DECISIONS on which community centres will receive Bradford Council grants has seen winners and losers across Keighley.

Some centres in local neighbourhoods have won enough money from the cash-strapped council to get them by during the next 12 months.

But others, including the Keith Thompson Centre in Braithwaite, could be forced to cut services to make ends meet after seeing their grants reduced.

The council’s Keighley Area Committee has revealed a total £50,383 payout to 11 community groups to subsidise the running costs of their premises during the financial year beginning next month.

The grants, ranging from £2,000 to £8,000 each, will be repeated in the 2018/19 financial year, subject to Bradford continuing to allocate a district-wide budget for community centres.

One of the winners is Bracken Bank Community Association whose £4,075 grant will cover about a third of the running costs of the estate’s Sue Belcher Centre.

But Braithwaite People’s Association has received just £2,365 towards the cost of running the Keith Thompson Centre on Guard House Ring.

Alec Brown, a leading volunteer member of both associations, said he “quite happy” with the Bracken Bank grant, which would supplement income from room hire, events, sponsorship and Youth Service support.

But he said: “The Keith Thompson Centre is a bigger problem, because the grant is about half what we normally get.

“We don’t know why the grant has been reduced – I think it’s because we have a community cafe to generate income, but that doesn’t always cover our costs.

“We’re going to have to start charging groups to use the centre and they can’t all afford to pay. Some groups will go – including the mother and toddler group.”

Keighley Area Committee have also set aside £14,017 as a contingency fund to support new and existing groups that needed help in coming months, particularly those taking on responsibility for Bradford Council community buildings.

The fund could also subsidise groups who suffer adversely due to unforeseen costs or further budget cuts. Some of the centres are awaiting the outcome of applications to other sources, such as Public Health bodies.

The full grant payout: Bangladeshi Community Association (Knowle Park), £4,750; Hainworth Wood Community Centre, £4,020; Highfield Community Association, £7,950; Keighley Disabled People’s Centre (Temple Row Centre), £8,000; Keighley Association for Women and Children’s Centre (Lawkholme), £5,193; Long Lee Village Hall, £2, 500; Oxenhope Community Association, £4,250; Roshni Ghar (central Keighley), £2,000; The Good Shepherd (central Keighley), £4,280.