Travellers are concerned that the 'Travellers Trust' has operated for more than seven years yet the majority of travellers have never heard of it.

As the organisation did not inform anyone of this application is there any wonder? Why has Mr Stroud not informed the Romani Right Association, if he is so in touch with their needs?

Mr Stroud says he aims to open offices to advise travellers on what he says are their main concerns (Letters, October 12). But surely by providing a central advice centre he is segregating them (perhaps unintentionally) but he is not as in touch as he maintains or he would realise no-one wants it.

Hopefully Mr Stroud will be attending the meeting that is being called for in order to raise these and other issues.

In the meantime it has been requested that the money is not paid over for something that no one wants. The council should be the body to receive grants/funds to ensure needs are catered for, such as overflow sites and children's play areas, just as would be required on any average council estate.

All parties concerned must mutually arrange a date, time and meeting place to sensibly and reasonably discuss these issues in the hope that Mr Stroud can be convinced by a majority voice that he was neither entitled or elected to apply for £180,000 in the first place.

Thomas Swales,

c/o Farndale Avenue,

Osbaldwick,

York.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.