MORE than £1.4m will be ploughed into charities working in some of Oxford's most disadvantaged areas under proposals for a grant programme.

It includes over £100,000 in grants for support organisations working with young people, pensioners, vulnerable families, the disabled, victims of domestic abuse and refugees.

But some groups are set to lose out, after Oxford City Council said it received bids for nearly double the amount of cash it had available.

The authority has proposed £107,500 of grants but was asked for a total of £206,553 across 29 bids.

Christine Simm, executive board member for culture and communities, said: "Our grants budget is coming under increasing pressure year on year and as an authority we are having to deal with the results of ongoing cuts in government funding.

"We are very aware that children's centres and supportive housing organisations are suffering terribly at the moment and that is putting increasing pressure on us to help fund services for vulnerable people.

"The voluntary sector in Oxford has always been extremely active though and is trying to do its best to help people.

"In a lot of cases even where we have not been able to give charities everything they have asked for we have given them some money which we hope can be used as leverage to bring in funds from other sources.

"Unfortunately we do have those funding constraints and so we have to decide how to spend our money as wisely as possible.

"But I'm proud we are able to help these organisations and we are very supportive of the brilliant work they do in our communities."

The city council said those charities chosen had a focus on helping communities in the city where more people are on lower incomes, such as Blackbird Leys, Cutteslowe, Barton and Rose Hill.

A panel of council officers assessed bids using criteria such as whether there was evidence showing services were needed and how it could be monitored for success.

One example included a bid by In2scienceUK, which helps young people from low-income households learn about science, technology and maths to inspire them to consider possible careers in those areas.

The city council panel noted it was a 'strong' bid, adding: "The panel agreed that unless this type of intervention was done it is unlikely that disadvantaged young people would have the opportunity to get into [science, technology and maths] internships."

It provided £4,940 of the £9,880 asked for – 50 per cent – to fund a 'small scale' pilot project in Blackbird Leys.

The grants were in addition to £1.3m of services it has commissioned from charities, including £35,000 for A2 Dominion Housing Group, £15,000 for the Oxford Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre and £43,700 for Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action.

The Oxford Citizens Advice bureau is also due to receive £200,000 and Modern Art Oxford will receive £70,000 for rent relief.