Green light to Wolverhampton groups' £1.6m cuts

Central Youth Theatre (CYT), Wolverhampton Samaritans and Wildside Activity Centre are among the groups hit by the cuts.

Wolverhampton City Council will slash £1.6million from groups across the city as it struggles to cope with crippling budget shortfalls.

The plans had been dramatically deferred at a meeting last month, but the death knell sounded last night when the move was approved by cabinet members.

Once given final approval by the full council voluntary sector cuts will take effect in May, rather than April as originally planned, as groups must be given three months' notice.

Age UK's Wolverhampton branch will see its funding more than halved from £120,000 to £48,000, while Wolverhampton Samaritans will get just £380, compared to the £2,250 it would have expected.

Wildside Activity Centre's council funding will drop from £73,000 to just £12,200 – and then nothing from 2015/16.

Wolverhampton Community Radio faces the same bleak outlook in a year's time, with its funding for 2014/15 cut from £46,800 to £7,800.

Central Youth Theatre will get £2,200 from the council this year, down from £13,520.

Director, Jane Ward, said they would be fighting for their future.

Since the plans to slash its budget were first announced it has received backing from people across the city and Wolverhampton singing star Beverley Knight who has tweeted her support.

Miss Ward said: "Well it's done and dusted now and for us it's about trying to take the positives. "We're trying to make the best of the situation."

The director, awarded an MBE last year for 30 years of service to drama in Wolverhampton, refused to blame councillors for making the cuts. She thanked people for their support and added: "I think they (councillors) are in a difficult situation.

"It's not the situation we want to be in but we have to stay positive and we're had fantastic support from lots of people including our former members. We'll be fighting for our future."

A gala comedy night is being lined up for May in a bid to generate funds.

Meanwhile at last night's cabinet meeting, leisure chief Councillor Elias Mattu stressed the difficulty of making such hard choices. He said support would be given to groups where possible and added: "I don't want to have to bring this report before you. These are all very difficult decisions that unfortunately we have to make."

In total 13 voluntary groups will lose their council funding from May this year.

Vernon Dodd, publicity manager for the Wolverhampton Samaritans, said the group would have to explore further funding options. "It's a blow," he said. "We run an essential service in Wolverhampton. We're looking at what other funding options we can get from other local sources."

During last night's meeting – attended by chief executive Simon Warren, leader Roger Lawrence and finance chief Andrew Johnson – councillors also backed plans to axe 2,000 jobs and make £123m savings in the next five years. Chiefs said the move was 'highly regrettable' and cited huge shortfalls in its Government grants as the reason for imposing such large cuts on the city.

Councillor Johnson said: "It's with no pleasure whatsoever that I move a report like this (to cabinet). Regrettably, the only way savings of this magnitude can be achieved is by cutting employee numbers. The cuts are highly regrettable and reduce the council's workforce by around 40 per cent."

Other savings proposed by the council could see some social care services outsourced. Around 500 staff could be affected by the move, which may see services for older people, children and young people privatised.

A handyman service for pensioners and disabled people will continue, however, with the council pledging to find a way to keep it running.

Central Youth Theatre is based at the Newhampton Arts Centre in Dunkley Street and the group has been running for 30 years, providing activities for thousands of city youngsters.

The voluntary funding cuts will put up to 93 jobs at risk in organisations across the city and has sparked fears it will impact on some of the more vulnerable members of society. Other groups to lose funding are Blakenhall Community Advice Centre, BME United, Jericho House, Relate, Stratton Street Community Project, Wolverhampton Community Transport, Wolverhampton Gateway Clubs, YMCA and Young in Wolverhampton Clubs.