Leicester Homestart 'at risk' after council cuts funding

A Leicester charity which has provided parenting support for 40 years is among those which says it is at risk after city council cuts.

Homestart is one of several organisations having its funding cut after the council said it lost £5m of central government funding.

The city council said it would be working with groups to help them find alternative funding.

Homestart said its work provided "good value for money for the council".

The city council said a reduction of 22% in its Early Intervention Grant from central government equated to a loss in income of over £5m.

Other organisations losing funding include the Belgrave Playhouse youth club and the Shama Women's Centre. Health programmes for young families are also being cut.

'No guarantees'

The authority said: "We have reviewed activities, interventions and services, evidence of their effectiveness, related funding streams, and taken decisions about what (to) prioritise for future funding."

Homestart's Helen Everett said: "We're at our wits' end. We don't get any other grant from anywhere else."

She said bids they currently had in to other charitable trusts would not be enough to replace the £105,000 funding lost from the council, and they were not likely to hear until November if they had been successful.

The council said it had extended a number of contracts until December so that it could work with organisations to help them apply for funding elsewhere.

Councillor Vi Dempster said: "We do really value our local partnerships and wish to see as many services retained as possible where these are making a positive impact on the lives of our children and their families.

"Although we can make no guarantees about the future, wherever practically possible we will work with them to identify and protect provision for our vulnerable clients."