ON behalf of the committee of Oakwood Neighbourhood Association, we are disappointed that Birchwood Town Council did not feel that it could support the association's Neighbourhood Fun Day at Oakwood Mount.

The association applied for a community grant from the council that was turned down without any real explanation. Yes, we received a sum of £1,000 from Frontis Housing Association without which the event could not have taken place, and it was used to obtain a marquee and children's entertainers. The only promise BTC could make to us was that if we had bills we could not pay after the event, it could possibly help out to a sum of £250.

Anyone who has run any event knows that this kind of promise is no good when most of the bills have to be paid in advance, and those providing services and events on the day, need to be paid before, or on the day itself. If the council had even a small grant of £250 before the event, the children could have had a bouncy castle and a puppet show.

It not encouraging a fairly new and developing residents' association, which has been set up with the support of the people of Oakwood and is being run by volunteers, all of who contribute to the highest parish/town council tax in the whole of Warrington.

Grants are given all the time by the BTC both to local individuals and organisations. Why were we treated differently? The council collects £300,000 from council taxpayers of Birchwood. Why could the councillors not see fit to support the event? As elected representatives of their area, councillors should be well aware of the value of activities that bring communities together and create a sense of community.

The day was a great success. Hundreds of parents and children turned out to support the event and had a great day.

We will be planning to run the event next year. Will the council's position still be the same then?

Ronald Terry Oakwood