A CHILDREN'S charity providing vital outreach support to isolated families across West Somerset is on the brink of a financial crisis after losing almost half its funding.

CLOWNS has been delivering a range of play and learning opportunities to outlying rural areas for the past 18 years, growing from small grass root beginnings into a major voluntary organisation with an annual turnover of just over £163,000 last year.

But funding cuts mean that from April a total of £80,000 will be slashed from its budget.

Two of its 11-strong workforce will lose their jobs and the remaining nine staff have been told their hours - and wages - will be cut by 50 per cent.

The current outreach family support service, which provides up to 12 sessions a week to different families in a bid to reduce isolation, will end unless alternative funding can be found.

And the number of 'physical family fun' sessions - currently six a week - will be significantly cut.

CLOWNS manager Kathy Morton said the funding crisis was the worst in the charity's history.

And she said CLOWNS provided a unique service that was now under threat.

"We are not aware of any other agencies providing such a variety of mobile provision across West Somerset," she said.

"We have developed a track record of delivering quality, affordable provision in a fun, non-threatening and non-judge- mental way.

"On the back of this, serious family support is carried out.

"Despite our idyllic environment, West Somerset contains some of the most deprived wards in Somerset and the region - around one fifth of children in the district live in households dependent on benefits."

The funding crisis is the result of grant aid from the National Lottery and the children's charity Barnardo's - through Somerset County Council - coming to an end.

The physical family fun sessions have received lottery funding for the past five years, with the outreach family support service funded over the same period by the county council.

Other CLOWNS services, including the distinctive playbus, toy library, scrapstore and holiday playschemes, are unaffected at the moment.

Mrs Morton said most people thought of CLOWNS purely as the double decker playbus.

"But we are so much more than that," she said.

"Living in a rural area and not having transport makes it difficult for some families to access a social supportive group or help when needed.

"It means disadvantaged children lack social opportunities for shared play and families in rural areas risk delayed identification of children with difficulties."

Mrs Morton said funding was increasingly difficult to obtain and, as manager, she was really concerned for the future.

Many of the staff have been with the organisation for years.

Davina Jones-Bartlett, who has worked for CLOWNS for more than ten years, said the financial impact of a cut in hours and wages was a major issue.

"I have a family and a mortgage," she said.

"However, I feel a huge responsibility to the families we visit, especially those with the outreach van.

"We offer a unique service and I am very concerned what will happen to these and future families if no funding is found."

Another worker with ten years' service under her belt, Jo Phippen, said it would be "heartbreaking" if the services stopped.

Ema Rowe, one of the two staff set to lose her job, said vulnerable isolated families would have even less contact with people in their communities, while Melanie Atkins, who has been with CLOWNS for nine years, said she would not be able to survive a 50 per cent reduction in salary and would have no alternative but to look for another full-time job.

Jackie Barnes, a CLOWNS employee for the past seven years, said the impact of the reduced hours would be considerable for her but the impact within the local community of the loss of services would be huge.

Families who value the services provided by CLOWNS have also spoken of their sadness and anger at the impact of the funding cuts.

Debbie McKenna said her two daughters had experienced fun, exercise and social interaction over a number of years.

"I am saddened that there is a lack of understanding on how serious this problem is," she said.

"In the long term, as well as the short term, I fear we will all feel the effects of losing such a precious and well-run service."

And Paul Arvidson from West Bagborough, whose daughter suffers from cerebellar ataxia and global developmental delay, said her progression since the CLOWNS outreach van started visiting the village a year ago had been quite staggering: "The CLOWNS service has massively helped with her development and socialisation."

Funding for the coming financial year has been secured from West Somerset Council, Lloyds TSB and the lottery, with small grants - just a few hundreds of pounds - from local county councillors towards healthy activities.

The charity is still awaiting decisions on a number of other grant applications but Mrs Morton said she was concerned for the team of staff.

"There is a real possibility we could lose all of them as they need to find employment with additional hours," she said.

"If this happens, a considerable amount of knowledge, expertise and skills will be lost and CLOWNS will not be in a position to continue to give much needed support to families across West Somerset."

Photo: Steve Guscott