WHILE it is laudable for Tony Baker (Letters, May 9) to defend his wife's support for increasing councillors' allowances, he needs to put her decision into perspective.

Throughout the Malvern Hills district are voluntary workers who work up to and well beyond 30 hours a week and who, far from receiving any payment, frequently use their own money to fund the work they do for others in the community.

Having been heavily involved with voluntary work and voluntary workers all my life, I am very well aware of the time they put in at all hours of the day and night and the sacrifices they make.

Their sole motivation is to make a difference to people's lives.

Councillor Baker, on the other hand, when told categorically that the council could not afford both, agreed with her leader that increasing rewards for councillors was "a higher priority" than restoring the allowances for community projects.

Not exactly a demonstration (to quote Mr Baker) of councillors "giving of their time and expertise because they care and not for financial gain".

Caroline Carver

Malvern