Salford campaign reprieves women's centre

AFTER MONTHS of concerted pressure from staff, service users, trade unionists and others concerned with the future for women's services, Salford city council has pledged to re-invest in Salford Women's Centre. The £68,000 withdrawn before Christmas has been promised, so the Centre will no longer face closure. This victory shows that a determined and organised fight can win.

Steven North, Manchester Socialist Party

This is not, however, the end of the story. Now we have to fight for the £34,000 withdrawn by Salford Primary Care Trust. It is widely believed that the PCT withdrew their funding after they learned that the council would be doing so.

This money is valuable to ensure that counselling services and crèche facilities are still provided. Counselling is arguably the most important service the Centre provides and the money must be there for it to continue. Withdrawing crèche facilities will inevitably lead to the exclusion of many mothers who depend on the Centre.

The Salford Women's Centre Action Committee will be meeting shortly to plan a campaign strategy to compel the PCT to reintroduce funding.

Recently, the former Unite steward at the Centre, an NHS worker and myself asked Salford MP and Local Government minister Hazel Blears to made representations to the PCT supporting the campaign. She agreed to do so, but we will be making sure her actions support her words.

Meanwhile, the two women who attended the meeting with Hazel Blears are speaking at a public meeting organised by Manchester Socialist Party, to discuss issues affecting women under New Labour in 2008.