Community and voluntary representatives from across Northern Ireland were joined by former Ulster and Ireland rugby star as they gathered outside the Northern Ireland Office Headquarters in protest,
It comes as groups warn about the serious implications of cuts to mental health provision within schools as organisations have been forced to issue staff with protective redundancy notices.
As representatives from the orgnaisations tried to hand in a letter to the Secretary of State, they were initially refused access to the building before a Civil Servant was sent out to accept the letter on his behalf.
Read more: Day of action called over community and voluntary sector cuts as staff given redundancy notices
Addressing the crowd who had gathered outside Erskine House, which included former Ireland and Lions rugby player Tommy Bowe, Katie Louise Spence from the Active Communities Network explained how they will be impacted by the cuts.
"On Friday 31st March the Active Communities Network were informed that they were unsuccessful in their application to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund," she said.
"This fund is part of the wider Levelling Up fund allocated from Westminster. Central Government outlined that the fund would replace the European Social Fund.
"The ESF budget was £55 million per year for NI. The UK SPF is £57 million over two years. How could this replace the ESF programme?"
Katie Louise requested a meeting with the Secretary of State, Chris Heaton Harris and asked that he speaks to young people who have benefitted from the ESF programme to hear how they are impacted by the lack of funding support.
"Our ESF project met over and above it's targets and we received and outstanding outcome in our Education and Training inspection.
"Active Communities Network were used as a model of good practice by the Department for the Economy. On the final day of ESF funding, the Department for Levelling Up informed us via email to say that the Active Communities Network had met the matrix for the UK SPF but after ministerial considerations we had not been selected for funding.
"No feedback was given and we had no right to appeal.
"Our young people and staff team have a right to fair and due process. They are victims of mismanagement and unfair decisions.
"It is only right that the young people who are affected by the decision should be given a reason as to why it was taken."
Charles Lamberton from the Neigbourhood Renewal Forum which represents 36 neighbourhood renewal partnerships across Northern Ireland said that the community and voluntary sector are under serious attack.
"What we have seen is serious cuts to the ESF programme. The youth sector and neighbourhood renewal projects have been given a three month contract to deliver our programmes.
"These are the services which led the community response during the pandemic and we are told that we are on the front line for cuts from a Tory minister."
Stevie Johnston from the East Belfast Partnership said that 11 groups funded within East Belfast will be directly affected by these cuts.
"Our services are going to be in jeopardy for the future. These are services from childcare, helping people back into employment and running the likes of telephone services to people who are in danger of isolation.
"All of those people are going to be directly affected by this."
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