A SIGHT loss charity that supports hundreds of visually impaired people across the borough is set to lose £250,000 per year due to council cuts.

After reviewing the services and grants it makes to the community and voluntary sector, Dudley Council has decided to pull the funding it gives to the Beacon Centre later this year.

The council's handout is used to pay for a number of people living with sight loss to attend Beacon’s independent living centre in Sedgley and the activity centre in Oldswinford.

It also funds a number of support packages for residents living in Beacon Court - the charity's supported housing scheme - and the recording of the talking newspaper and magazine, which is sent out to up to 200 people each week.

Outraged Sedgley councillor Bill Etheridge has called for the council to reconsider slashing the charity's funding.

He said: “Whilst understanding the need for savings, it seems grossly unfair that the Beacon Centre should be targeted.

“This centre is a shining example of how social enterprise works and does a fantastic job of raising its own money.

"It also provides a wonderful service to the community. Rather than being penalised, it should be held up as a glowing example of how the voluntary sector can thrive in the future."

However Councillor Qadar Zada, cabinet member for adult social care, said the council had no choice but to review the services it commissions due to "unprecedented cuts to funding from central government".

He continued: "This has led to difficult decisions where we do not have the budget for the range of services we previously offered and has led to a reduction of £3million in our budget.

“We value all the work done by the voluntary sector and recognise it as a key partner for the local authority in supporting us to deliver services differently in the future.

"We have previously set out our vision of a £2.4m re-commissioning of services and we would very much welcome voluntary sector input into the implementation of this. We appreciate the significant anxiety and concern the changes are causing in the voluntary sector and we will continue to work with them to ensure that we protect care services for local people.”

Arwyn Jones, chief executive at the Beacon Centre, said service users were now being consulted to find "the best way to sustain services going forward".

He continued: “We are devastated and disappointed that Dudley Council has completely withdrawn this funding and are very concerned for our service users.

"The work we do is vital in helping those living with visual impairment to maintain their independence, live safely and prevent isolation.

“We expect the number of people who need our support to increase dramatically in the coming years as cases of sight loss continue to rise."

Helen Brown, the charity's communications development manager, said donations and fundraising would be "more vital than ever" in the wake of the cuts.

Anyone wishing to make a donation to the charity can email hbrown@beaconvision.org.