Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality
"Combating Discrimination and Celebrating Diversity"
LATEST NEWS
19/01/2012
Dear Colleague
Fight Inequality, Fund ISCRE
Welcome to the latest e-newsletter from the Ipswich & Suffolk Council for Racial Equality.
Unlike previous communications, this e-newsletter focuses on one subject alone: the substantial cutbacks to ISCRE’s services and the launch of our Fight Inequality, Fund ISCRE fundraising campaign to try and plug some of the gaps.
In spite of growing demand for our services and some successes in securing ring-fenced projects for specific partnership initiatives, such as the anti-hate crime Consortium, the reduction in general government grants means that our Board of Trustees have had to approve significant cutbacks in staffing and services.
With the limited funds remaining to the charity for the new financial year, ISCRE will now be able only to focus upon its anti-discrimination legal work. Even this service has been reduced to balance the books. Unless additional funding can be found, instead of being about to support the 250 cases we pursue each year, we will only have the capacity to deal with 60 to 70.
From April, ISCRE’s other work will either sadly cease entirely (including our translation and interpreting services) or will be scaled back to a minimal level (our work in local prisons).
In terms of staffing, we are reducing our already small headcount by over half. The position of chief executive is one of those that will be made redundant.
Even though we are working to explore whether other Suffolk-based organisations can pick up some of the previous work ISCRE has done, we are genuinely fearful of the overall implications to those most in need of help – who are usually those least able to seek redress and justice on their own.
That is why ISCRE will not and cannot give up on these communities without a struggle. As part of that fight-back, we have launched the Fight Inequality, Fund ISCRE fundraising campaign.
The aim of the campaign is ambitious but couldn’t be more straightforward: to raise an extra £50,000 per year for each of the next three years to fund the remaining anti-discrimination legal service in order to continue meeting the demands placed on it.
We are seeking financial contributions – of whatever size from £1 a month upwards – from those organisations and individuals who can see the value of living in a Suffolk which still affords solutions to those who are victims of discrimination.
For many years, ISCRE has offered legal advice and support to those Suffolk residents who are victims of any type of discrimination and we have won many such cases. Hence the title of the campaign Fight Inequality, Fund ISCRE.
Donations can be sent to:
• Via cheque, payable to ISCRE - please send cheque to ISCRE at 46A St Matthew’s Street, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 3EP
• Via BACS to CAF Bank: Sort code 40-52-40 and account number 00016097
You can also donate to ISCRE by:
• JUST GIVING via a mobile phone by simply texting the number 70070 and typing the text message as ISCR46 and then the amount to donate.
• BT My Donate – Go to the following link to donate now.
https://mydonate.bt.com/charity/charitySearch.html
Over the next week or so, we will be launching a marketing and media campaign to support this appeal and through the use of testimonies from those who have suffered discrimination and for whom ISCRE has won redress.
However, we wanted to let you be one of the first to know of our situation and of our response. We hope that you can help both by donating something – no matter how small – and by spreading the news of our fundraising appeal.
Thank you.
Jane Basham
Chief Executive
ISCRE
Hamil Clarke MBE
Chairman of Trustees
ISCRE
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