SIR – The Worcester News covered two big stories on October 14 – the closure of the Noah’s Ark charity and job cuts at Worcestershire County Council, both as a consequence of central government funding cuts.

In the case of the county council, 200 jobs have been lost as part of a £70 million cost- saving package.

Fourteen staff posts have been lost at Noah’s Ark.

In both cases, there will be an inestimable impact both on the employees concerned and on the local communities that they serve, although it would be interesting to know where precisely the axe fell at the county council.

How many front-line workers lost their jobs, and how many senior corporate managers kept theirs?

Meanwhile, Worcester Community Trust is running a job club at the Tolly Centre (Worcester News, October 7) where young people can receive practical help and advice with career planning: the excellent work done by Sandra Kennedy at WCT is an example of how the third sector can begin to fill the gap left by cuts to statutory sector services, and at the same time give hope to communities and individuals who might otherwise have been denied both. Another news story not covered by the media this week was the Worcestershire Council for Voluntary Youth Services annual general meeting, held this year at Worcester Bosch.

Those who attended were given an inspirational account by Bosch Group chief executive Richard Soper, who spoke about the company’s commitment to apprenticeships and to the training and development of their wider workforce.

I can't help but wonder whether there might be collaborative opportunities for working between the voluntary and private sectors.

ROBBIE PORTER,
Chairman, Worcester City Community Engagement Forum