Charity's In Rossendale & AGAPAO
Thought we might cover a topic close to our hearts here at the blog centre and that is the local charity's in the Rossendale Valley of which there are rather a lot. Some do fantastic work with little or no help from national government or bodies, volunteers and donations come from every walk of life in the valley and some large and small business.
As with everything in life there are good and bad, and it's the same with organisations. There are those who work tremendously hard to provide a range of services to assist the needy and then there are those who do not, but would appear to be self-serving.
Let’s talk about the good ones first shall we, they deserve our applause and the thanks of countless individuals in Rossendale, and then we'll get on to the not so nice ones which we hope will get you commenting in your droves.
Rossendale is according to government statistics one of the major areas where suicide and mental illness is at a record high, it is also an area where unemployment is above the national average, Why.......?
The answer lies not just with the present, but with its history over the last three decades. Once the centre of so many industries, cotton, footwear, engineering, construction, the valley was a proud region linked by its railway which transported its products to every corner of the United Kingdom.
And then the railway closed and the valley turned inward and industry moved away to find better distribution links, and of course cheaper labour in foreign countries.
Of course some profited but and still do, but for the majority poverty and the daily struggle to survive began, and continues.
When Rossendale lost its hospital services, one group of people came together under the umbrella of the RUBICON, they work tirelessly to assist those who have suffered some form of mental health problem, whether it be depression, stress, a nervous breakdown, addiction whatever they are all volunteers giving their time and effort for the good of the community and work alongside other agencies such as the Samaritans and NHS Crisis teams covering Rossendale.
I now one member, Gwen Lamb and her husband devoted to doing everything they can for those around them, we don’t know the names of the other volunteers but we are sure everyone would like to say a massive thank you to them all.
We are lucky enough to chat indirectly with Gwen every day a wonderful lady with a fantastic sense of humour, rare given the things she must see daily.
Then of course there is RAFT, who provide food hampers to the needy, they work hard supporting families to put food on the table for their children and older members of the community who are in financial hardship. They to have a group of dedicated volunteers who both collect the food prepare the hampers and then distribute them.
Kate Crane is the driving force and a lady we have had the pleasure of meeting, so too her and the volunteers again a massive well done.
There are other charities active in the area The Sophie Lancaster Foundation, East Lancs Hospice etc. They all do great work.
But then of course there are the not so good ones, and one in particular has over the last twelve months given rise to shall we say discontent in some quarters of the population.
The adage about the rotten apple in a barrel springs to mind.
AGAPAO, was until last year based in the Mary Hindle Community Resource Centre, in the very heart of Haslingden.
This organisation was run by Ms Louise Chicot who took over the building in 2009 with the help of the PEER SUPPORT Group and in particular Mr Andy MacNae according to the PEER Group website.
An interesting article we unearthed which has now come back to haunt some people we imagine:
But other organisations within Haslingden also played a part, those responsible for the regulatory financial affairs, and of course as a charity the trustees all seem to have failed in their role of due diligence, from the outset.
A brief look at AGAPAO and its founder would leave most business administration and marketing people dumfounded as to how she ever managed to run anything, but then she has been described by some as charismatic, bullying, manipulative, completely over whelmed and self-opinionated.
There is one small point at this stage which most business people should find shocking as do the residents of Haslingden and the cause of much grievance. The centre was purchased using funds provided by the authorities in 2002, £ 250,000 to be precise and a ten year term was attached to this which expired in 2012. That addendum prohibited the sale of the building during the ten year term. However, whoever the owner was in 2012 that restriction no longer applied, so Ms Chicot was handed a golden egg from the very start. Just sit tight and wait, accumulate the assistance of others and create an illusion.
Rossendale Radio was a fantastic station music broadcaster and information service for Rossendale based in the centre; we listened to it every day.
But its demise in early 2012 was however inevitable, its financial base was shall we say questionable …! And as a non-profit organisation doomed from the start, its marketing strategy was deplorable, and so too other areas of the organisation.
AGAPAO had so many things going on, it created a fantastic illusion and smoke screen, waste collection, mobile phone collection, toy collection, cloths collection etc… how much it achieved for Rossendale or Uganda is also debatable.
And a check with companies house is frightening, companies created and then closed, directors and trustees here today and gone tomorrow and then back again, any business analyst or accountant should have seen what was coming, back in 2010 – 2011.
And so here we are today the building is closed, the radio station gone, several charity organisations out in the cold and forced to look for other accommodation, and the people of Haslingden left with no community centre and the building for sale ……!
And who is the beneficiary?
Well one is Ms Chicot, but there are other self-serving individuals who stand to gain.
What to do next, there have been meetings numerous Facebook rants and declarations and demands that the centre be given back to the people of Haslingden for FREE..!
It’s never going to happen, condemnation of Ms Chicot and demands for her to do the honourable thing GIVE IT BACK, once again..! It’s not going to happen.
There is just one way to return the Mary Hindle Resource Centre to the people of Haslingden and Rossendale, that is for them to see the light and get a group of people together to find a means to raise the funds, and put in place a solid management structure with a business plan and the right expertise and to remove the blinkers and look outside of Rossendale if need be for help.
Anyone who was involved in the past is tainted with the present situation, as they say new blood and not self-interest will and can bring it back, but will anyone stand up and try ?
Its time for Rossendale to open up and come out of the closet and see the future not the past..!
Hi Ken - Many thanks for this article which has helped me to understand what has taken place in relation to Agapao and the Mary Hindle Centre. What has happened is deplorable but as with all things there is no going back. I agree entirely that we must now look forward and seek to find a way of rescuing the centre and, hopefully, returning it to the community as a resource.
ReplyDeleteYour article was also very useful as a guide to the work carried on by other charities in the area and I echo the thanks and appreciation you have directed to those people who are dedicating their time and energy to improving the lives of people in the Rossendale Valley.