A South Wales West AM is challenging Neath Port Talbot following a visit to a local children’s charity after the council decided to starve it of core funding.
An Evening Post article about Swansea-based charity, Interplay, alerted the Welsh Conservative Assembly Member to the authority’s decision to pull its grant,
Mrs Davies said:
“I understand that councils have to make tough decisions, but think the decision of Neath Port Talbot Council to cut Interplay’s funding entirely is just short-sighted.”
Mrs Davies, who is a member of the Assembly’s Children, Young People& Education Committee, went on to say:
“This is a charity that has been operating for over 25 years with huge success. Neath Port Talbot is already in the spotlight for problems with its social services provision. Now here it is withdrawing all funds from a proven children’s service, albeit one provided by a third sector organisation.
“Has the authority thought how it will address problems which are bound to arise from children not being able to take part in the activities they enjoy now – activities which help prevent further social and behavioural disadvantage?”
John Thomas from Interplay said:
“We had no notice from Neath Port Talbot Council that they were looking to do this. We were just told one day that our funding of £31,860 would be stopped.”
Mr Thomas went on to say:
“As things stand we will not be able to stay open past November 2014. It’s a real shame as we have a number of new projects starting and we have been told we have funding from a number of charities, but it is reliant on the funding from the council being received.”
Mrs Davies added:
“There appears to have been a very severe breakdown in communication with the Local Authority contacting Interplay to discuss possible changes to funding.”
“Neath Port Talbot Council have a number of percentage cuts that they are putting into place with different charities and I am concerned that this failure to discuss funding proposals may not end with Interplay.”
The South Wales West AM went on to say:
“As with the West Glamorgan Youth Theatre, Neath Port Talbot’s decision also threatens the viability of partnership funding from other sources. I hope that Swansea Council will not be tempted to follow suit.”
