A protest took place in Coventry, West Midlands, over proposed cuts to the Grapevine project, a charity that supports adults with special needs.
If these cuts go ahead, the charity warns that up to 7,000 adults in the city could be left without vital services.
Protesters gathered outside Coventry’s council house on Thursday evening to voice their opposition to the city council’s plans.
The council has proposed a 45% reduction in funding to the voluntary sector, which includes essential charities like Grapevine.
Grapevine’s Chief Executive Officer, Clare Wightman, expressed understanding of the council’s financial pressures but argued that the central government’s funding settlement for the upcoming financial year was more generous than expected, giving the council some flexibility.
She urged the council not to proceed with these cuts, stating, “They’ve got some room to make changes and we [are] going to say ‘don’t make this cut’.”
Julie Field, the mother of a Grapevine service user with autism, ADHD, and learning difficulties, spoke out about the personal impact the cuts would have.
She shared her concerns about her son Lucas, who would face social isolation and a lack of progress if services were reduced. ” He will not be progressing. We don’t know what the future will hold then.
“I don’t know if he’s gonna be able to have sustainable employment.
“He’s going to be isolated. He’s not going to be meeting other people with similar needs.”
A council spokesperson said the authority was undergoing a consultation process with residents on proposed savings across services and “monitoring all the feedback we receive”.
The spokesperson added, ” We appreciate all the comments we are getting from residents and providers, and this feedback will help us set a balanced budget, which we need to do by law.
“We are also going through the details of the recent government settlement, and this will help inform our final budget position.”
