Now we know where the Tory axe will fall

9.05.29pm GMT Mon 28th Feb 2005

Tory axe falls on voluntary sector

If Swindon Tories cared about the voluntary sector in the borough, grants to local charities could have been saved say the Liberal Democrats. Cuts of £252,000 in the 2005/06 budget have decimated the Voluntary Sector.

Liberal Democrat Communities spokesperson, Cllr Martin Wiltshire (Lib Dem Eastcott) said: "At last months budget meeting the Tories suggested grants to the voluntary sector should be cut by £¼ million to help achieve £10 millions of efficiency savings to deliver a 3% Council Tax.

"These voluntary groups could be saved if the Tory-run Cabinet had the will to save them.

The Conservatives have stated that cuts to voluntary sector grants would not affect the services people receive as some groups played the same roles. But as soon as the cuts were unveiled it became clear that a number of groups within the borough would have to fold.

· £50,000 funding of the Parks Advice Point, which gives advice on welfare benefit, housing, employment and debt will get nothing.

· £41,373 cut to the Swindon Racial Equality Council grant will lead to the service being supported only one day a week instead of five. It will also lead to a number of support officers loosing their jobs.

· Swindon Child Carers, who support parents with a crèches and training for parents will loose nearly £17,000

· Victim Support Wiltshire will suffer a £24,600 cut to the grant used to support victims of personal crime and staffs a rape reporting help desk

Cllr Martin Wiltshire continued: "We Liberal Democrats disagreed with the Tory 23% grant reduction in their budget. Our proposal that the £1.1 million fund should be inflation proofed for three years and managed by an external agency was rejected in January. The Tories have lost face with the Swindon public by failing to invest in our essential voluntary sector."