Blind and disabled residents of a York home will suffer as a result of a £20,000 cut in council funding, its general manager said today.

Keith McKee, who runs Wilberforce Home for the Blind in Tadcaster Road, said proposals to stop a City of York Council grant for work to increase the independence and quality of life of its 21 residents had caused alarm.

And he had been given only days to convince councillors that the decision would have a terrible effect on the charity's work.

He said: "I am extremely concerned about the budgetary situation that we are facing next year.

"As far as I am aware, this is purely an economic decision made by the council. Nobody has sat down and asked 'If this funding goes, what are the implications for the people who live here and staff?'"

The council had entered into a two-year part-funding contract for the project, which aims to increase the independence of residents who have visual and learning disabilities, improve their mobility through teaching skills, including how to use white canes, and arrange social, leisure and recreational activities.

Following the completion of the two-year programme, the home's management planned to widen the project into the community.

But the council's social services committee has agreed to stop the funding after only one year. It will now be discussed by the full council on Tuesday.

Mr McKee said: "We have had a very successful first year, we have made tremendous inroads and have never had any criticism from the council.

"The council is faced with a difficult financial situation and it seems to have taken the view that this is a service it can afford to do without with very little impact.

"But it has not made a real examination of what the impact will be, both for our residents and for the citizens of York. This has come as a major blow."

He said the home would try to retain its commitment to improve the quality of life for residents, but other aspects of its work would suffer.

"We are going to have to look at where we can make other savings," he said.

Mr McKee, who said he was not aware that the grant was being discussed by the social services committee earlier this month, has now started lobbying councillors before next week's meeting.

He said: "We are desperately hoping that the council will listen to us."

Social services committee chairman Bob Fletcher said: "We will be speaking to Mr McKee and explaining why that proposal has been made.

"It is not clear to us that significant progress has been made in this project so we are proposing taking the money away. He clearly understands the financial reasons for it."

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