GROUPS in Blackbird Leys received less money in the latest funding round as grant-givers admitted it was becoming harder to allocate cash.

Blackbird Leys Parish Council gave out £16,265 to six different community groups, down from £22,000 this time last year Chairman Gordon Roper said due to reduced funds, councillors had thought long and hard about where to give the money.

He said: “The county council has cut back on their grant and everything we do, so we have to think very carefully. We don’t just give it out willy-nilly.

“We always give to the groups we find are most deserving. It’s for the good of the residents and the estate”

The groups which have received grants reflect the tough financial climate. The Blackbird Leys Neighbourhood Support Scheme got £5,000 towards running costs. The team of 12, based at the Agnes Smith Advice Centre, offers financial, benefits, housing and debt advice.

Manager Clare Charleson said: “We are really pleased. The funding goes towards everyday running costs, postage and invoices. It’s quite difficult to get those funds and yet they’re essential.

“The parish council is always very generous to us. I think they know that we provide a valuable service.”

About 1,500 people use the service every year and numbers are growing steadily.

Mrs Charleson added: “People are being squeezed more now. The challenge is trying to help people understand the changes. We have a lot more benefits queries and housing enquiries than we used to.”

The Blackbird Leys Credit Union, which offers its members small loans at low interest rates, welcomed its grant of £1,540 to update its computer system.

The money represents about half of the requested amount but chairman Jim Hewitt said he was still “delighted”.

He said: “If we got the full amount we could have upgraded all our computers. The parish council can’t meet everybody’s needs and we can do something really useful with this.”

The Credit Union has about 450 active members who have used their accounts in the last year. Mr Hewitt also said he had noticed changes in people’s needs.

He said: “The financial position is tighter and tougher for everyone and more people are struggling.

“We find some people just can’t afford the loans they need and are not able even to pay back the very low cost loans we make.”

Other recipients of this year’s grant included the Leys Festival Steering Group, which received £5,000, and Leys News Ltd, which received £3,150 towards running costs and staff training.

The “Friendleys” social group will be using the £975 received to pay its rent and a new bench costing £600 will be added to Blackbird Leys Adventure Playground.