Helensburgh Advertiser | Opinion | Councillor's postcard campaign

Wednesday, 7th January, 2009

Published: Thursday, 23rd October, 2008 11:00

Councillor's postcard campaign

ACHA’s board of management have asked that I clarify the association’s perspective with respect to Councillor Mulvaney and his postcard campaign “Save our Wardens”.

Despite the removal of £274,000 of Supporting People grant, the association will continue with a warden service in its 11 sheltered housing complexes, backed up by a modern telecare system.

The association is concerned, however, that Councillor Mulvaney is attempting to rewrite history with respect to this matter. His assertion that the cut in funding has nothing to do with the council budget is misleading. Argyll and Bute Council has confirmed to ACHA that the primary reason they cannot provide grant funding is because it has lost £700,000 from the Government in the latest funding round.

However, your readers should also be aware that Councillor Mulvaney has indicated to me personally that he is “comfortable” with the decision not to provide any grant to ACHA which would support the warden service.

I am sure that your readers will find that difficult to equate with Mr Mulvaney launching a “Save the Wardens” campaign, while at the same time being comfortable with the removal of that very funding which would have helped resource the service.

On the March 19 this year, ACHA’s chairman, Norman Beaton, wrote to Councillor Mulvaney asking for his support for sheltered housing grant funding for ACHA. To date he has received no reply or indication of support from him.

At a personal level, Councillor Mulvaney also appears to indicate that I do not want to “engage with the people who pay my wages”. He obviously doesn’t know me very well, I don’t think even my harshest critics would label me a “desk man”.

I have visited nearly every community that ACHA has an interest in, since before and after transfer, and I personally visit 20 tenants a month to discuss issues with them.

That has included a series of meetings involving myself and my colleagues with our sheltered housing tenants, explaining how we will take the warden service forward without grant funding.

What, however, ACHA is not prepared to allow is for our premises and data to be used for misrepresentation in a party political postcard campaign.

Councillor Mulvaney also seems to have an issue about my fundraising efforts for young people in Argyll and Bute appearing on ACHA’s email address. Simply for the record, could I state that I am proud to work for an organisation that supports and publicises the charitable work its employees carry out in their own time.

Since stock transfer, ACHA employees have raised over £8,000 to support Marie Curie, Cancer Relief, voluntary groups and young people. I would however like to thank Councillor Mulvaney for raising this issue in the media recently because it has raised the charitable issue benefits again and a further £230 has come in to add to the £4,200 already raised for young pipers in Argyll and Bute.

Over the coming months ACHA will continue to work with our tenants to develop our warden service and is committed to working with Argyll and Bute Council and others to ensure that the needs of elderly people are met within our communities. We would welcome Councillor Mulvaney’s support in delivering that objective.

Alastair MacGregor,

Chief Executive,

Argyll Community Housing

Association

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