St.Peter's church Bournemouth

Photo by M.Troth

Friends of Shelley Manor

By James Morton
WE’LL fight this all the way.

That is the rallying cry from the Friends of Shelley Manor in Boscombe, which yesterday became one of several Dorset projects to fall victim to swingeing South West Regional Development Agency budget cuts. The intended refurbishment of the Grade Two-listed Shelley Theatre was just awaiting final confirmation for £200,000 funding.

But it has been thrown into turmoil by the withdrawal and the Friends’ ambitions now teeter on the brink after five years of hard work to prepare the project.
Cllr Chris Wakefield, part of the Friends group, said they were determined not to let the funding blow derail their plans.
He said: “This is a very large stumbling block but we will continue to fight and fundraise.
“We did everything asked of us and for the agency to pull the rug from under us is disastrous.”
Cllr Wakefield said he would be contacting Bournemouth MP Tobias Ellwood to drum up support.
He also said he would be contacting lawyers with regard to a letter from the agency, sent in June 2007, which he claims agrees a £238,000 grant for the theatre.
“This was a binding document with the Friends for a project already on-going,” said Cllr Wakefield.
“How they can then claim it has not started totally beggars belief.”
The agency contribution would have triggered a £500,000 grant from Bournemouth council under a funding agreement with Grovely Manor Theatre Trust.

Bournemouth 200 presentation

Thursday 11th June

Bournemouth 200 invited WavyBlue to give a presentation on the Mary Shelley Festival at the Bournemouth Natural Science Society. This was given by Diane Roberts.

Photo of Bournemouth Natural Science Society