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15/04/08 : Labour reaffirms commitment to a new African-Caribbean Centre
Labour Councillors David Sutton, Tony Page and Pete Ruhemann have reaffirmed their commitment to re-providing the former central club as an African-Caribbean Cultural and Education Centre, either on its current London Street site or on a new site.
Their move follows a series of meetings with a broad cross-section of the Reading African-Caribbean community, who have shown a clear desire to form a group to work with Reading Council to achieve a new centre. The hope is for an umbrella organisation to co-ordinate fund-raising, management and leadership for the project.
The Council has been seeking proposals for the re-provision of Central Club and has been approached by a number of individuals and groups with different proposals for the building and/or for the community. Some proposals involve refurbishing the existing building, while others look for a new site for these activities.
The Labour Councillors want to ensure that all interested parties have a chance to make a proposal that is financially viable, sustainable and meets local needs, and to ensure the Council works with the community to evaluate these proposals and agree the best way forward.
Now that there is clearly much wider interest, they are inviting all interested groups and individuals to a meeting on the afternoon of Saturday 24th May at the Civic Offices to discuss the various options.
The format of the afternoon will include the following.
Brief Presentations from Reading Voluntary Action and CEMVO (Council for Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations) about how groups can be supported.
Presentations from anyone wishing to put forward a proposal.
Break out into facilitated discussion groups about the different proposals, looking at their strengths and weaknesses.
Feedback session from discussion groups.
Lead Councillor for Community Action Tony Page says: “We are calling this meeting to continue our dialogue with the African Caribbean community and to find a way forward for a major project to which we have long been committed: we have already allocated £250,000 in our capital programme towards refurbishing Central Club or a new scheme.
“This move should be seen as part of Labour’s proud tradition of working with voluntary organisations in the town. We have maintained our funding for the voluntary sector, while neighbouring Tory Councils have slashed theirs. We have nurtured the Reading Compact with the sector, while the Tories have failed to attend any meetings of the steering group. We have supported the request for a resource centre for smaller voluntary groups, which the Tories tried to kick into touch at the last meeting of the Council. The only voluntary organisation the Tories seem to be interested in is a bridge club in Mapledurham, to which they’re willing to commit £1Million. If the Council has that sort of money available, we would far sooner spend it on a centre that will meet the needs of the many African and Caribbean people who live in our town!
“We are inviting all the individuals and organisations who have contacted us so far but happy to include any others who want to get in touch.”
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