Wirral letters: August 4

Aug 4 2010 by Donna Price, Birkenhead News

Gallery is local gem

THE Wirral News carried an article [July 28] about upgrading the Williamson Art Gallery and Museum. The comment that the gallery is “.. never very full..” sounds as though it came from someone who isn’t a regular visitor to the place – but this was from the Wirral councillor who is responsible for culture! Like every gallery in the country, there are quiet times – but ‘never’ very full?

I called in on Tuesday morning last week and the place was alive with children attending the almost-daily art workshops run by local volunteers. Has the councillor ever attended the Sunday Serenades which are so popular that spaces may soon have to be restricted? – or any of the preview events for each new exhibition? – or seen the rooms used by many different organisations for meetings or other events? – or seen the hundreds of people of all ages who get involved in the Big Draw each year? If he has ever attended any of the previews for the Wirral Spring Exhibitions, The Wirral Society of Arts or the Wirral Open Exhibitions, he will see the gallery so full that it is difficult to move.

The Williamson is a local gem – one of the finest regional galleries in the country – and is widely used by the local community. The upgrade is overdue and well deserved.

David Brown

Mark Rake, Wirral

Tenants reply

RE, ARTICLE that appeared on your web site on 22 July entitled “WPH considers pulling £290,000 yob busting contract ”

We are a group of Wirral Partnership Homes tenants who act together to independently scrutinise the performance of WPH services.

We are currently in the process of scrutinising the anti-social behaviour service offered to tenants of WPH. We therefore speak from a position of some knowledge.

We are extremely disappointed with the article that appeared on Thursday July 22, “WPH considers pulling £290,000 yob busting contract,” which we believe was misleading, factually inaccurate and painted a completely incorrect picture. From changes already made by WPH, tenants can now report ASB 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and specialist ASB staff (not repair staff as your article stated) respond quickly by knocking on peoples` doors both during the day and evening times in order to find out the facts, reassure people and tackle culprits in partnership with other agencies.

We have found that this approach has been very effective, resulting in far fewer cases being passed to the council’s ASB Team.

After looking at the facts, we felt that the Council ASB service did not represent value for money for WPH tenants. WPH tenants are paying twice, through their rent and council tax payments.

We believe that WPH cannot justify paying the fees charged by the council and we agree with WPH, who want to reinvest any savings made resulting from withdrawing from the council’s service (not merely a cost cutting exercise), to provide a better, more customer centred service – something that all tenants of WPH would surely want.

We have found that WPH staff have been very open in sharing information with us when we scrutinise their services and we want them to provide better services for WPH tenants, not subsidise the Council. Maybe your reporter would benefit from spending a day with WPH staff so that future articles more accurately reflect the facts.

On behalf of the WPH Advisory and Scrutiny Panel

Save heritage

IT IS A great pity that our few remaining buildings, of any historical significance, are under threat from decay.

English Heritage are right in identifying the problem, but what are they going to do about it.

Whilst they spend millions on restoring property in other parts of England, they seem to ignore areas where little of 'Old England' remains.

The National Trust is no better. They should have stepped in to buy Thornton Manor when it was up for sale. This is an important building, but NT, again, are more inclined to save the type of buildings, especially in the south of the country, which are plentiful.

Let's hope that someone does something positive, and soon.

A J McGowan

Gainsborough Road

Thanks to all

I WOULD just like to thank the customers of Bon Marche, Birkenhead, for raising a fantastic £310 pounds during the Macmillan Go Green event we held in-store recently. I know money is tight at the moment for most people and that just makes this amount even more amazing so thank you.

Lynn and the staff

Sunlight great

A BIG THANK you and well done to the Port Sunlight Village Trust and all the organisers, who made the Port Sunlight Village Festival such a success on Sunday July 25.

There was something for everybody o and the musical entertainment was of a very good standard. It was bigger and better than previous years and will be difficult to match next year, but I’m sure the trust will do it.

Mr R.J. Furnival,

Port Sunlight

Kind gesture

THIS is a thank you to the unknown young man who found my wallet in Penkett Road last week and returned it to my house. So nice to see a display of honesty in these cynical times.

Tony Clare,

Wallasey