Families charity cash crisis eased by pledge from council coffers

A charity which faces cutting support for vulnerable families has been offered some more cash and practical support by Fife Council.

Crisis-struck Fife Gingerbread will be given an extra £60,000 for three years, if the council’s budget proposal is approved tomorrow.

It is also to work with the local authority to make its services for lone-parent families more sustainable.

Rhona Cunningham said that although some £600,000 was still needed to continue operating at its current level, the money pledged was welcome.

Fife Gingerbread helps 250 families, including at least 72 children at risk of requiring social work intervention.

Ms Cunningham said: “We are delighted to be working with Fife Council, as well as the Scottish Government and other funders, to create a more sustainable way of funding Fife Gingerbread.

“We are very grateful for this extra funding and it will potentially help us pull more money in but we are not out of the woods yet.

Several funding streams are ending, creating what the charity described as a perfect storm.

Ms Cunningham added: “Going public with our situation and campaigning for funding was not something we ever wanted to do but we know the need for the support we deliver is immense, and we know how devastating it would be to families if our support was suddenly not there.”

While the council administration said it could not step in and make up the entire shortfall, it said it could provide some match-funding – bringing its support for the charity to more than £400,000 next year.

Co-leader David Alexander said Fife Gingerbread is in a situation dozens of other third sector organisations will face.

He said: “They came to us asking for £600,000 which was totally unreasonable. We didn’t have it.

“They’re going to get £60,000 a year for three years but there are strings attached.

“Our people have to be involved to reorganise their organisation.”