A CHARITY which helps people fight loneliness has been hit by a cut in funding.

Brixham Does Care has had its grant cut by £25,000 by Torbay Care Trust.

The charity, which has a turnover of about £140,000, looks after about 10 per cent of the greater Brixham population.

Fifty per cent of its funding used to come from the trust. It will be cut to 20 to 30 per cent.

Ian Graham (pictured), director of Brixham Does Care, said there was 'no panic' yet because the charity has enough reserves to see it through another year — but the cut was worrying.

He said: "It is an awful lot. It is very significant. However, there is no panic yet. Until we know what the situation will be — the trust does not know itself — there is not much we can do.

"But we are looking very carefully to see how we continue to operate."

Mr Graham said Brixham Does Care was in talks with the trust about its future funding.

He said the trust wanted to tie the charity into a three-year deal with funding decreasing every year.

He said once the charity knew for sure about its future, it would be able to apply to other funding sources.

Mr Graham added: "We have to look at how we operate our service.

"The possibility of losing staff members or closing one day a week are not excluded.

"At the moment we have to wait and see how bad the cuts will be and what we can do to plug that funding gap. But our service will continue."

Speaking to a Brixham Town Council meeting, Cllr Vic Ellery said: "The grant to Brixham Does Care has been cut. It puts in jeopardy the care they provide.

"What they do is vital for the people of Brixham. How will they manage to carry on providing such an important service and look after people if their money is cut so dramatically?

"It is very serious news."

A trust spokesman said: "In the same way in which the care trust has to ensure its own services are as efficient as possible, so we must ensure organisations from which we buy services are providing care which is value for money as well as of the highest quality.

"In line with good practice, the trust reviews contracts with its providers annually.

"Brixham Does Care has worked closely with the trust to find new ways of working and efficiencies that enabled the existing service levels and quality that they provide to be delivered at a reduced cost.

"The care trust values the long-standing relationship it has with Brixham Does Care and this is why we have worked with them and other organisations to support them in forming an innovative active living consortium.

"This brings together local third sector providers which will be capable of providing sustainable and accessible care well into the future, with care trust investment.

"Brixham Does Care and its partners can share skills, experience and resources to make their services even more accessible and effective."