Vital support groups for older people could be forced to close their doors after losing out on substantial funding, according to a charity.
Age Scotland claim thousands of elderly people could be left “out in the cold” across Glasgow as the city council refuses support for “lifeline” groups via its new Glasgow Communities Fund.
The charity is aware of six groups working with older people at risk of isolation and poverty which may be forced to close due to a lack of funding.
Among them is the Nan McKay Hall, a community centre that has provided health services, education, information and social activities in the Pollokshields community for 40 years. It has been refused £92,000 of funding.
Centre manager Bill Lawns said: “We are a lifeline for local people. There is nothing else in the area. We run numerous services for the community, work with health and social care and local colleges and provide advice, information and support.
“We’ve got a high proportion of older people in the area, as well as many living in poverty. They rely on us as a vital resource, whether that’s for individual support, healthcare or social activities.
“During the pandemic we made a lot of phone calls to people who were isolated, and they told us they’re desperate for us to reopen.
“We have just managed to reopen our footcare clinic and have more than 300 people coming in each week already. We’ve also got members from around 30 different cultures, with asylum seekers taking English classes, volunteering, and integrating with the local community.
“We feel this decision took place behind closed doors, and we don’t know where we went wrong. It has devalued and undermined every one of our staff and volunteers and everything we have been doing for 40 years.”
The new Communities Fund has in part been introduced to replace the council’s Integrated Grant Fund, and provides funding to the city’s voluntary groups.
However, the council claims applications have far exceeded the funding available and it was “unfortunately inevitable” that a substantial number of organisations would miss out.
Other elderly groups losing out include the Daffodil Club, based at St Georges & St Peters Church in Easterhouse, which faces losing out on £130,000 of funding, and the Yoker Resource Centre, which provides care and support for older clients and those with disabilities, which is set to miss out on £98,000.
St Mungo’s Older Peoples Centre for Well-being, the Gorbalites, and Asra, a multicultural service for older people and those with disabilities, are also losing out.
Brian Sloan, chief executive of Age Scotland, said: “We’re extremely disappointed that these groups are set to lose their funding.
“We know that funding is tight now and local authorities face difficult decisions. But this will have a devastating impact on some of Glasgow’s most vulnerable communities.
“Centres such as Nan McKay Hall and the Yoker Resource Centre provide vital services to thousands of older people, offering a lifeline to those at risk of loneliness and isolation or living in poverty.
“They will be even more crucial following the pandemic, with an increasing demand for support. It’s heart-breaking to think of them closing their doors after decades of service, leaving vulnerable older people out in the cold.”
A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “Demand for grant support has been exceptional – with applications received for well over double the total value of the fund. Unfortunately, this was always going to mean disappointment for some organisations with applications that scored less highly during assessment.
“Members have also agreed to make available £4 million in additional funding to support key third sector organisations in specific sectors to continue to deliver services while they develop sustainable financial models.”
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