HOW sad to read about the problems that the project at All Souls are experiencing. From the report, Saturday, January 28, it seems that lack of support and use by businesses and the community are the cause, I am somewhat bewildered at this as I have some experience of funding applications. One of the main questions asked by funders when making an application is, “Is there a need for this project?” then you have to provide detailed evidence usually found by surveys, references and consultations.

To secure funding to the tune of £4.9m is no mean feat especially when the Lottery is the provider. They are extremely keen on checking the evidence for its authenticity. So what evidence did the All Souls project organisers provide? This project had the full backing of the council coupled with celebrity endorsements and even the Bolton News gave massive publicity to help it on its way. I really do hope All Souls can establish itself and prove to be vital to the community. But having then to reapply for further funding is going to be a tall order.

Ironically we have the Victoria Hall depending on its survival from donations and benefit concerts. Think what impact the £4.9m would have on that building.

In 2009 All Souls and we at Kearsley Mount Methodist Church launched our respective community projects. We were up and running 12 months later in 2010 and we are still going strong. Incidentally the KMMC project cost less than 1/10th of the money provided to All Souls. So what’s the difference? Well we did it with local people providing their services free and didn’t have any other significant community spaces nearby as competition. We also generated the majority of the money required ourselves to complete the project. Also our priority wasn’t to chase after awards before we had even become established and in fact we still haven’t received any.

Finally, what will be the impact on other fund seeking local community organisations created by the problems of this project? I suspect that funders will be thinking long and hard before giving them with large amounts of public money.

Stephen Tonge

Station Road

Kearsley