STOP PRESS ... STOP PRESS
On the second day of the hearing Ealing Council withdrew its case and thus the SBS users appeal was successful. V4CE welcomed it as a victory for commonsense and there are further details on the legal issues form the Public Law Project media release.
Solidarity with SBS outside the High Court
On Thursday 17th July 2008 V4CE staff joined many other organisations to protest outside the High Court in solidarity with Southall Black Sisters (SBS). SBS has been locked in struggle against Ealing Council with regard to its decision to withdraw funding.
The High Court is currently hearing a challenge brought by SBS users against Ealing Council for its failure to have proper regard to existing equality legislation, especially the Race Relations Act, in reaching its decision on SBS's funding. For more information, please see http://www.southallblacksisters.org.uk/.
Along with others such as the Women's Resource Centre V4CE no longer believes this is simply about the funding of SBS. The case represents a key moment for the third sector. In one of the first challenges of its kind, the Council will be required to account for the way in which the confused and contradictory 'cohesion' agenda is being cynically used to cut essential life saving services to black and minority women in particular.
Photos of the demo
