Impassioned pleas to save community centre

Date published: 10/01/2008

Rarely has a township meeting seen so many impassioned pleas by so many people desperate to save something they consider worth saving – the scene at a packed Rochdale Township meeting at the Town Hall last night (Wednesday 9 January) as the supporters and users of Syke Community Base pleaded with councillors to help them survive following the abrupt and controversial withdrawal of their funding by the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP).

If the support of councillors would be enough to help them survive the Base need have no worries as unanimous cross party support was forthcoming with councillor after councillor praising the work and success of the Base and offering complete support. However, that support needs translating into hard cash and to concentrate the minds users and support workers outlined in great detail the very many and varied roles the Base fulfils for the community, and stressed not just for the Syke area, but for people throughout the Borough who value the services provided.

Sheila Acton of the Base explained she had now received written confirmation that the project was to be "decommissioned" from 30 April. Apparently no details of why were provided save that the Base is no longer considered to meet the priorities of the "Local Area Agreement Outcomes’.

Of the many members of the public allowed to speak by Township Chairman Councillor Elwyn Watkins, the most poignant words came from the mouth of nine-year-old Amelia Kelly, who spoke with a fluency and confidence that belied her tender years as she explained that she attends the out of school activities two nights a week, and this affords her the opportunity to learn and play under the supervision of trained staff and volunteers in a "safe environment".

She added: "All this helps to improve my out of school time; I am not bored or out on the streets where people think we are causing problems."

At the other end of the age spectrum an elderly woman spoke of the social aspects of the Base and what that means to previously isolated older people in the area. She explained there are over 50 people on the register, many who go to the Base with carers and all are catered for. She added that as well as the opportunity to meet people, the Base offered other activities such as dancing, painting, walking, Tai Chi, and computing.

Assistant Community Manager Hayley Conlon detailed the significant reduction in crime that the Base has been instrumental in bringing about, she said: "When the Base first started in 2002, the crime rate in Syke was high, in the first year we reduced that by 53%" - in the following four years, it has been reduced by an average of 25% per year. "The young people won the Greater Manchester Police "Make a Difference’ Award for the Rochdale Borough."

Ms Conlon listed a whole series of initiatives by which the Base had contributed towards this major reduction in crime.

The level of support from adults, though expected, was impressive, but even more impressive was the group of young people who turned up to offer their support, and with the room already packed found themselves stood up at the front behind and alongside the seated councillors. Though understandably reluctant to speak in what to them was such an alien environment, their very presence was clear evidence of the good influence the Base and its organisers have on the youth of Syke, and their arrival brought Sheila Acton to tears.

Having listened to many speak, public, youngsters, workers, volunteers and councillors, and watched as a petition with 1266 names and addresses on was submitted to the Township Chairman, Council Leader Alan Taylor, in offering his 100% backing to the Base, explained that financial measures were being put in place to enable the centre to continue until September, giving the Base nine months to try and secure alternative sources of funding for what he called a "centre of excellence" that he said could and should be used as an example to other community centres.

Sheila Acton, without whom it is said there would be no Base, was given the opportunity to close a two hour forum and she did so by thanking councillors for listening and "so many people, including children and young people", for turning up. She said it proved the Base was "a worthwhile organisation" and she hoped the overwhelming support of councillors would be "backed up with money".