All posts in the topic Better Bedminster Community Chest (Short link)

From: bmbr15220 Date: Aug 28 05:07 UTC Short link

I find it hard to believe that a grant of  £1000 has been awarded to a private
business, the Holy Cross / Southbank club, the majority of this coming from
local taxpayers.
    

From: Cecilia Weightman Date: Aug 29 08:08 UTC Short link

Ben

I was on the International Rules Committee for a while
and I think that there is some guideline in the
International Rules for posting under a real name.

I personally think that if we don't post openly and
honestly under our own names then it makes the
statement we make worthless.

Perhaps Steven Clift or Mick Souder can clarify as to
the e-democracy guidelines on this subject.
    

Cecilia


--- Ben Barker <benbarker@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> The grant referred to below has come through the
> Greater Bedminster
> Community Partnership.   As the secretary of GBCP
> I'm very happy to give the
> background to this decision and to the other grants
> that we awarded, but not
> in this message.   First I want to make a different
> point.
>
> When we were setting up this Issues Forum we were
> concerned that it might be
> used destructively, obscenely etc.   As a safeguard
> to that we said that
> people who joined should use their own names and
> thus take personal
> responsibility for whatever they put up on the
> forum.   In practice that has
> worked well and, although people have often
> expressed strong feelings, they
> have almost always done so politely and with proper
> respect for everyone
> else.   I'm not suggesting that 'dm' is not being
> polite and the issue
> raised below is a perfectly fair one.   But, who is
> 'dm'?   Is there a
> reason why we should not know his or her name?
> Before posting his/her
> message on this forum 'dm' contacted me directly.
> I asked him/her who they
> were, but I've had no reply to date.
>
> I don't think that people should be part of the
> Issues Forum unless they say
> who they are.   What do you think?
>
> Oh, I'll circulate info about the Better Bedminster
> Community Chest with
> special reference to SouthBank Club later, probably
> tomorrow.   But, don't
> lose sleep.   It's not very exciting.   If you
> really can't wait, there is
> some info under 'News' on
> www.greaterbedminster.org.uk
>
> Cheers,   Ben.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "bmbr15220" <bmbr15220@blueyonder.co.uk>
> To: "Greater Bedminster Neighbourhood Forum"
> <bemmy-forum@forums.e-democracy.org>
> Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 6:09 AM
> Subject: Re: [GB-Forum] Better Bedminster Community
> Chest
>
>
> >I find it hard to believe that a grant of  £1000
> has been awarded to a
> >private business, the Holy Cross / Southbank club,
> the majority of this
> >coming from local taxpayers.
> >
> >
> > d m
> >
> > Info about bmbr15220:
> >
>
http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/1fBhNca0Wrpo7ak9VY1ZSW
> >
> > This topic's messages may be viewed at:
> >
>
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/2XJhY7fCmCjfQNtg7JNiuq
> > -----------------------------------------
> >  To post, send your message to:
> <email obscured>
> >  To leave or for daily digest, type "unsubscribe"
> or "digest on,"
> >  in subject line and send to:
> <email obscured>
> >
> >  More info about Greater Bedminster Neighbourhood
> Forum:
> >  http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/bemmy-forum
> >
> >  E-Democracy.Org rules:
> http://e-democracy.org/rules
> > -----------------------------------------
> > Technical assistance thanks to our friends at
> http://OnlineGroups.Net
> >
> >
> > No virus found in this incoming message.
> > Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
> > Version: 8.0.138 / Virus Database: 270.6.10/1638 -
> Release Date: 8/27/2008
> > 7:06 PM
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
> Ben barker
>
> Info about Ben barker:
> http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/benbarker
>
> This topic's messages may be viewed at:
>
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/5AI7vz0NaPp651ZGWTUz1X
> -----------------------------------------
>   To post, send your message to:
> <email obscured>
>   To leave or for daily digest, type "unsubscribe"
> or "digest on,"
>   in subject line and send to:
> <email obscured>
>
>   More info about Greater Bedminster Neighbourhood
> Forum:
>   http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/bemmy-forum
>
>   E-Democracy.Org rules:
> http://e-democracy.org/rules
> -----------------------------------------
> Technical assistance thanks to our friends at
> http://OnlineGroups.Net
>

From: Ben barker Date: Aug 29 14:14 UTC Short link

Hi,

Still no information about the mysterious 'dm'.   David Milliband?   No.
Demi Moore?   I wish.

Nevertheless, let me try to respond to the comment below and others sent to
me directly by 'dm'.   Drop out here anyone who doesn't give a ******.

Although most organizations in Greater Bedminster Community Partnership are
community and voluntary sector, others are from the statutory sector and
private business.   We want more in all categories.   The Community Chest
itself comes from several sources, although the greater part is from Bristol
City Council.

We advertised the fund and indicated that, among other things, any proposal
needed to address at least one of our priorities (see
www.greaterbedminster.org.uk for a list).   All of the applicants, including
the SouthBank Club, met this criteria.   In fact, several, again including
the SouthBank Club, met more than one.

The particular proposal from the SouthBank Club will develop dance classes
aimed at both younger members of the community and at older members.   In
pursuit of this, links have already been made with local schools and with
older peoples' groups.   More will follow.   The Community Chest has
contributed £1000 against an estimated total cost of £4500 for the project
as a whole.   We only have hard copies of the applications, but if anyone
wants to see the SouthBank bid (or any other), I'm happy to show it to you.

But, I suspect the objection is less to the project content than to the
SouthBank Club because it is a private business, rather than a state agency
or a community organization.   In response to this I would say;
1.   No state agency or community organization came forward with a similar
proposal;
2.   How is contracting with the private sector unusual?   It is very
frequently the case that organizations that receive grants, whether from BCC
or any other state or private source, use some of the grant to purchase
services from the private sector.   This might be in the form of a contract
with a sole trader or small business to undertake developmental, educational
or other work or with a multi-national to buy equipment or chocolate
buscuits.   GBCP has made that decision directly in the case of SouthBank
Club, but I'm sure that other recipients of the Community Chest will spend
their money wherever it seems most useful.   Often this will be in the
private sector.
3.   All the organizations that have made successful bids have offered to
perform what we thought seemed to be socially useful activities.   In that
sense, they are all the same.   I'm more interested in how successful they
are in supporting GBCP's priorities, than in their particular organizational
structure.

One last point!    This is the first time that we have had a Community
Chest, but we hope to have more money next year from both public and private
sources.   It's important therefore to explore ways in which we can increase
the income to the Community Chest and refine our processes for distribution.
I'm glad that 'dm' has raised this issue.

And, Demi, if you are out there, please get in touch.

Cheers,   Ben.   (Secretary, Greater Bedminster Community Partnership).

PS.   The above, of course, applies only to the Bedminster Partnership
(Southville and Bedminster wards).   All wards in Bristol have been awarded
£5000 to spend as they see fit to benefit their neighbourhoods.   As far as
I know, we are the only ones who have actually done it.   I look forward to
seeing how the other 13 neighbourhood partnerships deal with the process.
    

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "bmbr15220" <bmbr15220@blueyonder.co.uk>
> To: "Greater Bedminster Neighbourhood Forum"
> <bemmy-forum@forums.e-democracy.org>
> Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 6:09 AM
> Subject: Re: [GB-Forum] Better Bedminster Community Chest
>
>
>>I find it hard to believe that a grant of  £1000 has been awarded to a
>>private business, the Holy Cross / Southbank club, the majority of this
>>coming from local taxpayers.
>>
>>
>> d m
>>

From: Steven Clift Date: Oct 09 16:22 UTC Short link

Per E-Democracy.Org rules, I've removed the member "bmbr15220" from the forum.
They can return using their real name as everyone else has agreed.

Steven Clift
E-Democracy.Org

P.S. Normally we'd show the local forum manager how to do this, but I just
noticed the problem and wanted to act quickly before heading out of town.