Your Local Councillor Needs YOU!

A senior councillor plans to set up a charity in an ambitious drive to improve health services in a deprived part of Southend.

Yes, it’s our old friend, walking calamity Anna Waite, who now wants to:

… transform a vacant shop in Cluny Square into a centre for health and community services.

And what sort of things does she want it to provide?

She said: “Areas like St Luke’s need drug, alcohol and smoking cessation clinics, advice centres for young girls around pregnancy issues, and help and early diagnosis of cancers and tumours.

“They need access to NHS dentists and podiatrists.

“These issues are life-threatening and life-changing and, unless we get to grips with them, many more will suffer and be condemned to a life on benefits and their last years in a care home.

“It’s just not good enough.”

You’re right, Anna. It sounds like areas like St Luke’s need carpet bombing, rather than the provision of yet more services designed mainly to:

a) keep adults from sorting out their own problems and,
b) keep public sector employees in a job…

But she can’t do this alone!

Mrs Waite wants to rent out the shop, a former grocery store, to organisations that offer the services she believes the area needs.

But she faces several hurdles before she can achieve this and is urging anyone with the financial clout or expertise to help.

Oh?

Mrs Waite said: “To do this, I have to form a charity and register it so we won’t pay council tax.

“I also need to get planning permission and landlord consent. No doubt there will be legal fees.

“I have to find the funding for redecoration and then the time or someone to run the centre.

“Therefore, I make this request if there is anyone out there able to assist, either financially or with their time, their trade or professional expertise, to please contact me.”

Anyone with the time or money might be best advised to Google the name ‘Anna Waite’ first…