Wiltshire Council to cut funding for community lunch clubs
The authority's proposing to stop paying for services by 2024
Lunch clubs, held across Wiltshire for the older generation and those with learning disabilities, could be scrapped in as little as two years.
Wiltshire Council is proposing to cut the budget for the services by 50% in their next Budget for 2022-23, and then take away the rest the following financial year.
Despite the cut in direct funding, the Council have said they'd still support clubs through alternative funding, like charity grants or the local Area Boards.
The popular lunch clubs run all over the county, in places like Downton, Mere and Winterslow, as well as a number of locations in Salisbury, like Bemerton Heath, Harnham and The Friary.
Leader of Wiltshire Council, Richard Clewer said they want the people who use services to have more of a say in what's provided:
“We want to ensure people have the right support so they can live well and be a part of their community.
“Day services are valuable opportunities to help promote this independence and community engagement, and currently these services are provided in a number of ways.
“For the future we want to provide more personalised options that benefit those who most need our support and ensure opportunities are equitable across Wiltshire.
“To achieve this we will be advertising a new tender to provide day opportunities, with new provision beginning in the summer.
“Our aim will be to ensure residents’ social needs continue to be met, either by existing community resources or through providing new services, and we will be asking people currently using these services to share their thoughts.”