Orange Tree grant under threat

12.00.00am GMT Mon 3rd Feb 2003

Cllr Serge Lourie, a former Chair of London Borough Grants Committee, has written to Cllr Pat Parsons, the Council's current member, urging her to ensure that the Orange Tree's grant is not withdrawn in line with the report from officers of the committee.

Speaking after the publication of the papers for the committee meeting on 5 February, Cllr Lourie said: "I was shocked to discover that officers of the committee were proposing to withdraw the Orange Tree's grant."

"I have written to Cllr Pat Parsons asking her and the conservatives to vote to continue paying the grant."

"The Orange Tree is one of the great institutions of Richmond upon Thames and helps make the borough, with other amenities such as Richmond Theatre, such an attractive place to live."

"The report acknowledges that there is need for "a strategic spread of funding across London" and this includes Richmond, which gets little else directly from these arts programmes."

"I also intend to lobby other members of the committee to ensure that this important grant continues."

Note to editors:

Orange Tree provides education and outreach programmes reaches disabled and the elderly in residential homes and day centres and minority ethnic communities on low incomes in outer London.

 Gives 5000 young people the opportunity to experience live theatre

 Assist over 2000 school pupils with curriculum work

 Encourage wider access from schools with lower budgets through subsidy fee structure

 25% of actors to be Black or Asian to reflect cultural diversity

Fees subsidy structure enable schools with small budgets to access services London Boroughs Grants makes annual payments of around £27 million to voluntary groups in London. Former Chairs include Sir David Williams and Serge Lourie