FUNDING for a leading family support charity could be slashed by up to 50 per cent if proposed funding cuts are given the go-ahead. 

Home-Start, which offers help to families with young children, currently receives £60,000 a year from Bracknell Forest Council, but because of saving plans could it sees its provisions halved.

The council has been forced to take an 80 per cent cut to its budget, equating to £11.6m in just 2016/17 alone.

The charity, based at the Bracknell Open Learning Centre in Rectory Lane, provides one-to-one support for parents, with tailor-made weekly visits from volunteers, as well as family groups and social events. 

Labour councillor Mary Temperton, who is campaigning against the changes, said: "The 50 per cent cut to the Home-Start is totally unacceptable. Home-Start answers all the Conservative 'localisation' requirements. It is a charity that uses volunteers to intervene with young families in trouble, but not in crisis, to enable them to gain confidence and resilience. 

"The council plan states: 'We will focus our resources on prevention and early help. Promote self-reliance and empower people to take responsibility for their communities'. This is exactly what the charity does.

"Volunteers are trained; they support families until the support can be withdrawn; many volunteers have moved on to being employed; many supported parents have moved on to becoming volunteers. A cut of 50 per cent is likely to mean the charity will cease as the budget is small and tight. At the moment they support between 70 and 100 families, depending on the number of volunteers they can train… expenditure has increased this year due to the new accommodation at the Open Learning Centre, following their forced move from Coopers Hill."

Scheme manager Tessa Dove said: "Due to the nature of our work the council recognises that there is a potentially adverse impact on groups with protected characteristics under the Equality Act. The consultation period for the proposed cut to Home-Start does not end until May 17 and we are therefore still consulting with families, volunteers, staff and the wider community about the effect of a reduced service on them.

"However, the council's grant is a significant proportion of our annual income. We have always worked closely with colleagues in the statutory sector. A cut to our budget at this level would remove the core funding which enables us to deliver our service in a planned way and would put the service at risk in 2017-18 if we are unable to secure significant other funding this year and on an ongoing basis at a time when these alternative sources are already seeing huge increases in demand."

A consultation on the plans will run until May 17.