January 10th 2024
Belfast City Council increases charity’s funding after threatening cuts worth 97%
The local authority have provided over £300,000 for a charity for children with special needs who originally faced a potential cut of 97%.
On Monday night, Belfast City Council announced that Sólás, a charity based in Northern Ireland that provides support for children and young people with Autism and learning disabilities, is set to receive around £308,000 to help build a new project.
Originally, the new scheme was due to receive £800,000, but after a political row over proposals to reduce its allocation to £24,744 and share the rest among other community groups, the council agreed to invest over £300,000.
To give a bit of background, 21 projects were shortlisted for neighbourhood regeneration funding in South Belfast, with £1.92m earmarked for the six schemes that were eventually approved. Following this, a sub-committee made up of local councillors recommended that Sólás should be given £800,000 to develop a three-storey building and outdoor space for the charity.
However, Sinn Féin, who constructed the plan, rejected this decision, and proposed more than doubling the funding for the Market Development Association and the Greater Village Regeneration Trust, which were two of the six organisations chosen to receive regeneration funding.
As a result, Sólás were set to have their funding cut to just over £24,000, which equates to a 97% reduction and Hearth Historic Buildings Trust were due to be left with nothing.
Joan Henderson from the children’s and young person’s charity said she was ‘absolutely astounded’ by the initial proposal and claimed it was an ‘insult’ to children with disabilities.
‘It seems very, very strange to have been the priority project in the area, to then become the fifth priority,’ Joan said. ‘Anybody looking at that, regardless of what background they come from, would say that just doesn’t look right. That looks very unfair, and it feels very unfair.’
According to the latest figures from the National Autistic Society, more than one in 100 people are on the Autism spectrum and there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children currently in the UK. These statistics show that now, more than ever, support needs to be given to the growing number of people who are living with the condition.
To find out more news about Autism and learning disabilities, head over to our other PSN site Social Care Today.
Image: K. Mitch Hodge
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