THE chief officer of a leading charity for the elderly is urging a council not to scrap its grant.

Last year Canterbury Age Concern received £2,500 from Canterbury City Council and was hoping for £5,700 for the coming year.

But in a list of grants to voluntary organisations due to be considered by the council executive it is proposed Age Concern will get nothing.

It is among 11 organisations whose requests have been rejected.

The council says applications for support funding has again overwhelmed its budget.

But chief officer Judith Griffiths says the vital work of Canterbury Age Concern for the elderly is not being recognised.

She said: “It is absolutely outrageous. I don’t know why they are not recognising the vital work we do to support older people in the community.”

Mrs Griffiths says the grant from the council helps pay for one of a team of drivers, who have to be specially trained, and increased fuel costs.

The council has been considering 39 applications for grants totalling £666,502. But members of the executive will hear that there is only £251,206 in the budget.

The recommendations are due to be considered by the executive on January 10.