Saints Foundation handed council grant - despite close ties to football club worth millions (From Daily Echo)
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Saints Foundation handed council grant - despite close ties to football club worth millions
3:51pm Sunday 3rd March 2013 in News
The Saints foundation, which provides football activities for all ages across the city, has been handed a grant of £17, 281 despite its close ties to Southampton Football Club.
The grant was given to the foundation on the understanding that council officers will open negotiations with the club about matching the grant.
Cllr Andrew Pope has argued that responsibility for funding the foundation - which he described as a 'public relations exercise' by Saints - should not fall to the council.
He said: “I welcome the Saints Foundation's work in my ward.
“But it should not be paid for by the council. It should not be the council funding their work.
“It should be the football business, and the players, who fund the volunteers or paid positions in the Saints Foundation, and not have funds taken from the true voluntary organisations.
“Effectively we're taking money away from diving when we have got an Olympic silver medallist living in the city, in my ward.”
Comments(2)
StevenGalton
says...
10:25am Mon 4 Mar 13
It has to be remembered that grants are awarded with a certain amount of political choice in the final decision.
At a recent cabinet meeting Royston Smith made a few excellent and specific points, rather than criticise the whole decision making process. Royston conceded what a difficult process it is.
Royston's main points were related to the removal or significant funding cuts to Solent Sky Museum, Solent Sea Rescue, Groundwork Solent and the Southampton Rape Crisis & Sexual Abuse Counselling Service.
He even suggested where some of the money could be found - £50,000 was allocated to the environment centre despite it having a very low score in the Councils own grading of the applications and at a time that government centrally is investing record levels of money into the environment and renewables...
To me this is just another example of Southampton Labour's unfairness and I seriously hope they do look again at these awards.
One Heart....One Vision says...
8:02pm Sun 3 Mar 13
The Saints Foundation is a worthwhile charity and is doing more good than Politicians !!!