Syke Base gets breathing space

Rochdale Council Cabinet has given Syke Community Base £20,000 to enable it to remain open until September - the money will be allocated from the budget pressures fund.

The council had already committed £19,000 to helping the Base whilst it seeks alternative funding, this decision more than doubles that amount and gives the Base a little breathing space.

The decision follows impassioned pleas by many people desperate to save something they consider worth saving - including at a recently packed Rochdale Township meeting on 9 January when supporters and users of Syke Community Base pleaded with councillors to help them survive following the abrupt and controversial withdrawal of their £60,000 funding by the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP).

The decision is a victory for those who have campaigned to keep the centre open, led by Shelia Acton.

The centre hosts a range of activities for people of all age ranges.