A RACE harmony champion appealed to Burnley Council to think again about its backing for a troubled racial equality council.

Florence Green was postmistress in Stoneyholme, in the heart of Burnley's Asian community, for more than 30 years.

And she was one of the first to recognise the need to work to promote understanding and friendship between the indigenous and

Muslim communities -- and suffered harassment as a result.

But for three decades she stuck to the task, winning friends and respect on both sides of the racial divide and serving on the organisations set up to promote harmony.

Former JP Mrs Green agreed to return to Burnley and Pendle Racial Equality Council in its darkest hour last year when the Commission for Racial Equality, Burnley Council and Lancashire county pulled out, frustrated beyond breaking point by bickering, in-fighting and turmoil within the REC's ranks.

Only Pendle Council continued financial backing, allowing the Nelson-based organisation to continue its work.

Now councils plan to replace the organisation with a single 'super REC' covering Burnley, Pendle, Hyndburn and Rossendale, with £200,000-a-year public cash support. Burnley's ruling Labour leaders back the plan, but Mrs Green addressed councillors in a final plea for a change of heart and resumed backing for the existing organisation.

The race harmony stalwart told the general purposes committee that great strides had been made over the years, but racism continued to rear its ugly head and there was a need for a strong and local REC.

"The REC has hard-working and dedicated people who do a great deal of good and necessary work. What is wrong with us? Please support us."

But Mrs Green's pleas fell on deaf ears among the ruling Labour councillors, who rejected a Liberal Democrat move to restore support for the Burnley and Pendle organisation.

Council officer Ian Monteath, told members that circumstances which led to withdrawal of funding had not changed.

Labour's Coun Peter Kenyon, said that what he had heard in support of the local group bore no relation to the way it had been run in recent years .

The REC Mrs Green knew had ceased to be the case; half the organisations represented on the body were bogus, set up to win voting power, there was open warfare on the executive and the body was not working in harmony or effectively.

He said the councils had asked for change, but this had been refused and the funding organisations had been forced to act.

Councillors heard that 1,000-name petitions against the new wider REC had been organised in Rossendale and Hyndburn.

And Liberal Democrat leader Gordon Birtwistle, claimed problems locally had only occurred because Labour members had tried to hi-jack the REC. He added: "We want an independent body outside politics to do this job locally and we should give support to the Burnley and Pendle group."

Labour councillor Stephen Large, said the local REC had in recent years become an acrimonious political football and there had to be change; it was not the organisation that Mrs Green had supported.

Coun Birtwistle's move to restore funding was rejected by eight votes to four.

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