Emergency fund oversubscribed

A £500,000 emergency fund set up to save
voluntary organisations from closure following council funding cuts
has been oversubscribed, leaving 39 organisations facing a cash
crisis.

Twenty-six voluntary
organisations have received money from the fund, announced in March
by home secretary David Blunkett.

But
director of the National Association of Volunteer Bureaux Chris
Penberthy said: “The harsh reality is that for those who were
unsuccessful in their applications to the emergency fund will now
face a substantial cut in their ability to deliver their services
and many face closure over the coming months.”