Save our Buses says National Campaigning Charity

SAVE OUR BUSES is a campaign aiming to highlight the threat to local bus services across the country. Bus users are facing service cuts and rising fares says the Campaign for Better Transport  (CBT) who have organised the Save our Buses campaign to protest at Government plans to cut the funding it gives to local authorities for public transport, putting many local buses in jeopardy.

The Bus Service Operators Grant gives funding to local bus operators which lets them operate more services at lower fares than would otherwise be the case. This will be reduced by at least 20%  - 28% says the CBT - by 2012-13. The cuts are aimed at reducing the national budget deficit.

The CBT argues that this action by central Government will damage the local bus network affecting the thousands of people who rely on buses every day to travel to work, schools and shops. Without this network we would all live in a less economically active and less fair society.

According to the CBT, in the East Riding, transport funding was cut by nearly £3 million in 2010/11 and free early morning travel for bus pass holders scrapped in July 2010. They have set a target of £1m cuts over the next 4 years and they plan to make savings of £7,000 in the transport budget in 2011/12.

The CBT is asking people to write to their Member of Parliament to make the case for local bus services to be protected:

"MPs are there to represent their constituents, and as the bus cuts start to bite it's time to turn up the pressure. Please write to your MP and ask them to support a Parliamentary motion (Early Day motion 1986) urging the Government to recognise the value of buses."

Those wishing to contact our local MP Graham Stuart about supporting the Early Day Motion can contact him via his website www.grahamstuart.com

Jasmine Chahal of the CBT has submitted a series of Freedom of Information requests asking the East Riding Council to clarify its position regarding bus and public transport provision in the East Riding in 2011. Progress with these requests can be followed at WhatDoTheyKnow.com - East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

Additional Sources: Department for Transport

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Conservatives: Say they will manage cuts "in a controlled and compassionate way"

"NO WHOLESALE CLOSURES or mass redundancies" in the East Riding says the latest leaflet from the Consevatives in the South West Holderness elections. 

"We are all aware of the need for cost-cutting in these very challenging economic times..." says one candidate John Dennis "...but I will do all I can to ensure impact is minimised on essential services...". While Mike Bryan hopes to be able to help in "...improving communication and making residents have a better understanding of some difficult decisions which have been made."

Both candidates express the same sentiments on the cuts in a joint statement: "We promise to work with our colleagues in the Conservative Group to manage reductions in public expenditure in a controlled and compassionate way that has the least impact on everyone in the East Riding."

Mention of the public spending cuts might have been something that Conservative candidates would have avoided during the local election campaign, but their latest leaflet does not shy away from this issue. The candidates are relying on the assumption that most people accept the inevitability of public spending cuts - an assumption that will be tested tomorrow when the polling stations open at 7:00am.

You can see a version of the leaflet on Ward Election News (click See LEAFLETS...) and also find out who the other 8 South West Holderness ward election candidates are.

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Local bus service to be reduced - Withernsea to Keyingham route

EYMS PLANNING DEPARTMENT (East Yorkshire Motor Services) have confirmed that bus services on the Withernsea to Keyingham route are to be reduced at off-peak times from 15th May 2011.

This comes after a rise in bus fares in January this year followed by strong criticism by Peter Shipp, EYMS Chaiman, of successive governments "for forcing the issue by increasing fuel taxes and cutting payments to bus operators for the concessionary travel scheme."

The details of the actual changes have not been published yet but Bus Call has advised customers to keep checking the EYMS Website at www.eyms.co.uk for updates.

The company is also promoting its Discount Cards and states that 10% can be saved on all single and return fares. The card itself is free and they're available to everyone - you can apply online at the EYMS Website.

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"Bleakest week for a generation" for Housing Services claims magazine

Voluntary Sector Cuts map - Yorkshire & Humberside

INSIDE HOUSING has written a stark assessment of Housing Services this week in light of the impact of spending cuts with the onset of the new financial year. Scores of housing providers across the country face funding cuts of up to 45%. It said:

"Housing professionals have experienced the bleakest week for a generation as hundreds of projects closed or had their funding slashed as the new financial year started."

The weekly magazine for Housing Professionals cites cases in Hull where 20 elderly residents are having to move out of their sheltered housing scheme after Sanctuary Housing’s funding was reduced by £23,000 by Hull Council. Also the homeless charity Doorstep has made 10 members of staff redundant after the council cut its funding by £240,000.

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations published a list of charities facing cuts. Of the 454 cuts it listed - worth £74 million - "149 were housing related" says Inside Housing.

Read the Inside Housing article: Dark Day for Housing Services.

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'Communty Newswire' service closes

THE COMMUNITY MEDIA TRUST has announced the closure of its Community Newswire service from today.

The Media Trust ran the Community Newswire in partnership with the Press Association and was a project designed to get news from charities and good causes into the main stream media.

The Media Trust Chief Officer Caroline Diehl had this to say:

The Government spending review has resulted in a number of service cuts and unfortunately this includes our hugely popular Community Newswire service. The service will close on 31 March. We are actively seeking replacement funds and it is absolutely our intention to reintroduce Community Newswire as soon as we are able.

Organisations that have benefited from the Community Newswire, are asked to write to Nick Hurd MP, Minister for Civil Society at the Office for Civil Society, to ask him to reconsider cutting the funds for this service.

Has your organisation in Holderness ever benefited from the Community Newswire? E-mail us at hu12@gmx.com and let us know your thoughts on this and other community and voluntary sector funding cuts.

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Campaign launched against cuts to disability benefits

CARERS UK has joined with around 40 other disability, illness and care charities to launch a campaign against cuts to disability benefits. The campaign is called 'The Hardest Hit'.

The campaign says that the Government is planning to cut a total of £9 billion from the benefits of disabled people and their families, which would be utterly devastating for many families already struggling to make ends meet.

The Press Release about the campaign declares:

We want this campaign to be big, and need your help to get it off the ground. In particular we want to create a buzz online and for MPs to receive a lot of letters - so that they know how much carers and disabled people depend on these benefits. You can 'Like' the Hardest Hit Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/thehardesthit and please tell all your friends about the campaign.

They have developed a campaign website at www.hardesthit.org.uk and are encouraging supporters to write to their MPs, to join a protest and lobby of Parliament on Wednesday 11th May and send in their stories, photos and videos to use on the website.

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Humberside Police cuts confirmed

IN A PRESS RELEASE following its meeting yesterday, Humberside Police Authority confirmed that 142 jobs will be cut this year as part of a £30m cuts package over the next five years. The Authority has stated that the jobs would be lost through voluntary redundancies.

Despite the reduction in budget, Chief Constable Hollis and Police Authority Chairman, Councillor Chris Mathews, pledged a joint commitment to continue to deliver the best possible service to local communities, in spite of the reduction in budget.

Chief Constable, Tim Hollis said:

"The budget is very demanding and there are hard times ahead. However, I am confident that we will meet them successfully because as a Force, we are built on solid foundations and because of the good people who are proud to work for Humberside Police and deeply committed to serving their local communities."

The full press release is available to view below:

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New Government plan to expand volunteering for the unemployed

UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE will be able to access thousands of new volunteering and training opportunities to help them take their first steps back into work - under new plans unveiled by Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith.

Under the scheme advisers from youth charity The Prince’s Trust and other local government voluntary organisations will be located in Jobcentre Plus (JCP) offices to signpost jobseekers of all ages to volunteering and training opportunities in their area. The new initiative will particularly benefit young people as they will be able to get more support to help them into jobs, education and training.

In a press release Iain Duncan Smith said:

"I am delighted that this partnership with The Prince’s Trust and local voluntary sector organisations across the country will mean thousands of volunteering opportunities for jobseekers – for some it will be a chance to get some valuable experience and gain skills after years without work.

"I have long been a vocal advocate of empowering grass roots organisations, as I believe they have the dedication, experience and specialist knowledge to get Britain working again."

Prince’s Trust advisers and local volunteering centres will start to appear in Jobcentres in the next few weeks, with a national roll out of the new volunteering promotion from April where possible.

This new partnership approach will undoubtedly offer some unique opportunities for unemployed people to learn new skills to help them back into work, but critics will point to agreements between voluntary sector organisations and the trade union movement that state clearly that volunteering opportunities cannot directly substitute for paid jobs. 

The move will also cause disdain amongst those voluntary organisations experiencing funding cuts. Hull CVS have reported that funding cuts there will mean they will have no dedicated resources to promote and support young people into volunteering. Two staff have been issued with redundancy notices.

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Humber Economic Partnership Board to close

THE HUMBER ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP Board, has made the decision that the company will cease operations by 31st March 2011.

The organisation which was launched in 2001 and strived to bring together local councils, public and private sector organisations to encourage sustainable economic growth in the Hull and Humber Ports area. The Partnership claims an impressive record having invested over £8.75m into the Humber area over the last nine years.

However, following the announcement by four local authorities that they will no longer fund the organisation due to the public sector spending cuts, the Partnership Board has announced its decision to cease operations on 31st March 2011.

This is the latest closure of an economic initiative in the area, and follows the announced closures of Hull Forward and Yorkshire Forward. These redundant bodies will eventually be replaced by new council-led Local Enterprise Partnerships.  

It would be interesting to hear from local Holderness business people on their views on these closures. What have been the local benefits of such quangos? And will the proposed Local Enterprise Partnerships make any real difference to economic prosperity?

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