Dudley charities warn council of funding and communication crisis

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 9 Oct, 06:19 · Archive

Community charities in Dudley say poor council communication and restrictive funding rules are putting their survival at risk.

Charity leaders in Dudley have told councillors that poor communication and restrictive funding rules are putting their survival at risk. The warning came at a meeting of the council's External Partnerships Scrutiny Committee on 7 October, when representatives of the voluntary sector described the challenges they face.

Andy Gray from Dudley Council for Voluntary Service, which supports hundreds of borough groups, said recent leadership changes and staff reorganisation had damaged relationships with the council. He explained that many council staff struggled to make decisions without escalating matters up the chain of command. 'It's almost a handbrake,' he said, calling for the council to return to working more strategically.

Mark Price from Provision House told councillors that his presence at the meeting was a matter of survival. He said the council was either 'brilliant or baffling' depending on which department was involved, and that whether his organisation survived depended on councillors getting funding decisions right. Provision House helps six or seven thousand people each year, he said.

How it is being reported

• Funding delays put charity futures in doubt Dudley councillors toldCharity chiefs say 'baffling' funding rules are putting their future in jeopardy and leaving people without vital helpBirminghamLive · 9 Oct, 05:45
• Dudley charities warn council 'we're on the edge' due to funding and communication issuesCommunity groups are struggling to survive due to poor communication and restrictive funding rules, Dudley councillors have been told.Express & Star · 8 Oct, 14:42

In this story: Dudley · Dudley Council for Voluntary Service · Andy Gray · Provision House · Mark Price · Cathryn Bayton

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