Charity for carers faces cash crisis (From Gazette & Herald)

Charity for carers faces cash crisis

A CARERS' charity in North Yorkshire may be forced to cut its services because it faces losing vital council funding.

Earlier this month, Ryedale District Council's Community Services and Licensing Committee declined to renew a £4,000 annual grant to the Scarborough and Ryedale Carers Resource.

The resource provides free support and information for the carers on its books, which last year numbered 107.

Suzanne Carr, resource manager, said: "Many carers find themselves getting more and more socially isolated because of their caring responsibilities.

"They also have financial problems, health problems, and often find it difficult to get the services that they need for the person they care for."

Rodney Wood, resource chairman, said the £4,000 of funding was a "vital contribution" to the service's work.

Without it, carers would suffer, he warned.

Officers advised the committee to reject the funding application because it did not fit in with the council's policy on providing "umbrella" services to the voluntary and community sector.

Coun Elizabeth Shields, committee chairwoman, said that the council also felt it wanted to concentrate on giving money to younger people in the community.

"We are trying to concentrate our resources on younger people within the district," she said.

"It's very difficult when we have a certain amount of money in our budget.

"We have very many people, individuals as well as groups, who apply to the council all for very good things."

She added: "They can apply again next year."

But the committee's decision to reject the funding could still be overturned at a full council meeting on Thursday.

Coun Shields said she expected at least one councillor to raise the matter.

Mr Wood said: "This funding is very important to us, as it has enabled us to provide a service to carers in some of the most rural parts of our area.

"We need the support of the people of Ryedale to help keep our funding.

"If they have received support from us, or if they know about our work, I would urge them to contact their local councillor, and if they come to the full council meeting, at 6.30pm, at Ryedale House to show their support, that would be great."

Updated: 10:50 Monday, June 28, 2004