Council set to slash care groups' funds (From Southend Standard)

Council set to slash care groups' funds

2:00pm Friday 8th March 2013 in Echo News By Gina Marden

CHARITIES and community groups are set to have their cash handouts slashed by Basildon Council.
 

The worst hit group will be the Basildon District Volunteer Carers (BDVC) - which provides transport to vulnerable people - which will have its funding slashed by half from £100,000 to £50,000.
 

The council is also cutting the length of time it funds other groups for as it continues to tighten its belt to shoulder sweeping government cuts.

The council’s cabinet are expected to vote to approve the controversial plans this Thursday.
 

Under the proposals the council will continue to give the disabled charity DIAL (Disablement Information and Advice Line) £10,000 a year. But the cash will only be given to the charity for the next two years instead of the normal three and the authority has already booted them out of their Basildon Centre home, forcing them to rent a more expensive base.
 

The Basildon, Billericay and Wickford Council for Voluntary Services (BBWCVS) will receive £18,000 from the council, but it will only receive funding for one year as opposed to the normal three the council commits to.
 

And the Basildon District Volunteer Carers (BDVC) has had its funding cut by half and it will only be funded for one year.
 

The council is also proposing to give the Citizens' Advice Bureau £130,000 and £65,000 to Impact: Welfare Rights Advice Service and £6,000 to the Basildon Borough Twinning Association.
 

Jan Stevens, who runs DIAL said although the council’s funding was welcome, the charity is having to fork out more in running costs after it was booted out of the Basildon Centre.
 

Terri Sargent, Basildon Council’s cabinet member for community services, said compared to other authorities, Basildon still invets more into voluntary services.

But the move was slammed by Nigel Smith, leader of the council’s Labour group, who said the funding cuts were a “heavy attack” on the voluntary sector.