Volunteers fear funding change

12:28pm Wednesday 31st October 2007

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VOLUNTARY groups across the borough could face tough times ahead as Bexley Council redraws its policy on giving them financial support.

The council's cabinet has drawn up a new funding strategy for voluntary and community groups which is likely to see cuts in grants.

But the groups have accused councillors of undermining their relationship with the council because of the way the proposal has been handled.

They claim: "Hasty decisions could result in the total destabilisation of the voluntary sector which would take many years to repair, if indeed, it can be".

Bexley is proposing to move to a system where voluntary groups which receive grants of more than £50,000 would be expected to address the council's own strategic priorities and deliver specified results.

The council would commission the services from the charities and, in return, would offer a three-year funding agreement.

Groups which receive between £5,000 and £50,000 would also be commissioned to provide specific services and produce agreed results, but monitoring of their activities would not be as strict and funding could last from one to three years.

For the smallest groups, asking for less than £5,000, there would be a small grants scheme.

The grants would be given on an annual bid basis with minimal requirements and monitoring from the council.

Bexley says the new strategy will "modernise" the relationship between the council and the groups it funds.

But opposition Labour councillors claim it amounts to asking volunteers to do more, while receiving less cash.

Labour group leader Councillor Chris Ball said: "This was clearly a decision made on the basis of cutting costs, despite the obvious risks to groups and people."

The voluntary groups are angry the draft strategy has been drawn up without any consultation with the borough's voluntary sector, and they were given just days to make their views known.

Their umbrella organisation, the Bexley Voluntary Service Council, suggested the strategy needed further development before going out for public consultation.

It was concerned about what it considers as major omissions, including large parts of social care and the limited vision of services for the elderly.

The draft strategy is now available for public consultation, which will last until January 14.

It can be viewed online at the council's website at bexley.gov.uk/service/consultations/ draftfunding/index.html