As long as Brighton and Hove City Council's spokesman continues to promote misinformation about the Best Value Review of discretionary grants, he can expect people from individual community and voluntary organisations to exercise their right to reply.

We are concerned the council spokesman on the subject of grants stated: "Most of the organisations themselves have not complained. But people who didn't understand the system were complaining on their behalf" (February 15).

Our role as an umbrella body is to enable representation of the views of the community and voluntary sector as a whole.

In July 2001, we conducted a survey of 92 organisations that had applied for a council grant, who are also our members.

Within a week, 41 had replied in writing, raising serious concerns about the decision-making process, the impact of delays and inaccurate appraisal reports.

We compiled their responses unedited and sent a report to all applicants and local councillors. Apparently they were not seen as complaints because they were not sent on an official complaints form.

Following the survey, we have facilitated a number of meetings and online discussions about grants, including people from successful and unsuccessful applicant organisations and have recorded people's views.

As elected representatives from our membership - 344 local community and voluntary organisations - we invite you to see our presentation to the Grants Scrutiny Panel, which is a meeting open to the public at Hove Town Hall on Thursday, February 21, at 10.30am.

-Paul Bramwell Elected Spokesman, Brighton and Hove Community and Voluntary Sector Forum