At last month's meeting of Forfar Community Council, Forfar councillor Glennis Middleton, chairman of the local charity, revealed Angus Council had withdrawn annual funding of £28,000 which would take effect from next April.

The running of the store will move over to a voucher scheme run in tandem with funding from the Increase Programme for Social Enterprise - if the resource store's application to the latter is successful.

Councillor Middleton explained: "We have been given a year's grace. When someone is assessed as being homeless they will be given a voucher which they can bring down to the resource store.

"I don't know if we will survive to be honest with you.

"We are in the process of completing an application to the Increase Programme which would mean we would have to turn ourselves into a business, and that would be a huge cultural change."

Mrs Middleton explained the resource store did not just deliver a service to people who had been assessed as homeless.

"Yes, we are aware there are one or two who, over the years, have abused the service, but in the main we have been very pleased to be able to help the people that we have.

"In the past year we delivered a service to about 1500 people and that's a huge thanks to the people who donated.

"We recycled 200 tonnes of furniture that was donated to us last year.

"We are very grateful, we will try to struggle on."

Community Council Chairman Mrs Isobel Ross spoke of how far the resource store had come in recent years, moving from their cramped premises in Chapel Street to Don Street.

She praised the organisational skills of those involved.

Community service

Mrs Middleton stated the store had its own vehicle and, as well as providing clothes and furniture to those in need, it provided a valuable step-up for those involved in community service.

They often went on to become volunteers and gain full-time employment.

"We were given £28,000 a year by Angus Council and we averaged out we could furnish an entire house for £31. However, we could not demonstrate that we were value for money, I'm afraid."

She explained the number of people referred to the store will be capped and that figure will include Arbroath and Montrose.

"The amount they will get will also be capped. I think it is a disgrace.

"I don't think there's any shame in being poor. There a lot of very nice people who have fallen on hard times.

"It is unfortunate we are having to go down this road. It will be very difficult for us but we have to survive.

"We are all working together and are trying hard. We will just have to see how things go but it would be very sad if it had to close."

After the meeting councillor Middleton revealed the Forfar Resource Store helped a variety of people, from all walks of life, who found themselves in a position where they could not go out and purchase new items, or replace items that had worn out.

"The people of Angus have donated in their thousands to the resource store.

"The store was initially run by the W.R.V.S. in Chapel Street and when they pulled out, I became involved.

"It provides such a valuable service in number of different ways.

"We provide furniture and household goods to those people who need them; we provide a service for those who have unwanted items as we pick them up and take them away.

"And as far as recycling is concerned we recycle 200 tonnes of items which don't end up in landfill.

"Those on community service who work for us are paying back their community in a very real way. There are so many good points - the resource store is a real community project."

More meetings

Mrs Middleton stated they were awaiting more meetings with Angus Council to learn how the voucher scheme will work.

"It is still not clear. We have been told there will be a cap on the number of vouchers that they will give to people in need in a year.

"I think it's a very short sighted decision Angus Council has taken.

"We are currently working on applying to the Increase Programme for social enterprise which means that, if we are successful in our bid, we will get funding which will decrease year on year over a three year period.

"At the end of that three years hopefully we will be self sufficient."

One of the problems with the new voucher scheme is that they will only be available for those who are presented as homeless.

Mrs Middleton continued: "We exist to distribute household items to everyone who is need. Not everyone who is in need will be presented as homeless.

"There are the elderly who rely on a state pension, there may be those affected by a family break down, a marital break down, a bereavement.

"It is also very difficult, in this day and age, to save up for essential house hold items if you are on a fixed income and you have rent, council tax, gas and electricity to pay.

"Angus Council has a statutory responsibility for the wellbeing of all its citizens and we are working very hard to ensure this continues."

The decision to change the funding for the store was taken at a meeting of Angus Council's Neighbourhood Services Committee earlier this year.

In a report by Ron Ashton, director of Neighbourhood Services, he stated financial support would continue to the three furniture projects in Angus but would become "person centred."

The voucher system, favoured by a number of other local authorities to access essential items, was proposed.

A voucher for up to £450 for a single person, and £650 for a couple would be issued to "purchase" a range of recycled goods allowing the household, when moving out of temporary accommodation, to set up a tenancy.

Commenting on the introduction of the voucher scheme, a spokesperson for Angus Council said: "Angus Council's main priorities are to tackle homelessness and to meet our statutory duties to provide permanent accommodation for all unintentionally homeless people by 2012.

"We plan to achieve this in a number of ways, including actively pursuing the use of furniture recycling projects to create permanent tenancies.

"We plan to introduce a voucher scheme to enable people moving out of homelessness accommodation into permanent homes to 'purchase' a range of recycled goods and set up home.

"A voucher scheme has worked well in other local authorities areas.

"The council will, however, continue to give financial support during the current financial year to the furniture recycling projects in Angus."