§ Mr. Tony Colman (Putney) (Lab)My constituents have suffered from cuts imposed by Wandsworth council to the funding of voluntary organisations, particularly luncheon clubs. Key within that is the work of Regenerate.com in Roehampton. I wish to present a petition signed by more than 4,000 residents, which reads:
To the House of Commons,
The petition of supporters of the Regenerate.com lunch club in Roehampton, London SW15
Declares that Wandsworth Borough Council has said that lunch clubs are "a low priority in that they provide activities which do not provide a significant contribution" and have "a limited role"; that the Regenerate.com lunch club at Roehampton Methodist Church is a lifeline to many of its users, both enabling people to share their lives and build community, and helping to combat isolation in older age; that the closing of all lunch clubs in the Wandsworth area would be catastrophic.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons ask the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to exert pressure on Wandsworth Borough Council not to withdraw funding and other support for lunch clubs in the area.
And the petitioners remain, etc.
To lie upon the Table.