Women's Centre Derry has been denied vital replacement funding from the UK Government to continue its employment and education services.
£350,000 in EU funding, previously granted through the ESF Fund, will be lost as a result of the decision as well as many vital services in the city and county.
Six jobs, held by some colleagues who have been working at the Centre for over twenty years, were lost instantly at the annoucnement of the decision.
The Women's Centre had applied last Christmas for the replacement funding, an option made available at very short notice, for the UK Government's Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
Unfortunately, they were not granted the funding for the vital educational and employment resources they provided and six jobs were lost instantly at the centre.
On Friday, March 31, it was announced that a £57 million funding package had been allocated to charities and community groups in Northern Ireland facing financial crisis due to the loss of European Union funding. Only 3.4% of the funding was allocated to Derry.
Eighteen projects covering around 100 organisations across the region will receive backing through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) with a focus on helping support people into work.
Derry's Women centre was not selected. The vital employment service provided at Derry's Women's Centre, the Waterside Women's Centre and any future hope of staff at the Strathfoyle Centre have now been lost.
Catherine Barr at the Women's Centre in Derry has said the news is devastating, "This decision impacts the employment and education services we have been offering for over 10 years to the women of Derry.
"We also had to say goodbye to six of our amazing skilled colleagues and friends.
"The people of Derry and Northern Ireland need a government that works for us. We need the funding to provide these vital services.
"We will still be able to provide our other services through different funding channels but this is a major blow for the city.
"We provide women with the skills and confidence they need to pursue employment. This includes women from all backgrounds; women with small children, older women who don't want to retire or go to college and women who have been out of work for twenty years to raise their family.
"It is a safe space for women and their children. Even if the women don't come to us initially looking to take part in the employment and educational services, often their confidence builds so much that it is an avenue they pursue.
"With the cuts, we can no longer provide the employment and educational services in the city and the Waterside and now any hope of these services being made available in Strathfoyle has been stripped away."
Catherine said the news is awful but they will continue to support women every way they can.
"There are other avenues and we will work with other organisations to steer the women who come to us in the right direction if they want to seek employment and education services.
"We will keep applying over the next couple of years for any grants made available and hopefully we can restore these services to women in our local area, we won't give up."
SDLP MLA Sinead McLaughin has written to the Secretary of State to demand the funding be reinstated.
Ms McLaughlin said: "I am pleased to have secured cross-party support from all Foyle MLAs for my letter calling on the Secretary of State to restore funding to women’s groups in Derry.
"Derry knows the invaluable role they have played in our city over the years, providing vital support and delivering educational and employment opportunities to those who need them most.
"The loss of ESF money without adequate replacement from the UK government has the potential to devastate our women’s sector.
"The Women’s Centre Derry, Waterside Women’s Centre and Strathfoyle Women’s Activities Group have all been impacted.
"Together, we are appealing directly to the Secretary of State to recognise the severity of this situation and to intervene and make sure these groups are properly funded."
Ms McLaughlin's colleague, SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan, praised the life-changing services that Women's Centre Derry provide to women in the city and beyond.
Mr Durkan said: "Through ESF funding, Women's Centre Derry has delivered life-changing courses to women here for over a decade.
"I have spoken to women who've benefited brilliantly from them and seen for myself the value of this programme.
"Our thoughts are with the dedicated workers, their colleagues and course participants.
"It is disgraceful that we are left without a government to rally around and support this group and other local groups who have been decimated by the removal of European funding as a result of Brexit and the failure of the Tories to adequately replace it as promised."
