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MORE than 30 community centres and voluntary sector groups have been told there is no money left for them in the Town Hall coffers.

Camden Council has revealed which centres and associations will receive grants in 2012 – but, out of more than 50 applications, only 17 will get Town Hall help.

The decision to cut grants to long-standing community clubs comes as the council’s budget for centres and groups has been halved to £1million a year.
 

Primrose Hill Community Association will see a 19 per cent fall in its annual revenue due to the loss of a £22,000 grant.

Management committee chairwoman Maureen Betts said this was a massive blow and seemed to be based on the idea that Primrose Hill was a wealthy enclave and could handle a cut better than other places. 

She said: “We are very disappointed by this decision. We have been running the association for 30 years and have always been very effective in providing the services Camden has asked us to.”
 

The fact that the centre had been well managed would help stave off the threat of closure, she added. 

“Over the years we have been modest in our spending so we have some reserves to help, but it is a significant amount of extra money to find, which means looking for new ways to raise funds,” she said. 

“While we do not want to cut services, we may have to.”  
 

Another loser is Lauderdale House, the arts and community venue in Waterlow Park. It has been gearing up to apply to the Heritage Lottery Fund for help with a £2m restoration project, which it claims will be in jeopardy after missing out on council cash.

Centre manager Katherine Ives said: “We had a three-year settlement from Camden which ran out this year. That has come to an end and will not be resurrected. 

“We also applied to the community centre fund but were unsuccessful. This will mean a significant fall in income and running this building is costly. If we receive no support for our restoration and rebuilding project, it will put the scheme in jeopardy.”

Holly Lodge Community Centre, which provides services for older people in Highgate, also faces an uncertain future. 

Labour councillor Sarah Hayward, Camden’s regeneration chief, said the Town Hall had faced tough decisions. 

“We have been left to make some incredibly difficult choices,” she added. “It was very tough but we have made these decisions based on plans given to us by community centres.”

She praised the council’s track record of funding for community groups. 

“We will still be one of the largest funders of voluntary sector organisations in the country,” she said.