Please do not let Harrow Borough Council cut funding for Harrow Carers, Harrow Association for the Disabled and other voluntary organisations.

Harrow Council has been told by the Government that its budget is being cut by £75million over four years.

This is approximately 55 per cent of its current budget; this is shocking.

The council is looking to save this money in part by sacrificing local charities.

The charities do an awful lot of work behind the scenes, stopping people from having to use the overburdened services at Northwick Park Hospital.

These cuts are short-sighted and will cost the council a lot more money than it saves in the long term.

They will also have disastrous effects on the demand for welfare in Harrow and compromise the service given to everyone.

People will be left isolated and without support.

Prime Minister David Cameron has even recently said councils should not save money by getting rid of charities as he wants all services to be family-orientated.

Moreover, the people that use these charities could suffer from discrimination in the future as the charities concerned help people to stand up for their rights.

They also help vulnerable people to function and integrate or reintegrate in society.

To sum up, cutting the charities’ funding is the wrong thing for the council to do and could result in the closure of numerous vital facilities and support centres for people who need them.

Jacqueline Hooper

Walton Drive, Harrow