Notttingham Post: Campaigners' plea to council over ICC

Campaigners' plea to council over Nottingham's YMCA centre

CAMPAIGNERS are urging Nottingham City Council to rethink its decision to stop funding a community centre.

The International Community Centre in Mansfield Road has been run by the YMCA since 1998.

For the last three years, the centre, which costs £195,000 a year, has been supported through an annual £54,450 grant from the city council.

However, the council has decided to axe the funding.

A total of 114 voluntary organisations hire the centre's rooms regularly but a spokeswoman said the loss of funding could push up hire prices.

Campaign group Notts Save Our Services, which meets at the centre once a fortnight, has called on the council to reverse its decision.

Rosemary Muge, of Notts SOS, said: "This centre is very important to us as a group.

"A lot of the others are not going to be able to find somewhere else that's suitable because the centre offers uniquely cheap rates and it is in a perfect location.

"Everybody knows where it is.

"We want to urge the council to reverse its decision and are calling on all user groups to support our campaign. We have delivered letters to these groups."

Craig Berens, director of programmes at Notts YMCA, told the Post: "We take heart from the fact that so many of our groups care so much about the ICC as to launch this campaign.

"Like everyone in the voluntary sector we are trying to navigate our way through this difficult time while trying to ensure we continue to provide support to those individuals and groups who rely on us.

"The YMCA has been serving Nottingham for 140 years, and we will continue to do so whatever challenges come our way."

Councillor Dave Liversidge said the council had stopped grant funding and introduced a new way of supporting the voluntary sector.

It has allocated £500,000 to provide business support to voluntary organisations. This could include such things as pay roll services, business planning, CRB checks, employment contracts or marketing and publicity.

Mr Liversidge said this would provide "more independence and control for the sector to run its own affairs in a way that suits it best".

He added: "There will still be limited city council funding available for local neighbourhood organisations to apply for, which will be administered through the city council's area committees."