Friday, February 04, 2011

Communities with nothing

A quick scout through this weeks Chad newspaper will tell you a sorry story.

Frontline services in our poorest communities are likely to close. Ashfield CAB, where I started my career many years ago, will struggle to offer the range of services that are now seen as essential in the disadvantaged communities they serve.

At a time when advice and guidance is sorely needed, services are drastically being cut.

Similarly with the charity I work for, homelessness prevention services are being cut by 70%. I'm not sure what the impact is going to be but I can take a fairly educated guess:

There will be more repossessions (we currently prevent hundreds every year)

.. more homeless presentations (and more cost as a result for district and borough councils)

Eventually, this entirely foreseeable disaster will be chalked up as a learning point for politicians. I'd be quite happy to produce a small leaflet: 'What NOT to do in a Recession' ..

I think that cutting adrift disadvantaged disenfranchised communities is a lazy and reckless way to save a relative pittance... and potentially lose a generation.

County and City counsellors .. Are you listening??

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