An arts centre is confident about its future despite having its funding from Hampshire County Council slashed by more than 50 per cent this year.
Fairfields Art Centre on Council Road, Basingstoke, hosts exhibitions by artists across the county and drama and dance shows.
But county council chiefs decided last month to reduce its annual budget award from April to £22,884 – from 48,177 last year.
And the centre will lose all its funding from the county council the following year.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council also pays out £41,000 in grants and an additional £40,000 in subsided rent to the centre.
Fairfields Art Centre chairman, Phil Howe said the county council’s decision was a blow, but he was confident the centre can keep going.
He said: “Hampshire County Council has regretfully reduced the centre’s funding.
“When the verdict came through the board was disappointed.
“However, Fairfields now has a re-invigorated board of trustees who have been responding positively and working hard on addressing issues raised.”
Concerns about Fairfield’s performance were raised in a report to the county council in 2009 and last year it posted a loss of £34,200.
In a bid to boost the centre’s performance, the county council said it had to work alongside an independent business consultant.
But despite this help, they still had issues over its board of trustees and fundraising plans.
Cllr Margaret Snaith-Tempia, executive member for culture and recreation, said: “In January 2010, very limited progress had been made.
“Fairfields was told that improvement was still necessary and that an independent organisational appraisal would be undertaken in Autumn 2010.
“It has been concluded that, due to poor business planning, staffing arrangements, governance and risk management, the organisation had been unable to improve its performance in the period and that, in the light of this, funding to the organisation will be phased out.”
Mr Howe said that by launching a Friends of Fairfields scheme and seeking out corporate sponsorship the center’s future should remain safe.
He said: “New ideas and programmes will keep the centre active as a safe, warm and welcoming place where people with shared interests can come to dance, sing, paint, make and listen to music, be creative, see some fantastic art and, above all, have fun. I firmly believe Fairfields is a valued local organisation with a positive future.”
