A “horrified” charity boss has made an 11th-hour plea to Aberdeenshire Council not to leave hundreds of vulnerable children out to dry.
Home-Start Garioch manager Mhairi Philip fears they might be forced to slash their services if the local authority cuts funding later this week.
The charity, which helps more than 1,200 struggling families every year, is facing a huge cash blow as council chiefs aim to plug a £26 million funding gap.
Home-Start could lose out on £232,000 over the next three years under the proposals.
Ms Philip fears the impact of such a decision at a time when demand is on the rise…
‘We are busier than ever’
The Inverurie-based charity currently helps around 100 families every week, with volunteers providing home-based support to children and parents facing difficulties.
It covers the whole Garioch and Formartine areas – including Newburgh, Westhill, Huntly, Ellon, Insch, Turriff and Inverurie.
Ms Philip said: “I am absolutely horrified because we are busier than ever, and things are getting worse for families.
“If the proposals go ahead, it means we will have to reduce our services as we will be unable to support as many families as we currently do.”
‘We might not be able to cover such a large area and people will suffer’
According to Ms Philip, council funding made up 95% of the budget when the service was launched about 30 years ago.
However, this has gradually decreased – with this cash now amounting to a third of their income.
The rest is made up from fundraisers and donations, as well as match-funding.
But Ms Philip said this could become even more difficult without the council’s annual support.
And as a result, they might have to skew their outreach to balance the books.
Ms Philip added: “Young people with autism, adults with learning difficulties, and the elderly are all going to be impacted by this.
“We may have to be more strategic because we can no longer spread ourselves over such a large geographical area.
“It also means we cannot support vulnerable families for as long as they need.”
She added: “We are not a six-week service. If you have a child with a life-limiting illness, we could be assisting them for several years.
“Nothing is set in stone, but we may need to ask ourselves: ‘How can we deliver a service on a smaller scale?’”
Do you think Aberdeenshire Council should spare Home-Start from the budget cuts? Let us know in our comments section below.
Last-minute plea to reconsider Home-Start budget cuts
While she understands the council’s “impossible position”, she has made a last-minute plea for the funding to be maintained.
She said: “They are over-budget and I know cuts have to be made, but what are they going to put in place of Home-Start if we are gone?
“What are these families and these children going to do?
What else is on the council’s chopping block?
Aberdeenshire Council is proposing sweeping cuts to many services, as well as an eye-watering 10% council tax hike for residents.
Flood defences could be axed, along with school meals for younger children.
There are also discussions around switching off street lighting between 1am and 5am, which could save £500,000.
The proposed council cuts could save £14 million over the next financial year.
Councillors will meet at Woodhill House this Thursday to consider the proposals and set the budget.
Read more
Conversation