The financial situation that the city council finds itself in should come as no surprise to readers of the Oxford Mail.

This year coming, we have to find more than £5m in savings, because of the financial mess the previous administration left us in, because of the credit crunch, and because of the impact of concessionary bus fares.

I’m sure that readers will understand that in the current financial situation, there are difficult choices to be made. And yes, we are tightening our belts.

But the funds that will be frozen or reduced next year are just a tiny part of the overall support that the city council gives to charities and community groups in Oxford. Every year we hand out more than £1.6m. And no matter what, we will still do so this year.

This figure includes more than £500,000 to support advice and debt services, nearly £450,000 to support homeless people, and £330,000 for art, music and theatre – not to mention thousands of pounds of grants to local groups running everything from lunch clubs to adventure playgrounds.

Funding through area committees for work in less affluent areas will also be maintained, as will the emergency grants programme for community groups.

Scaremongering talk of “drastic cuts” (Oxford Mail, January 26) is just plain wrong.

ANTONIA BANCE, City Councillor, Silkdale Close, Oxford