Late reprieve for some but group grants cut by £1m

NINE community groups in the Capital have had an 11th hour reprieve from funding cuts – but grants across the city will still be reduced by more than £1 million.

A new survey has revealed that half of all voluntary groups in Edinburgh are preparing to reduce their services as a result, while more than a third are facing a fight for survival.

Council leader Jenny Dawe insisted that cuts were only enforced if they would have "little or no impact" on service users. But voluntary groups and political opponents say the cuts will have a "major impact" on those who use the services.

Nine groups were spared the full extent of the cuts proposed at a full council meeting yesterday, with the council coalition forcing through a series of late changes using a "contingency fund" agreed at last month's budget motion.

In three instances, the council reversed a plan to withdraw all funding. The Edinburgh Community Food Initiative – which attempts to improve healthy eating in poorer areas of the city – will now get 19,472 for the year beginning next month, while the Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust will again get 27,144. Tall Oaks Youth Club was also given 775 when it had faced a full cut.

While those nine groups will receive better grants than expected, dozens more face cuts.

Councillor Andrew Burns, leader of the Labour group on the city council, said: "It does not make sense to be taking over 1m out of the voluntary sector. It will result in the loss of experienced and talented individuals working in the sector and that will have a major impact on those who use the services.

"This is an easy target for cuts and they have made that political choice. But just because it is an easy target now, there will be additional costs when the council has to step into the breach further down the line as a result of these cuts."

A survey of members by the Edinburgh Voluntary Organisation Council had found that, as of 1 March, 63 per cent had not officially heard what funding they were likely to receive in the year beginning 1 April.

Of those that did know, half heard through the article in the Evening News in February, when the recommendations by council officials were leaked.

About 37 per cent said they may not survive, while 51 per cent said they would need to reduce their service.

Juliet Sheriff, project co- ordinator of the Link Up Women's Support Centre – which helps women with mental health issues and was yesterday spared a funding cut proposed by council officials – said: "We have been dismayed by the lack of consultation. We have had no visit from a council officer for some amount of time. How can officers make a recommendation on funding when they have not even made contact?"

The groups saved from funding cuts were spread across eight different council wards.

Cllr Dawe said: "There were 227 applications. Every single one was looked at and assessed to see if it fitted in with the outcomes we want.

"Only when there would be little or no impact on service users did we take these decisions."