More than 20 East Lothian community groups who applied for council funding this year have received nothing in a bid to ‘reduce reliance’ on local authority funding, a new report has revealed.
Grants issued by East Lothian Council have been hit by cut backs as it seeks to reduce the budget gap for the year ahead.
A report on the applications revealed more than £691,000 was still given to local projects and services through its One Council Partnership funding.
However 22 applications were given nothing, including two who received substantial support last year.
Amisfield Preservation Trust, which oversees community gardens at Haddington and provide education and skills projects, was given £10,000 last year and applied for £14,850 this year but has been granted nothing.
People Know How, a charity which works to help people overcome barriers and thrive, also received £10,000 last year but had a grant application for £7,052 rejected.
A report on the grants issued reveals new applications from groups which had not received money before were presumed not to be accepted and those who missed out have been directed to Volunteer Centre East Lothian for advice on alternative sources of funding.
It said: “The council’s financial challenges over the coming years have
necessitated a clear focus on increasing the resilience of community
organisations, to help them develop sustainable business models and
reduce reliance on annual council funding.
“Applicants have been encouraged to explore alternative funding streams and to approach VCEL, the Third Sector Interface for East Lothian, which is funded by Scottish Government to provide advice to third sector organisations on governance issues and support to secure external funding.”
The full list of grants approved or rejected is available on the council website in its Members Library Service.
by Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
