Serena Croad, Leader of Malvern Hills District Council and Harriett Baldwin, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for West Worcestershire have been working with Community Action this week to discuss options for their future premises. In a letter to Jen Boyer, Chair of Community Action, Harriett Baldwin wrote that the Town Council offer the charity a subsidised rent but reflect it as a £10,000 grant in kind on their books. Now that Community Action's unusual licence is due to expire, the charity could choose to remain in the same location at a market rent and apply to receive a grant to offset this from the Town Council. Alternatively, the charity has previously expressed an interest in more accessible premises, and again the opportunity now arises to look at alternatives which could also be offset by a grant from the Town Council.
Harriett Baldwin said, "Obviously this is a matter for the Town Council to decide at their meeting on October 30th, but I have written to Council Chairman Mike Selby to express my support for the work of Community Action. I am sure the Town Council will also understand the need for security of tenure for the charity, which allows them to apply for other sources of funding."