Children's charities hit out at plans by London Councils to cut their funding

By Joe Lepper
Children & Young People Now

2 December 2010

Children and young people's charities in London have criticised plans by London Councils to cut their annual funding by £1.3m.

London Councils' grants committee is recommending that the London Borough Grants Scheme is cut by £16.8m, bringing the total pot to £9.8m.
The committee said money contributed by London boroughs to the scheme can be more effectively spent by the councils themselves.


Among the 200 charities and voluntary groups affected by the recommendation are 21 children and young people's organisations, which are set to lose combined annual funding of £1.3m.

The London Voluntary Service Council (LVSC) and the Voluntary Sector Forum network said the cuts are disproportionate and will affect the poorest Londoners and most disadvantaged children.

The charity bodies want to see any "repatriated funds" ringfenced by councils for the charity sector.

Peter Lewis, chief executive officer of LVSC, said: "This programme serves some of the most disadvantaged Londoners. Leaders should not be retaining funds to fill potholes in their own boroughs."

London Councils’ leaders committee will vote on the recommendation when it meets on 14 December.

Grants committee chair Sir Steve Bullock said: "Members of the grants committee have recommended the continuation of a grants programme focusing on pan-London commissions within a set of agreed priorities.

"These include services, such as those to do with homelessness and domestic violence, where there is often no clear relationship with an individual borough."

He added that the committee has also recommended a "managed transition" period of three months from April next year for initiatives that do not meet its pan-London requirement.

He said: "This would allow boroughs more time to establish which services they should continue to fund and give them flexibility to decide what will work best in their own local areas."

However, Marie-Anne Diedhiou-Roy, organisational support officer at LVSC, said: "The cuts will affect the most disadvantaged children and young people in London for whom these funded services represent a real lifeline. At a time of cuts to public services, affecting youth services in particular, London Councils should be prioritising the funding for this programme because it makes economic and social sense."

Organisations that will be affected include Somali Youth Union in UK, Beatbullying and Barnardo's.