London’s Voluntary Sector Forum is objecting to proposed changes to the London Boroughs Grants Scheme that could see cuts of up to 80 per cent from the annual £26.4m budget.

London Councils, the organisation that administers the grants programme, is currently consulting with stakeholders about the programme's future role and scope. But London VSF has attacked the consultation process for its “haste, lack of transparency, lack of time to consult or for groups to exercise right of reply, and fundamentally its central premise that up to 80 per cent of the annual £26.4m should be cut”.

Under the existing system, London’s boroughs pool some of their funding each year and fund voluntary services on a regional level through the London Councils Grants Programme. The consultation is looking at whether a pan-London grants scheme is the best way for the money to be used, or whether the money might be spent more effectively by individual boroughs.

The consultation opened on 6 September and will close on 10 November.

Announcing the consultation and inviting responses, chair of London Councils Grants Committee, Mayor Sir Steve Bullock (pictured) said: “Circumstances are very different now to when the programme was last reviewed five years ago and we need to make sure that local communities are getting the most from this money."

At a conference last month of the Voluntary Sector Forum, its chair Sam Mauger said the current scheme demonstrates value for money and allows beneficiaries to access services from the most appropriate provider, regardless of where in London they live.

Mary Mason, from Solace Women’s Aid, added: “Solace is based in Camden but women come from all over London to escape violence, even from south London.

London VSF has demanded that London Councils honour current funding arrangements; consult widely on what is truly pan-London; and carry out equality impact assessment on changes to the grant scheme to ensure the most vulnerable and disadvantaged do not suffer disproportionately from any cuts.