Domestic abuse project for Oswestry gets green light, on casting vote of mayor

Oswestry Town Council has agreed to spend £10,000 to bring the 'Ask Me' project to the town as a pilot for the county.

But the funding only went through on the casting vote of the Mayor, Councillor Duncan Kerr.

West Mercia Women’s Aid put forward up a proposal to bring its Ask Me project to Oswestry as a pilot for Shropshire using experience gained from running the programme in Herefordshire.

Councillor Kerr, a former children's social worker in neighbouring, championed the idea and took it to the full council meeting as a motion that the council commission the project giving £10,000 towards the £21,750 cost of the scheme.

He said: "Ask Me is a simple concept of developing, supporting and educating community champions who can offer support and advice to victims. For example, they might be a hairdresser who can display an 'Ask Me' poster in their saloon, or they may use social media.

"Being able to seek trusted, informed and local advice is a lifesaver for victims, it is as important for them as defibrillators."

The council was split in whether to commission the project.

All who spoke said that domestic abuse was abhorrent and could never been condoned.

However some councillors questioned whether the council should spend £10,000 in a difficult financial year and as established charities were struggling.

Councillor Les Maguire said there were organisations in the town that helped victims of domestic about and Councillor Vince Hunt said the Shropshire-based Connexus did a great deal of work with families affected by domestic abuse.

Councillor John Price said that he would prefer to see the motion return to council as a request for a grant while Councillor Hunt suggested that the mayor could raise funds for the scheme.

However the mayor pointed out that Women's Aid had to be commissioned by a body such as the town council for the 'Ask Me' project to go ahead.

Councillor Mike Isherwood said the council spent £35,000 a year commissioning youth services in Oswestry and that this was another service that the council could become involved with.

After the vote was split nine for and nine against the project Councillor Kerr gave his casting vote to allow the project to go ahead,