4:37pm Thursday 18th February 2010
By Peter Magill
A CASH lifeline has been thrown to welfare rights campaigners in Pendle — but council bosses have warned that savings must be made over the next 12 months.
Talks have been talking place between the main party leaders and senior councillors in the borough over the future funding of Pendle Citizens’ Advice Bureau, the Pendle Pakistan Welfare Association (PPWA) and community development trust Ithaad.
All three organisations had been told that the £160,000 budget for advice services could be facing a £25,000 cut.
But the money has been found under the Working Neighbourhoods Fund, with the CAB known to provide training and development opportunities for volunteers.
Coun Tony Greaves, who has chaired a review group into advice services funding, said: “The work which the CAB does feed well into the Working Neighbourhoods Fund with a little bit of tweaking.
“Volunteer advisors are provided with skills and very often find work as a result of the training which they receive.
“But we have made it clear to the three organisations that, due to the financial circumstances affecting local government, it might not be possible to do this in 12 months time and that they need to make savings.”
The decision, expected to be ratified at a full council budget meeting next week, provides welcome respite for the CAB in East Lancashire, which has seen prospective cuts of £75,000 in Burnley and £25,000 in Rossendale, from town hall coffers.
Councillors have asked officials at the three groups to liaise with the authority’s benefits service provider Liberata, to develop closer ties over state allowances and entitlements.
The possibility of establishing a Pennine Lancashire wide welfare rights advice service will also be explored during the coming year.
While the CAB has offices in Nelson, Colne and Barnoldswick, the PPWA is based in Market Square, Nelson, and Ithaad in nearby Cross Street.
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