Cash Lifeline Saves Centre

THE Littlehampton-based East Arun Volunteer Centre has been thrown a cash lifeline just days before it was due to be closed down by a funding crisis.

An 11th-hour grant from West Sussex County Council social and caring services will enable the centre, and its sister organisation in Bognor, to continue operating until the end of March.

Bognor's centre had already shut and the East Arun service was due to close at the end of October. Both provide a valuable link between local organisations in need of volunteers, and people who are looking to put something back into their community.

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Funding for the two centres ran out this month and several bids for further grants were turned down until the county council stepped in.

Hilary Spencer, director of Council for Voluntary Service Arunwide, parent organisation for the two centres, announced the temporary rescue package at the CVS annual meeting last Wednesday night.

She told the Gazette: "This is great news, and reflects the huge amount of interest and support shown by member organisations, the public and local press in demonstrating how highly the service is valued and what a loss it would be to the community.

"CVS Arunwide will be working hard to support the centres and continue the search for on-going funding beyond March, 2003, as we would not want to be in the position of having to close the doors again in five months' time.

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"We are looking forward to positive discussions with all our partner agencies in seeking a long-term solution to the problem."

CVS president Peter Moor, who was instrumental in setting up the Littlehampton-based volunteer centre when he was chairman of the former Arun Council for Voluntary Service a number of years ago, said an approach was being made to the county council, Arun District and Bognor and Littlehampton Town councils for longer-term funding.

"I was very concerned about what would happen if we lost the centres. It would have been very difficult to start them up again. They provide a very valuable service, meeting the needs of other organisations who need volunteers.

"The other positive thing is that quite often, people on benefit who become volunteers are not only doing something for the community, but are then able to then move into a permanent job, so it is good for them, too."

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While the centres have been given a temporary reprieve, the CVS annual meeting heard that concerns remained over funding for the Littlehampton-based East Arun Tidy Gardens Project, a small groups' worker and a neighbourhood worker, all part of the CVS network.

Money for these posts would also run out at the end of March and finding new sources of income would be a "massive challenge", said Hilary.

She told the meeting that the CVS now had a membership of 130 organisations and that, when the groups linked in with the volunteer centres were included, too, that total rose to around 200.

The meeting closed with expressions of support for the CVS from representatives of its partner organisations, including Brian Hughes of Adur, Arun and Worthing Primary Care Trust, Jacqui Ball, of Arun District Council, Littlehampton town mayor Wendy Squires and David Underwood, of social and caring services.