'Therese Allison, general manager of North Edinburgh Childcare, which is seeing a £2794 cut in its annual £118,128 grant, said....'

That's a reduction of all of 2.4%. If you can't cut your organisation's cloth accordingly, you're not doing your job properly.

These were commitments made by the previous council. Ewan Aitken should explain why Scottish Labour were making promises that could not be funded. Therese Allison should explain why they, just before an election, they assumed they would get the funding promised by the incumbent council. And as with #1 a 2.4% cut is hardly going to put them out of 'business'.

"Ewan Aitken should explain why Scottish Labour were making promises that could not be funded."

Because they knew they would never be elected in Edinburgh again?

The council appears to be in a mess trying to try to cut costs on anything, then when it proves unpopular moving onto the next service (repeat until nobody notices!). Maybe that 45 million top up to the trams could be better spent...

#1 You have hit the nail right on the head,they are not to clever.

So thanks to the chicken SNP shying away from making difficult decisions and re-organising the city's schools to be as efficient as possible, we now see cuts to groups that provide services to vulnerable people - who won't get mums waving placards outside the city chambers...

Marvellous way to run a city.

The voluntary sector is quite large and a lot of it not really voluntary. Much of the sector is doing work that should rightly be carried directly by the local authorities. The sector needs to take a good hard look at its structures - particularly in management, lobbying and fund raising. It's public money and it must be accountable.

#2 I agree: those funding cuts could be absorbed by the organisations working in a more efficient way, and diverting more money to the actual services rather than diverting staff towards meetings upon meetings.

Cllr MacLaren said: "We have brought forward these proposals to bring the children and families budget into balance. It has been spending money like an irresponsible adult with a credit card.

Well said Cllr MacLaren, for far too long these "charities" have seen the city council as a soft touch.

I always thought that charity was something you did for free, either giving cash or your own time. Why do they need public money in the first place?

The cost of taking 'legal advice' is likely to greatly exceed the 2.4% reduction in grant.

Just be grateful for what you've got or campaign to better spend the tram cash on more meaningful public services.

#11 - A judge of what i ask myself? Was the brain cell not available today?

Did the chap at the back forget his placard and opt for the 'back of a fag packet' approach?

#13 Na you're using it today ;~}

A lot of good charities do excellent work in the community. People shouldn't forget that.

Some charities are a joke of course, and I guess there needs to be an assessment of their worth to the community and what would happen if they couldn't continue.

I do think there are some community projects that deserve not to be in existence, they are a waste of taxpayers money, but on the other hand, there are many fantastic charities doing an essential job in communities, for example, Help the Hospice. It does excellent work offering care to many people dying of various ages and dignity matters to such families during illness and death. Such charities that do a wonderful job in the community deserve support.

This must be more a moral issue than a legal one. How much will the greedy grasping lawyers make and will the taxpayer foot a legal aid bill?

Cost - reward is important.

Charities fill a much needed gap on essential services not funded by local or national government and are good value for money. This is another cut too far but they won't get the support that the schools got recently so the cuts will probably go ahead.

#15 you're right, your obviously not....

#15 at least someone is thinking about this serious matter but clearly you're not.

There has been an explosion in charitible organisations since the inception of the Nation Lottery. Many received 3 years worth of funding from the National Lottery, but had to look elsewhere once that funding ran out. Many of the organisations in Edinburgh cannot really be called charities as they are, in effect, publicly funded projects. As so, they are subject to the same regulations and cutbacks that other such organisations are. I wholeheartedly support their aims and objectives, but sometimes reality bites...

no11, there are charities and then there are charities.

As the news states They fear the cuts could lead to redundancies and that some organisations may have to close.

"The new budget was approved by councillors yesterday, despite pleas from the VOLUNTARY sector, and the city's education leader, Councillor Marilyne MacLaren, admitting she was "unhappy" with the plans.

Now in my dictionary....Voluntary means volunteering and working for nothing, I volunteer and help at a local group, I do it for FREE and don't expect to get paid.
So how are these groups having to make REDUNDANCIES.......they are just as bad as the council and using SCARE MONGERING TACTICS.

Take a Look at any of these so called Voluntary Groups and you'll find many of them have a higher turn over than many small companies....and the salaries to go with them.

The Majority of money going into the "labour areas". Yet other areas have to rely on Volunteers.
In the Evening news recently. A Community in a non deprived area was considering buying an old school to make it into a community centre.
While labour has been pouring Money into its Areas for years....its time that Every Area in Edinburgh got its fair share of the MONEY.

Penny pinching at the expense o' vunerable weans, adults an' communities... a brave noo wurld indeed!

Thon Sad Numpty Party an' "Liberal" Cohorts wilnae be passin' roon' thaur tricorn hats, as they sit in their noo ermine robes in a sanitised City Centre - awa fae the 'Hoi Polloi' - suppin' thaur free soup an' sannies as Embru gangs tae the dugs! Dreamin' o' shibboleth Embassies an' trips tae Europe's top table restaurants.

Meantime, pair folks weans hae bin turfed oot thur nurseries - oh yes still on the burner; thur community centres - St Annes an' Riddle's Court fir a stert; an thir day-care provision fae alcoholics in the Ark...

Embru has bin voted yin o the best places in the UK - aye no jist Scotland - year upon year!

Time noo fir a new line fae thon glaikit "Proclaimers" - Embru nae mo-arrrrrrr!

slashed is loosing at least 50% not a wee drop