'˜Does Galliagh not deserve equality?'- GSCA

Greater Shantallow Community Arts has hit out over a lack of response from politicians following a 64 per cent cut to their Executive Office's '˜Central Good Relations Fund' grant.
One of the recent Communities United St. Patricks Day celebrations with the then Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Alderman Hilary McClintock.One of the recent Communities United St. Patricks Day celebrations with the then Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Alderman Hilary McClintock.
One of the recent Communities United St. Patricks Day celebrations with the then Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Alderman Hilary McClintock.

The £45,000 cut in money terms from what GSCA received last year will see loss of services and vital jobs, they have warned, while also impacting on its ability to ensure major cross-community, multi cultural participation in this year’s Halloween, Earhart and St. Patrick’s Festivals.

Speaking to the Journal yesterday, a representative of GSCA said: “Having received this devastating news last week we highlighted the need for our politicians to set up a meeting with Executive Office officials to find out the reasons for this cut and how we can get it changed. Not one phone call, letter of support or call to our office have we had.”

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Staff from GSCA said that as an independent community organisation they were gutted at the cut to its Communities United Good Relations programme and went on to ask why, with elections over, it is not now time for politicians to serve local people and fight these cuts.

“Does Galliagh not deserve the equality that all political parties put into their manifestos?” they asked.

The organisation said they have had 11,500 hits on their Facebook page last week supporting their campaign, and have appealed to parents and service users “to contact their local politicians and vent their anger”.

“The children of this community and the many other minority communities, deserve better! It’s time our politicians acted,” they stated.

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