I REFER to the reality behind the article headed ?MP?s wake-up call to seek Euro-funding? in the Times (January 23).

I don?t think John Burnett has ever applied for EU funding. If he had, he will probably have been assisted by a gymnast to help him jump through hoops, an expert in double-dutch to interpret the obscure language in guidelines, an accountant to complete very complicated budgets, and a therapist to help him through the inevitable bout of stress caused by the time he has completed the application which, if he was working alone, could take about three months.

He will also need a conjuror to extract the necessary matching funding from cash-strapped or unwilling authorities. Application procedures are geared towards larger institutions and authorities that have the staff time and access to matching funding that puts smaller community groups at a disadvantage.

These factors have the damaging effect of belittling the efforts of smaller organisations that are unable to develop projects in response to real community need.

Communities in turn become subjective to programmes which they probably don?t need and have no control over. The mis-management of supposedly accessible funds by institutions or individuals isolated from the communities their programmes are supposed to support, does not only occur at a European level.

WestDEN made an application for public funds channelled through Dartmoor National Park recently and were turned down on the grounds that it was ?too risky to use volunteer time to match their grant? and that aspects of our project are covered by current statutory-led programmes.

The former statement goes against Government guidelines and the second is factually incorrect, displaying a drastic level of ignorance on behalf of those empowered to distribute tax-payers? money.

Finally, you quote the borough council chief executive who says our very successful Getting There project that helps young people with transport problems, is being funded by the EU. It is not ? such enterprising projects do not fit EU criteria.

Oz Osborne

WestDEN

5 Canal Road, Tavistock