Wind and rain fail to thwart chilly protest

By Alison Horwood

Disabled Aucklander Timothy O'Mara braved wind and rain outside Parliament yesterday during his five-hour protest against funding cuts to his disability care The 25-year-old was part of a protest group from the New Dawn Partnership, which travelled to Wellington to present a petition to the Minister of Social Services, Roger Sowry.

New Dawn director Andrew Kaye says the partnership, which provides day care and education to 12 adults with multiple disabilities, is struggling to survive and may be forced to close.

It received most of its finance from Work and Income New Zealand last year, getting $88,000 plus a $10,000 top-up. This year it lost the top-up, while money from the Lottery Grants Board and Community Organisation Grants is expected to dwindle.

Mr Sowry's office said that since the 1995-1996 year bulk-funding for the partnership had almost doubled. Top-ups from the contingency and innovation fund were for specific purposes and the partnership had not applied for such funds this year.