PostCode Gazette
Friday, November 09, 2012
Coun Mazher Iqbal Submitted by: Gael Stigant
Hundreds of people have signed a petition urging the council to reconsider its decision to cut funding for the Sheffield Somali Community Centre.
Some 560 people who use the centre, on Burngreave Road, signed the petition after an application for a grant of £16,000 was refused, meaning the centre will have to close.
At a full council meeting on Wednesday afternoon, a representative from the centre said: “I’m from Sheffield Somali Community Centre, which is a citywide organisation catering and providing for hundreds of members in Sheffield.
“We’re complaining against the decision made by Sheffield City Council to cut the funding of £16,000 which was used to pay for the rent of the centre’s premises and running costs.
“We request that an independent panel of all parties to look into our complaint and to come to the centre and observe the activities going on there and to see how vital the centre is for the community.”
The centre is open from 10am until 3pm from Monday to Saturday, but without the funding it must close.
Coun Mazher Iqbal, cabinet member for communities, said the council simply does not have any more money to hand out.
He said: “We don’t have £16,000. Over the last two and a half years, the government has cut our budget by £141million and next year the government is imposing another £50million worth of cuts. I just don’t have that £16,000 to give out to any organisation.
“I’ve met with your representatives on three occasions. I’ve clearly explained that the council has a grant aid proves which all community voluntary faith organisations have to bid through. Your organisation, like any other organisation, has to go through that process.”
Coun Iqbal encouraged the centre to apply for funding again in 2013-14, and said in the meantime they have been invited to look into using other community buildings in the Burngreave area.