stockport.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=54&RPID=2871104&HPID=2871104&$LO$=1

We, the undersigned demand that Stockport Council not only reverse its decision to withdraw support for Friends of Parks Groups task days but instead provide active support to the volunteers to enable them to carry on maintaining and improving Stockport Greenspaces.

The cost of actively supporting these events would be minimal - the Council does not actually know how much it will save. The Council should be ashamed of their lack of vision in running down our much loved Greenspaces, there will only be minimal maintenance and less litter picking. While at the same time they are reducing support for the hard pressed voluntary groups who work to maintain these public spaces & a large number of the many Friends groups will soon cease to exist if the Council does not reverse this decision.
Friends Groups have raised at least £3 million for Stockports Greenspaces over the last decade - how do the Council plan to replace this invaluable input of funds?

Done sixty six so far signed  'come on every one we need more lots more,

[admin]

There is an e-petition open for signature until 15 July on the council web site. Not sure who instigated it but the withdrawal of council support for Friends of the Park Task Days will have a crucial to the well being of Stockport Parks, including Marple Memorial Park. If you love your local park, please take the time to sign it!

http://democracy.stockport.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=54&RPID=2871104&HPID=2871104&$LO$=1

We, the undersigned demand that Stockport Council not only reverse its decision to withdraw support for Friends of Parks Groups task days but instead provide active support to the volunteers to enable them to carry on maintaining and improving Stockport Greenspaces.

The cost of actively supporting these events would be minimal - the Council does not actually know how much it will save. The Council should be ashamed of their lack of vision in running down our much loved Greenspaces, there will only be minimal maintenance and less litter picking. While at the same time they are reducing support for the hard pressed voluntary groups who work to maintain these public spaces & a large number of the many Friends groups will soon cease to exist if the Council does not reverse this decision.
Friends Groups have raised at least £3 million for Stockports Greenspaces over the last decade - how do the Council plan to replace this invaluable input of funds?