Open Letter to Chloe Smith MP, Norman Lamb MP, Keith Simpson MP, Henry Bellingham MP, Richard Bacon MP, Brandon Lewis MP
Dear [Name of MP]
Please will you join other Norfolk and Norwich MPs in supporting the Evening News Campaign to save the ‘Future Education’ service run by Future Projects?
Future Education (set up some 10 years ago by Dawn Jackson MBE) is a great example of the ‘big society’ at work. The Home Secretary, Theresa May, recently praised it, saying: “The success of this project is testament to the dedication of many people. It is a great example of how communities can pull together to improve the quality of life on their own doorstep.”
Sadly, Norfolk County Council has decided to contract-out the work of caring for vulnerable children to a large charity from Surrey. Although, superficially, it may appear more efficient, it is unlikely to be able to match the depth of service provided by Future in Norwich (which works closely with families as well as children).
Norfolk CC’s decision effectively sounds a death knell for a vibrant, grassroots, community-led project. That sends out a very bad signal to other, similar, local initiatives – that no matter how hard you try, councils will ultimately impose a solution on you. That in turn threatens David Cameron’s idea of the ‘big society’.
As David rightly says: “We know instinctively that the state is often too inhuman, monolithic and clumsy to tackle our deepest social problems. We know that the best ideas come from the ground up, not the top down. We know that when you give people and communities more power over their lives, more power to come together and work together to make life better – great things happen.” Future Education is one of those great things.
Please join the campaign to #SaveOurFuture because local people feel passionately about this issue; the facebook page has already gained around 500 followers in just a few days. They are looking to their elected representative to bring pressure to bear on Norfolk County Council to reverse its decision and maintain funding to Future Education for the long term.
Thank you for your help, support and understanding.
Kind regards
Huw Sayer
@HuwSayer
PS: For more on this subject, please see my previous post.
Huw Sayer 
Have also forwarded a copy of this to Theresa May.
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