Lancashire County Council has now stopped funding directly to community groups through the 'Local Members' grant scheme.

Every County Councillor, regardless of their political affiliation, had £3,000 to give to organisation in their own areas annually; these included the elderly, veteran's associations, disabled groups, community volunteers and sports organisation, and amounts to £24,000 in West Lancashire.

During the last financial year, county councillors across Lancashire gave approval to almost 500 grants - most grants are one offs and low value, typically £250 - £500 per award. Grants were not used for core funding, they were for specific projects, special occasions and equipment.

According to the report, the impact on any groups will therefore be on specific events or purchases, and the absence of such a grant is unlikely to have a significant impact on the long term work or objectives of any groups, as alternative funding is available.

Ormskirk's John Fillis, Deputy LCC Labour Leader, said: “l'm proud to say that we have been able to support so many great people over the years who have worked not for themselves but for others. They will continue to do their best, but we are asking more and more from volunteers with less resources to back them up.”

“This is typical of the Conservatives, cutting thousands of pounds of funding from local volunteer groups supporting the most vulnerable in the community who are just trying to do their bit to help others. The council claims that alternative grants are available but as we all know they have already been cut.”

“In the grand scheme of things £24,000 is not allot of money but £250 helps them organise a trip for armed forces veterans or buy sports equipment for young people and even a cooker to prepare meals for the elderly and others at Christmas.

"When people see the government blowing £billions on tax dodgers, buying votes from the DUP and Brexit, you can clearly see that it's ordinary people paying the price of Conservative cuts.”

This is what Labour used to do with these funds. I'd like to see non-politicised support of these organisations.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...taxpayers.html


Cllr Fillis doesn't criticise the much bigger savings made by the county council this week from closing Information Centres, presumably because he himself had previously closed the one in Ormskirk!

Honestly, the fact is that our councils are having to make unpalatable decisions, whatever their party stripe. I'd like to see more concentration on the waste that still exists though.