A number of Keighley voluntary groups threatened with the axe will be spared.

It was confirmed yesterday that £200,000 has been set aside for groups which make successful appeals against Brad-ford council's decision to cut their grants.

Cllr Ralph Berry, leader of the committee responsible for giving grants, says that while there is not enough money for all the groups, full consideration will be given to all those making representations. Coun-cillors will take into account the important work the groups do for vulnerable local people.

The community organisations providing a lifeline to thousands face disaster.

Groups have vowed to fight for their survival and already protest letters are flooding into council offices.

Among those hit is Keighley Community Transport, which alone serves more than 200 local voluntary bodies.

At a crisis meeting in Keighley on Wednesday, calls were made for Bradford council's controversial system for funding voluntary and community groups to be scrapped.

Isobel Scarborough, chairman of Keighley Voluntary Services, demanded a rethink on the way Bradford gives out around £6 million a year. She said last week's funding decisions by councillors had 'swept the rug' from under the feet of many well-established, hard-working and innovative groups.

Wednesday's meeting was called following the council's decision not to renew grants to a host of well-established Keighley organisations including Community Transport, Relate and the Women's Centre. Councillors have adop-ted a new 'points' system scoring applications against their own priorities, such as crime-fighting, regeneration, education and the environment.

More than 120 organisations have been granted money for the financial year beginning next April, but some other well-respected groups failed to score enough points.

They can appeal against the refusals before December 4, and councillors meeting later that month will decide whether any changes should be made.

Cllr Martin Leathley, from Bradford's ruling Labour group, and Tory opponent Kris Hopkins attended this week's meeting to listen to the views of voluntary workers. They were told that the points system was too bureaucratic and the application forms confusing, leading to deserving groups losing out unfairly. Council officers had made funding decisions that should be the preserve of councillors.

Cllr Leathley promised to take up the voluntary groups' points with Cllr Ralph Berry, chairman of the grant-giving committee.

Cllr Hopkins called on the groups to organise a campaign to gather public support for changes to the funding system.

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