City council gives Peacock Visual Arts grant of more than £30,000 – after slashing its funding earlier in year

Aberdeen council bosses have given thousands in funding to a city charity – after cutting their budget earlier this year.

Councillors have awarded Peacock Visual Arts a grant of £35,000 from the common good fund to help with their “free press” project.

It comes just months after the administration cut the charity’s funding by £47,000 as part of £40million budget cuts.

Questions were raised about why the money had been cut only for new funding to be given.

But Councillor Ross Grant told last week’s quarterly reporting committee the new money would help Peacock apply for an even larger grant.

He added: “Increasingly partners are being told to look at avenues of external funding.”

The free press project will help people who have been in care develop skills in creative industries.

They will also have a visit to the countryside during the year.

A Peacocks Visual Arts spokesman declined to comment on the cut, but added: “We are delighted to receive this funding.

“The project will go a long way to providing creative opportunities to care experienced people in the city.”