Half of voluntary services across Shropshire 'at risk' due to budget cuts

That is the warning from the voluntary sector, which says 57 per cent of activities – including day centres and sessions set up to tackle isolation, and advice to help people live independently to reduce their need for statutory care – are at risk of closure or reduction due to pressures on local authority budgets.

And its says the loss of services would have a devastating impact on the community.

The warning comes after the results of an impact assessment were published into the preventative work being done by 15 organisations, including Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin.

The report concludes that preventative services are at risk in the next 12 months unless more funding is found.

The stark appraisal comes after Shropshire’s Voluntary and Community Sector Assembly investigated the impact of proposed cuts to Shropshire Council’s Adult Services Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) prevention budget.

Shropshire Council has used its reserves to offer a two-year extension on existing VCSE prevention contracts awarded through adult services until 2019.

But ongoing government cuts will leave the council with approximately a quarter of the funding that paid for more than 150 services in 2015.

By 2020 the £44m revenue support grant that is paid to councils to help provide services will end.

The report showed the 15 organisations who took part in the survey provide 29,990 hours of staff time per month, with the remainder of provision carried out by volunteers.

There are 1,662 registered VCSE organisations in Shropshire supporting 26,588 residents, with a combined volunteer time worth £165,262 monthly and about £1.98 million a year.

Heather Osborne, chief executive of Age UK STW, said: “Reduced funding will result in the loss of social activities, which are critical to people’s health and wellbeing, particularly in a large rural county like Shropshire.

“It will lead to social isolation, an impact on carers, an impact on the wider community and generate increased demand for public sector services. We know the council is faced with impossible choices and hope to work together towards solutions.”