With little over a month to go until the Council meets to discuss the proposed £24 million worth of budget cuts, a group of local residents are  urging people to join them in protests to save vital services.

Stephen Lavery, from Trafford Residents Against Cuts (TRAC), the group behind December’s peaceful protest outside the Town Hall, said: “If these cuts go through, families, young people and the disabled in Trafford will lose vital services. We are not talking ‘nice to haves’ here, we are talking Sure Start centres, school crossing patrols, youth centres and £3.7 million from the learning disability budget – the kind of services people rely on every day.

“We are not radical activists here, just ordinary residents trying to save

services which are being hit hard by the fallout from the banking crisis. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never been on a protest in your life, this is about us as local people looking out for our community. The failing banks were bailed out to the tune of billions of pounds. We don’t want our successful services to pay the price.”

Leading up to the budget Council meeting on Wednesday 18th February when these cuts are to be debated, three protests are planned to to take place:

From 8:15am on Tuesday January 20th, protest to save the School Crossing at the main pedestrian lights on Chester Road in Gorse Hill.

From 8:20am on Tuesday January 20th, protest to save the School Crossing at Washway Road/Eastway in Sale.

Main protest against the cuts, from 5pm on Wednesday January 21st, outside the Town Hall on Talbot Road to coincide with the Executive and Council meetings. TRAC will be handing in a petition against the cuts with over 2,000 signatures.

Sarah Haughey, member of TRAC said: “Come along, bring your children, your loudest voice, anything you have to make a noise – raid the kids’ toy box if you need to. After the recent accident in Sale where a lollipop man was hit by a car, the Council has to think again about the risks of making these cuts.”

TRAC are also planning a further ‘We Love Trafford’ protest on Valentines weekend, starting at Stretford Library and ending at the Town Hall and will release more details soon.