The post you are reporting:
A while ago I was asked if the Riverside Centre was in financial trouble. Rather than lie I chose to ignore both the question and The Forum. The time has now come to tell you the truth because the older folk of Dover need your help as never before because of the actions of the 3 remaining Trustees who intend to turn the centre from one which is free to use except the purchase of meals and snacks, to one that will charge £40 per day ( not a misprint). In the words of the Trustees and I quote, " the centre is not a lending library".
The story in full is as follows and I hope you will bear with me to the end.
The Chairman has been a trustee for 35 years and has been forced by the other 3 trustees to resign the chair, and my wife who has been there for 30 years, many as manager, has been suspended on a fabricated charge which they have been unable to justify when confronted by those unafraid to stand up to them. She is strongly supported by the clients of the centre, the staff and volunteers. I too am banned after defending my wife even though the trustees have no grounds to do so.
Why have the trustees done this? Because my wife is a whistle blower.
My wife had the audacity to seek financial help from The Town Council, The District Council and Kent County Council.
Why did the Centre need financial support?
Because the trustees who had stewardship of the centre's finances blindly signed the annual accounts when the centre was losing £50,000 per year on a vain glorious project even though after 2 years it as pointed out by my wife and the then chairman that the project was a financial failure.
The 3 remaining trustees continue to spend monies refurbishing the centre ( without the benefit of the tendering process) and to what benefit? They will inherit a building for their new venture that will not need any new monies and if they can force my wife out, they will save on her salary earned over 30 years with devoted service to Dover's elderly.
The AGM will be the evening of the 17th of September and I urge each and everyone of you to attend and force these trustees to abandon their plans and make them continue the centre as it is now for the elderly of Dover who do not have the wherewithal to attend the centre on such exorbitant terms. If they want to attend the centre, pick up a newspaper, keep warm and dry or chat with their peers without spending any monies, then they should be able to do so.
Once this centre loses it's current status then their will be no where for them to go at no cost to them. They will be condemned to staying at home without the benefit of companionship.
This is not about saving my wife's job ( as I don't believe she would work with these despicable people) but saving The Riverside Centre, a centre that has served the elderly of Dover for 40 years.
I should point out that the 3 trustees are an ex doctor in private practice who lives in Canterbury, a business man on an extended holiday from his businesses in Australia and a long serving trustee who dreams of being the Chairman who has shown no loyalty to the clients of the centre to whom she has been a trustee and previously respected volunteer.
Thank you for your patience.
