HUNDREDS of charities catering for some of the most deprived areas of Halton are to have their funding slashed by up to 12%, leaving local bosses reeling.

Kath Parkes, the co-ordinator for the community empowerment network, Halton Together, has been left fuming after the Government gave as little as two days notice before shaving away £52,000 from the organisation's annual budget.

The massive cut-backs will affect more than 270 groups across the borough and their ability to apply for small grant schemes.

The cuts to the Single Community Programme for 2005-6 may affect charities including Barnados, Age concern, Halton Deafness Support network, Vision support, the bowls club, Halton Access to Media, community football clubs, the boys' brigade, scouts groups, the Stroke Association, churches and dozens of tenants and residents' meetings.

Also affected are local voluntary community sector groups who actively launch schemes to rid the borough of graffiti and nuisance behaviour in Neighbourhood Renewal areas.

Kath said: 'The groups that we deal with are very important in terms of equipping people with the right skills and opportunities.

'It is all about increasing people's self esteem and offering them access to training courses. And it's about giving the money to people at grass roots level - these are the people who will be worst affected.

'This is a major set back as there has been a marked improvement among charities in recent years.

'The voluntary organisations have been funded adequately enough to deliver more learning resources - and we had come up with a detailed action plan as to how we were going to administer the money this year.

'But the deadline for consultation through the Deputy Prime Minister's office was February 28.

'We were told about the cut-backs just three days earlier on February 25.

'This has totally undermined our confidence and other people's confidence in the voluntary sector even more.

'I am angry at the Government for making this announcement as it has left us feeling very unstable.

'I've written to Halton MP Derek Twigg and Mike Hall about the matter.'

She added: 'The money we access consists of the community empowerment fund in one pot and small grants, which incorporates the community chest and community learning chest, in the other. The announcement has affected all small grants.'

Although Halton Together has not made any staffing cutbacks, other regions have been badly hit, including the recruitment of ethnic minorities .

Andy Guile, chairman of Halton Together, said: 'We'll have to deal with less applications for grants now. It is a complete betrayal of our trust and they're obviously desperate to claw more money back from somewhere by tightening the reins.

'European Objective funding has already been cut back.'

Kevin Curley, the chief executive of the National Association of Councils for Voluntary Service wrote to Rt Hon Lord Rooker, the minister of state for regeneration and regional development, highlighting the devastating impact of a 21% cut in Hull.

He also attacked the Government for breaching a written agreement called the Compact created with the voluntary and community sector, by not consulting anybody about the budget reduction.

In a letter to Halton Together, the head of programmes Allan Bowman said: 'These decisions have not been taken lightly.

'The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister have made savings across the department so that no one policy suffers disproportionately.

'For the New Ventures Fund we have taken out uncommitted funds, squeezed some of the 'back office' functions like technical support and events and reduced the number of staff in the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit before imposing cuts on programmes.'