THE council has confirmed city centre voluntary organisations, including those supporting the elderly and Alzheimer's sufferers, are at risk of losing funding.

Shopmobility, the Alzheimers Society, the Citizen's Advice Bureau (CAB) and Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations (GAVO) will continue to be funded by Newport City Council until the end of the 2019/20 financial year.

But after March 2020, only those who are successful in a 'tendering process' will be funded up to 2021/22 - meaning that they will have to bid for future funding - with money doled out on a needs basis.

Last year, the council gave £286,000 in grants to city centre voluntary organisations, and it's understood the council will now be supporting them to come up with a business model by March next year, as well as helping them to find other areas of funding.

But the decision will no doubt cause unease for volunteers and the people who rely on their services.

Shopmobility Newport, operated out of Lower Dock Street, loans out scooters, electric wheelchairs and manual wheelchairs on a daily basis around around the city centre, helping elderly and disabled people to come to the city centre to shop.

The Alzheimer's Society, based in Church Road, supports dementia sufferers and their families.

CAB Newport, on Corn Street, have been providing free, impartial and confidential advice in the city since 1939, in areas such as benefits, housing debt and employment.

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And another Church Road organisation, GAVO - the largest and oldest voluntary council in Wales - is committed to strengthening the voluntary community sector across all five Gwent local authorities.

The process is part of a commitment by the council to save £140,000 by 2021/22 through voluntary sector cuts in Newport, including £46,000 already agreed to in 2016.

Newport council has agreed to fund the named organisations until at least March 2020, when a decision will be made based on tendering bids submitted sometime this year.

In a public consultation published on the council website as part of this year's budget proposals, 70.11 per cent of 64 people surveyed chose the above plan of action from a list of three options, including keeping the funding level.

Comments from the public were varied, with some showing support for the plan.

One summarised comment reads: "We agree that the principal of asking all grant recipients to undertake a tendering process is sensible and gives the council an opportunity to reassess which organisations are most

suitable to provide services. It would've been useful to have had examples of some of the organisations receiving the grant funding. Organisations should be encourage to explore other funding streams."

Another reads: "The council needs to make sure the money allocated is used to the best effect so it is a good idea to review this and make sure the public get the most bang for their buck."

But others are more critical.

One commentator said: "If you are continuing to cut core services, support for the voluntary sector is essential as you are expecting these organisations to pick up the slack from cut services."

While another said: "Too many third sector services have already been lost."

A spokesman for Newport city council said they would be working to assist the organisations with the work of submitting their bids for funding.

In a statement, the council said: "In 2016, Newport City Council agreed a phased reduction in discretionary grants to voluntary sector organisations and, since then, discussions have been held with the organisations in relation to this objective.

"Last year, the council gave £286,000 in grants to Citizens Advice Bureau, Alzheimer’s Society, the Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations, SEWREC and Shopmobility

"One of the proposals in this year’s budget was to move to a new commissioning process for funding voluntary organisations and reduce total funding by £54,000 in 2019/20.

"It formed part of the public consultation on the budget and representatives of the these organisations were made aware of the consultation. In February, full council approved the proposal as part of the 2019/20 budget.

"However, it has now been decided to extend the full funding until the end of this financial year so, where appropriate, organisations can develop more sustainable funding models that are not overly dependent on the council.

"We have offered to assist with that work and will be arranging a series of workshops to inform the new commissioning process."