Mental health charity boss Catherine Ingham reduced to tears over Derby City Council's budget cuts
A CHARITY boss was reduced to tears after Derby City Council voted to pull the funding it gives to the group.
The authority had received a petition of more than 4,000 signatures backing the work of mental health support service Derbyshire Voice.
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Protesters Samuel Brown, left, and Martyn Bailey campaigned against Government cuts ahead of last night's Council House meeting.
But it still went ahead with plans to slash its annual contribution of £16,500 to the charity. Its chief executive Catherine Ingham left the council chamber in tears.
She had argued the council needed to keep funding Derbyshire Voice to meet its "statutory and legal responsibilities" to mental health.
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But Labour councillor Fareed Hussain, cabinet member for adults and health, said the service was "discretionary and supplementary", adding the cut "was not an easy choice."
Outside the meeting, Ms Ingham said she was "disgusted" by the decision and "too angry" to talk further.
The outburst came during last night's budget-setting meeting, where councillors agreed a budget aimed at making £62m of savings over three years – with a total budget for 2013-2014 of £223m. This will be subject to confirmation of the council's grant from Whitehall in February.
The budget included a council tax increase of 1.55% from April, which would see charges for band D properties go up from £1,127.21 to £1,141.63 a year. The council tax is set to be finalised at another full council meeting in March but is, it is understood, unlikely to change.
Councillor Sarah Russell, responsible for finance, said the budget was "constrained by the most merciless programme of cuts ever imposed on local government."
But she said there were positive aspects, like a £1m council mortgage scheme to help first-time buyers and staff salaries guaranteed to be in line with the cost of living.
The budget will include removing free parking for 10,000 blue-badge holders in council car parks from April 2014 to raise £80,000 a year and grassing over seasonal flower beds to save £109,000 by March 2015. The budget includes £20.1m of savings in 2013-14 and £23.3m in the following year.
A series of amendments to the budget – put by the opposition Tory party – were voted down by Labour.
These included proposing to drop charging for brown bin collections from 2014 and keeping toilets in Nottingham Road and one of three blocks in Markeaton Park open.
These will now close. The Tories proposed to cover the cost of its amendments by doing things like deferring Labour's living wage pledge until the end of the economic downturn.
Tory opposition leader Philip Hickson said the budget was a "result of local Labour decisions, not Government dictat."
He said: "Labour remain in denial about the financial crisis that they created (nationally) and wish to blame others for the actions they should have taken to address the national debt."
5 Comments
by pondering0421
Friday, February 08 2013, 9:22AM
“I am confused by the comments about salary and 'appointed spokes person'! Is a person not entitled to earn a wage commensurate with their duties? Does over 4000 signatures not in fact negate the point of self appointed? Does the role of Chief Executive of a service user led organsiation with the word 'voice' in the title, not actually demand that she champion this issue?
These comments detract from the real issue which is the council planning to cut 100% of the funds given to this mental health charity whilst demand for those very service is on the increase. Please remember that mental health is the only area of health care where you van be treated against you will, should people not be supported to have a voice? These are the questions we should all be asking at this time.”
by DerbyFoE
Friday, February 01 2013, 7:48AM
“The brown bin fiasco proves the Council and officers to be climate change deniers. as the foodwaste/organics currently composted, through the brown bin, will be burned from the blackbin (this is what the developers want) creating over 172,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, causing dioxin (from burning chlorinated plasticstoo) to be spread over the city, breaching air quality levels for nitrogen dioxide and increasing particulates.
Have you forgotten QDF Cllr Bayliss, Turner and Shanker - did you oall vote for this, knowing that the incineration plant will be far worse? The incinerator operators can turn off Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems and no-one will know, even the Environment Agency have admitted to this. (Peoof can be provided)
Regarding Deaths Brought Forward - RRS/Shanks have acknowledged that lives will be reduced by 2-6 months because of the poor air quality. This is an abuse of human rights and affects everyone, but especially the poorest and those already seriously ill - many of whom already live the closest to the incinerator site. What a callous and inhuman way to reduce the social security bill.
As with Brightstar the City - and of course the County Council - have allowed themselves to be duped again.
Derby and South Derbyshire Friends of the Earth”
by appraiser
Thursday, January 31 2013, 9:27PM
“Must agree with make_redgreen in this instance, there has to be better accountability of such projects where individuals appoint themselves as the "voice of vulnerable people" and a salary which is beyond their normal capability levels.”
by make_redgreen
Thursday, January 31 2013, 1:52PM
“While it is very cynical that the council is withdrawing such funding from something the government says will pose more of a problem (and therefore a cost) in the future, I won't judge this decision unless we know Ms Ingham's wage?”
by dianae
Thursday, January 31 2013, 10:57AM
“The opposition proposals look really petty - keeping a toilet block that isn't particularly brilliantly sited open or making people think a compost bin might be a good option - these aren't as important as services to vulnerable people - children, older people and those with health problems.
The living wage proposal is good - but the timing is difficult. Giving people a living wage reduces their dependance on benefits which saves the country overall money - but it probably costs Derby City more than it saves the council .”