CHARITIES are facing a double-whammy of budget cuts leaving many fearing for their survival.

Cuts in local government funding and a fall in donations mean many will struggle to provide vital services in the community.

Now anti-cuts website False Economy has urged local councils to think hard before they reduce funding to charities dealing with vulnerable groups including disabled people, children and the elderly.

Spokesman Clifford Singer said the voluntary sector was more important than ever as councils struggled to provide essential services.

“These cuts go deep into the voluntary and community sectors,” he said. “These are not just nice to have groups but organisations providing vital services for older people trying to maintain independent lives, vulnerable children and abused women.

“With so many of the cuts simply resulting in further pressure on the NHS and other statutory services, they truly are a false economy.”

And TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said government claims that charities could replace direct services are not true.

“It sounds great, but in practice the Big Society is looking more like a big con.”

Charities in Dorset have said donations from the public are also falling as families have trouble making ends meet.

The British Liver Trust development manager Adnan Laeeg said: “All cuts in household income affect charities, over the past 12 to 18 months there has been at least a ten per cent decrease in donations received from the public.”

Chief Executive for Julie’s House charity, Martin Edwards, told the Echo: “This is the worst economic climate for charities in many years. This year we face the toughest challenge in fundraising yet. We simply won’t raise as much as we will spend despite incredible cost management.

He added: “All organisations need to be innovative in finding new sources of funding.

“There is every sign that the financial situation may last three more tough years.”

Access Dorset’s development manager, Dave Thompson, said: “This is hitting us very, very hard and there are a lot of things that we would like to do that we can’t.”

He added: “This all ties in with the government’s proposal for a big society. The fact is that you can’t just rely on volunteers, you have to train them and vet them and this takes money.”

He said that he does not feel that the government really sees how this directly affects voluntary organisations.

Councillor John Beesley, deputy leader of Bournemouth council, said: “Despite our 2011/2012 government grant being significantly less than originally suggested by the government, Bournemouth Borough Council in not in the position where it has had to withdraw large scale funds from voluntary and charity sector organisation.

“Our long-term prudent financial management meant hat we have been able to put up significant funds for a rainy day and indeed we topped up funding to support vulnerable people this year with £3million from our reserves.

“Many of these services are being provided by the voluntary sector.

“As part of the budget preparation the council looked at saving proposals and has made every effort to minimise the impact on the voluntary sector. Our transformation programme will look at every area of the council over the next ten years to find ways of doing things better for less.”