MORE than half the groups providing care for elderly people in Croydon have lost their council funding.

The future of 19 care associations across the borough was plunged into doubt this week after the council voted to cut their grants.

Many must now plug huge shortfalls in cash before their money runs out in December, or face closure.

A further 16 groups, whose bids for continued council funding were successful, now face an anxious wait to see how much money they will get.

This will come from a new pot of money, called the Innovation and Enabling Fund, which it is believed will total £1.1 million a year.

It will be shared between 11 different care in the community umbrella groups – of which care associations is one.

While these 16 groups will at least get some money, the unlucky ones reacted with fury after their funding cuts were approved at Monday's full council meeting.

Pensioners from New Addington Good Samaritans Pop-In staged a protest outside their centre on Tuesday.

The council had provided a grant of £44,800 a year to the estate's only care association, which represents 60 per cent of the 51-year-old group's budget.

As a petition to save the centre reached 500 names, manager Ruth Symes said: "It's looking disastrously bad. We are raising money like mad but it won't be enough.

"We're supposed to be getting some money to help us survive until December, but come Christmas that will be that."

Christian Family Network, based in Upper Norwood, also lost its funding.

Its volunteers have been providing a befriending service to isolated elderly people for the past six years.

Founder, Rev Joy Roy, admits the loss of its £2,000 annual grant may force the service to fold if alternative funds can't be found.

She said: "To lose the befriending service would be a very big blow for the 30 people who have come to rely on it for companionship."

Each association's bid was assessed against seven criteria including how each group improved quality of life, independence and health.

The successful bids now move onto a second phase, which involves an independent review panel with experience of elderly care assessing the relative merits of each group.

The cuts follow the news that the council is reducing the money it gives to voluntary groups from £2 million to £625,500 a year.

Many of the voluntary groups which have lost their funding also support the elderly.

Margaret Mead, the council's cabinet member for health and adult social care, says the council will not simply abandon the care associations which have lost out.

She said: "We cannot offer guarantees to the unsuccessful groups but we will work with them to find alternative sources of funding."