COMMUNITY workers helping children and families on a deprived estate in North Oxford could lose their jobs because of council funding cuts.

For the past three years, Oxford City Council has given £10,000 to help pay for two workers at Cutteslowe Community Centre in Wren Road.

But this year, Cutteslowe Community Association was told it would only receive £2,500 because the council is pushing through more than £5m of budget cuts.

Now community workers Liz Edwards and Anna Thornhill fear their jobs are at risk.

Ms Edwards, who has been a community worker at the centre for the past year, said: “We work with young and old people in the community in an area where there is a fairly high level of deprivation, families on low incomes and a risk of crime.

“We are probably saving the council money because we are preventing problems from escalating.

“The council thinks it is making a short-term saving, but it will be reaping long-term costs.”

Liberal Democrat city councillor Jean Fooks, who represents North Oxford, unsuccessfully lobbied the council’s decision-making executive in a bid to restore the £10,000 grant.

She said: “This is core funding which goes towards a £30,000 salary bill, with two people sharing one full-time post.

“The community workers bring everyone together and co-ordinate the outreach work in a deprived area.

“The executive board agreed £40,000 of funding over two years for the Dovecote Centre in Greater Leys, which seems to be an inconsistent approach.

“It’s no use the Labour group telling us to pay out of area committee money because that funding is being frozen.”

Labour city councillor Antonia Bance, who oversees grant applications, said: “The council has had to make £5m of savings, but it has still found £1.6m of grants for community and voluntary organisations in the city.

“This decision is by no means a reflection on the excellent work that is being done in Cutteslowe.”

Matthew Dieppe, who is on the management committee of the community association, said Lottery funding was more difficult to obtain because of the 2012 London Olympics.

He added: “We fundraise and receive far more from other sources than we get from the council, but their modest contribution gives us the credibility to fundraise elsewhere.”

affrench@oxfordmail.co.uk