Allister supports genuine community groups
17 September 2005
Giving the keynote speech at the inaugural dinner to mark the installation of Councillor Jonathan Craig as Mayor of the City of
Mr Allister said,
“I commend you Mr Mayor on your theme for the year, work in the community.
Often such work takes place among the most marginalised and forgotten of our society. Marginalisation and unwarranted exclusion is wrong. In
The work of bona fide community groups is often unsung but vital to community cohesion and success. In difficult times, such as the past week, community groups with the real interests of their community at heart have been an influence for good, not destruction.
Community groups and leaders who fight, not for factional gain, but for the genuine interests of their community, I salute.
I am delighted to see so many genuine community groups represented here tonight and I say to you, “Your work is noticed, it is appreciated, it is worthwhile. Keep it up.”
In my role I have the pleasure of working with many such groups in pursuit of a priority of mine, to try and secure a more equal distribution of EU Peace Funding to the hitherto disadvantaged unionist community. That is very much a work-in-progress, with many applications at this time being lodged under the PEACE II Extension.
If the outcome is not as we deserve, then it must be seen not to be for a lack of trying on our part, but because, alas, of an engrained sectarian bias against the Protestant community within some of the ill-chosen funding bodies. That is something we do not intend to lie down under.”
