Becci Heagney
Around 30 people gathered outside Derby city council’s meeting to determine the fate of charity and voluntary groups.
After a so-called ‘consultation’, the council voted to cut £1 million from the funding of groups including Derby and Derbyshire Race Equality Commission, Women’s Centre and Furniture Project.
Volunteers and service users held a noisy and angry protest before the meeting.
Many councillors went through the back door instead of facing the people their cuts will be affecting!
Protesters held placards saying “We are all Greek” and “Women and children last”.
Volunteers from the Furniture Project, who provide second-hand furniture to vulnerable families and individuals who cannot afford it, covered the street outside with lamps, chairs and tables which will all go to waste now that this project is being cut.
Voluntary groups and charities that rely on local authority funding are being hit hard by the cuts. They often provide specialist services that people rely on and cannot get elsewhere.
