Pages - VSNW | Voluntary Sector North West

Contact Us

Voluntary Sector North West
St. Thomas Centre

Ardwick Green North
Manchester
M12 6FZ
Tel: 0161 276 9300
Fax: 0161 276 9301
Email: info@vsnw.org.uk

Responding to the cuts

VSNW has received reports from organisations and groups responding in innovative ways to the loss of funding, aiming to ensure they can continue to deliver their services or speaking out against unfair practices. Here we profile some of them - if you’d like to share your story, please contact Hannah Horton.

Warrington Disability Partnership: going the extra mile

The North West Disability Awareness Day (DAD) is Europe's largest voluntary - led disability exhibition, and is held annually in a huge tented village within the grounds of Walton Hall Gardens. The loss of the event’s principal sponsor, the North West Development Agency, resulted in an enormous £45,000 gap in the DAD budget.

In an attempt to ensure that the 20th anniversary event goes ahead as planned Warrington Disability Partnership is currently looking to raise funds to cover this shortfall.

Event founder and co-ordinator Dave Thompson MBE DL is leading the way by agreeing to “Go the Extra Mile” by completing an ambitious Scuba Diving Challenge of one mile this Sunday (20 February) at Fordton Leisure Centre in Warrington. Dave has been a full time wheelchair user since a sports accident in 1989 left him with only limited use in his left arm, and none in his right arm and legs. He will be joined by his dive buddy, Graham Horton (WDP Volunteer and Co-ordinator of the DAD Stewards Control Point) and the challenge is open to everyone to join them.

Find out more on Dave’s website.

Chipping Norton Lido:

While Chipping Norton is some way outside the North West, this video by Ken Norman is an excellent demonstration of the Big Society in action. It shows how a group of residents took over the loss-making local lido from their council.

The lido has been a huge success - but the volunteers who have worked tirelessly to make the award-winning project work have now seen their local authority remove discretionary rate relief.

"What a fantastic way of treating the big society - you ask people to take over the facilities that you can no longer afford to run and then you clobber them once they're running it. So I say to anyone thinking about running a library, taking over a school - I wouldn't if I were you."

Ken is now planning to take part in this year’s Great North Run to raise money to cover the amount this will add to their running costs.

Find out more at www.chippylido.co.uk or www.everyclick.com/normanken