Cash lifeline for autism group

Perth Autism Support (PAS) received a funding boost of £15,000 from both Perth and Kinross Council and NHS Tayside last week in the wake of its services being suspended.

The one-off offer is to help give the charity some “breathing space” and, along with the Scottish Government’s pledge of £30,000, it is hoped will keep the charity afloat for the next six months.

Councillor Ian Campbell, the leader of the council, said that he hoped the funding will be a relief to the 650 families in the region who rely on PAS’s services.

He said: “I was pleased to hear that PAS will be restarting planned services, which I am sure will be a great relief to the families they work with. I hope that the offer of funding from the council and NHS Tayside, matching that provided by the Scottish Government, will be accepted, and that PAS will engage positively in discussions about how a similar situation can be avoided in the future.”

Many families and supporters of PAS criticised the council and NHS Tayside for not providing any funding to help keep the charity afloat.

However, Councillor Campbell said that PKC had not been approached for financial assistance by PAS.

He added: “I appreciate that PAS did not take the decision to suspend services lightly, but we have looked back at all the records and there is no formal request for ongoing funding from PAS. The initial funding came from the Scottish Government and others.

“They never approached us formally and never contacted either the chief executive, the head of education or me as the council leader asking for assistance. We have looked back at the records over two years and there is no formal request for funding to anyone in the council.”

He added they have not yet earmarked where in the budget the money will come from but that it will be transferred to the charity as soon as possible. The money has been set aside without going through consultation or committee approval due to the urgency of the situation.