COMMUNITY groups across South Lakeland and Furness could find funding bids blocked following a National Lottery decision to target grants towards projects that help black and minority groups, refugees and asylum seekers, reports Ellis Butcher.

The policy emerged after a funding bid to extend and refurbish the Arnside Women's Institute and Village Hall was turned down. One of the reasons cited was that the project did not serve one of the lottery's "beneficiary groups" chosen by the Community Fund in the North West.

The intended £250,000 refurbishment has now been abandoned and villagers have opted for a £35,000 refurbishment.

Residents and civic leaders in the town described the reason given by the National Lottery Community Fund as a "disgrace."

Vic Gray, a trustee and the hall committee's honorary treasurer, confirmed its bid was refused for the reasons given, and that its first bid was rejected for the lack of an adequate business plan and uncertain responsibilities of the applicants.

Mr Gray said: "The committee has now resolved not to submit a third application but to modify its aspirations and attempt to raise funds in order to carry out essential repairs and refurbishment."

Angela Burrows, regional development officer for the Community Fund, based in Warrington, said the beneficiary groups, which included older people and their carers, had become priority cases' as they had received less funding in the past.

The Community Fund's policy document entitled "aims and priorities" for the North West in 2003-2004 states its main aim is to support projects which meet the needs of the "most disadvantaged people."

Its priorities are listed as

l Black and minority ethnic comm-unities, or "projects that combat discrimination and improve their inclusion."

l Older people and their carers (those on low incomes and of failing health).

l Refugees and asylum seekers (projects which improve their lives and increase their access to services and support to deal with racism).

The fund said money was being targeted at "priority" areas which have not benefited as much as others, such as Bolton, St Helens, Wigan, West Lancashire, Ellesmere Port and Burnley.

Cumbria received £6.8 million between April 2002 and April 2003 and £2.7 million in the previous financial year.

Mrs Burrows said she understood the "frustration" in Arnside and had written to the committee to ensure any future bid addressed the "weaknesses" of their most recent application.

But she explained that just because the Arnside bid had been turned down it did not necessarily mean others would.

"We do also fund other projects that will make a real difference to the lives of disadvantaged people which are well planned, well costed and where the organisation has demonstrated a clear need for the project. The Arnside Women's Institute and Hall Committee application failed because it did not demonstrate that it met all of our requirements."

Mr Gray described the matter as "water under the bridge" and that an appeal against the decision did not result in a response.

Arnside resident, Barry Donaldson, of Silverdale Road, was among an estimated audience of 100, who

attended a hall fund-raising slide show where the decision emerged.

Mr Donaldson said: "I could not believe it, I got quite incensed. I think everybody in the hall all felt the same. I feel it is we who are being discriminated against now. Surely the lottery organisation, to put it in the ridiculous modern jargon, are not politically correct."

Arnside Parish Council agreed that ethnic groups should receive assistance, but not at the exclusion of communities such as its own.

Chairman David Willacy said: "It is bad enough being here in the outback

but to be refused on these terms is a disgrace.

"We are not helping ethnics or asylum seekers but at the same time we are not discriminating against them either. It just happens to be that Arnside, Milnthorpe, Beetham and Storth does not seem to be the place where they want to come and live."

Figures from the 2001 Census, provided by the National Statistics office, show that 99.2 per cent of residents in South Lakeland are white.

From a district wide population of 102,301, a figure of 101,481, list their ethnic group as white. The largest

ethnic minority are Chinese, which accounted for 175 residents.

Out of 376 local authorities in England, South Lakeland is ranked the 21st whitest population, or 5th of 43 in the North West. Around 43 people listed their religion as Hindu, 67 Jewish, 67 Muslim and six as Sikhs.

May 9, 2003 09:00