I WAS delighted to be invited to attend the opening day lecture for Black History Month, which like Bolton Pride and other community projects, improves community cohesion by reducing barriers and improving the knowledge and understanding shared between different groups in our community.

This is why I was saddened to hear that the council has decided to reduce funding for Black History Month by a third, which threatens the future of the project.

This is a short-sighted, cost-cutting exercise for our council. Community projects such as Black History Month help to reduce hate crime and other social problems in communities by increasing understanding and acceptance. This, of course, puts an increased strain on the police and other public services; which ends up costing Bolton more in the long run. In essence, by reducing funding to Black History Month and other community cohesion projects, it actually costs the council more in the long run.

Hate crime has risen in our community, not decreased. There has been a 147% increase in reported hate crimes in Britain since June. When the council is considering increasing council tax by the maximum it is allowed to, and when the council still has over £100 million in the bank, this short-sighted penny-pinching is not only bad for the community but fiscally indefensible.

Cllr Zoë Kirk-Robinson

Councillor for Westhoughton North and Chew Moor