Local Charities Slam Funding Cuts

Vital funds disappearing from voluntary sector organisations

Local charities are angry at proposals by Ealing Council to make a further 25% cut in funding.

The council has announced that £2.241m will be available for the voluntary sector each year for four years to fund services, divided between six key funding streams:

• Community connections and self-care
• Information and advice
• Mental health
• Short breaks/Respite care
• Domestic violence services
• Infrastructure support

There will also be a small grants fund which will be launched in April 2019.

Councillor Jasbir Anand, cabinet member for business and community services said:

“We are underlining our commitment to supporting voluntary groups to have a much greater involvement in shaping public services. The voluntary sector plays, and will continue to play, a major part in reforming services. These grants will further inspire a responsive and determined sector to do even more to improve outcomes for our residents.”

However, Councillor Greg Stafford, Opposition Leader said:

“Labour’s £2m a year to the voluntary sector is nothing short of slap in the face, when you consider that the valuable work they do, is saving the Councils millions.

''Many of our voluntary groups offer preventative and front-line services, which serves at a gate keeper for more expensive Council services.

''Rather than prioritise vanity project such as Talk Ealing, the results of which will be ignored,  Labour should be giving this money to the voluntary groups who have a proven track record of delivering value for money; something this Labour Council has no concept of.”

Ealing Community Network ( ECN) acts as a collective local ‘voice for the voluntary sector’ in the area with more than 550 member groups. Ealing Council has already cut ECN funding by 60% in recent years and the Council is proposing a further cut of £10,000.

Bosses at ECN say cuts should be made elsewhere and have pointed to £1m expenditure on private consultants through the councils ' Better Lives' programme.

ECN members have also tried to find outher means of saving money by accepting a tiny £590 cut in other grant streams. However they say senior leaders at the Council have turned down this offer.

Andy Roper, Chair of Ealing Community Network says:

“We have given Council Leaders a practical option which will avoid this truly terrible cut. If the council is actually serious about working in partnership with local voluntary groups we hope they will now think again”

July 10th 2018