CHANGES agreed by Waverley to the way it funds voluntary organisations mean the end of the road for the community grant scheme.

Members have agreed that the council’s new service level agreements (SLAs) were the best way forward in the next financial year.

Waverley currently funds seven organisations through SLAs, including Haslemere’s Orchard Club services for the elderly and Farnham Maltings Outreach Service.

The agreements – under which Orchard receives £56,500 annually and Farnham Maltings receives £32,490 – commenced in April 2015 and the financial support will continue until March 2018.

The annual budget provision for funding the voluntary sector was £744,530 in 2016/17, and the level of funding for 2017/18 will be agreed in February as part of the budget process, and is expected to be £664,290.

Waverley has maintained the overall budget at the same level since 2012, despite cuts to other services and has pledged to continue to protect funding to “many of our most vulnerable residents, if at all possible”.

The executive agreed Rowleys Centre for the Community, Gostrey Centre, Farnham Assist, Age UK Surrey and Voluntary Action South West Surrey, which are currently funded through the community grant scheme, should transfer to SLAs from April 2017, for one year, and the funding period would then be extended for three years until March 2021.

Seven other organisations of the 12 currently receiving community grants are not being transferred to SLAs.

They are Guildford Action for Community care, Cranfold Job seeker’s Club, Help in Elstead, Godalming Museum Trust, Rural Life Centre, Farnham Challengers, and High Sheriff of Surrey Youth Awards.

Speaking before the debate, Farnham Residents member Jerry Hyman said: “I’m particularly concerned about the Challengers and the Rural Life Centre.

“The organisations affected need to know their fate as soon as possible to see if they can continue without funding”.

Frensham councillor Brian Adams assured Mr Hyman the organisations had already been made aware that they were “expected to gradually support themselves”.

Any group that finds itself in financial difficulties as a result can apply to Waverley for emergency funding, he stressed.

The council executive also approved the establishment of the Waverley Voluntary Commissioning Partnership, in a further move away from traditional grant schemes.

The scheme was developed with Surrey County Council adult social care, in 2014 and both contributed matched funding, making the pot £85,540.

The remaining balance of £18,050 in the community grant scheme fund could be added to the partnership fund.

The partnership was formed to identify funding priorities for health and well-being and it will be open for funding applications in April 2017.