AN ADVICE charity has had its council grant suspended following questions about its management.

The Millen Advice Point, based in Manchester Road, was formed in 1987 and relies heavily on an annual grant of £25,000 from Swindon Council.

Last month the council's cabinet voted to suspend the grant pending the outcome of a review of the centre's management.

A report from the council's head of lifelong learning, Sue Stockwell, said the charity had organisational issues which needed to be addressed.

The Millen Advice Point specialises in providing advice on benefits and other issues for Swindon's various immigrant groups.

About 50 people, mainly from Swindon's Pakistani and Indian communities, have signed a petition given to Swindon Council which details concerns about the charity.

The petition states: "We signatories register our concern that the operation and financial management of the Millen Advice Point has not been carried out to the best interests of the communities it was established to serve."

The petition also called for a Swindon Council inquiry into the running of the establishment.

That investigation is ongoing and being carried out by Mrs Stockwell.

She has declined to comment on her findings so far.

The concerns about the charity are likely to be aired at its annual meeting on Monday.

The meeting was originally due to be held in January but was cancelled at the last minute by the management committee.

A group of concerned supporters of the Millen Advice Point plan to field 10 rival candidates to stand for election against the current 12-member management committee.

Among those planning to stand is former chairwoman of the charity, Naszma Ramruttun.

Another community member, Azim Khan, said he feels the current committee is not sufficiently representative of different ethnic communities.

He said: "I am from Pakistan and I am a Muslim but it is a mainly Pakistani group running it."

Local councillor John Taylor (Lab, Central) said: "The charity could be derecognised by the council.

"The council requires significant organisational change before it will release this year's grant."

Millen Advice Point secretary Khan Nawaz said the committee had been democratically elected and had nothing to hide.

He said: "The committee is elected and has always been elected if these 50 people who have signed the petition want to come to the meeting they will win the election.

"Let them take over we are asking everybody to come to this meeting.

"The committee is not just Muslim it has a member from the Sikh temple and one from the Hindu Samaj.

"It is easy to blame but it takes some efforts to prove."

Millen Advice Point's AGM takes place on Monday from 2.30pm at the Drove Social Hall.