A community service described as a ‘vital lifeline’ to some of the borough’s most vulnerable residents will not receive any further funding from the council – throwing its future into doubt.

This morning, the cabinet member for adult services, Councillor Angie Bean, confirmed the council remains set on cutting funds from Community Transport Waltham Forest.

The ‘door to store’ shopping service run by the charity helps elderly and disabled people who cannot go shopping and have no family to put meals on their table.

Service users held a petition earlier in the week – many of them fearing they will need costly care workers if the service is cancelled.

Kathy Ronny, 64, from Leytonstone said she cannot travel and her husband cannot carry bags due to arthritis and other conditions.

She said the move will ‘take away’ her last bit of independence.

The current cost to the council is £27,000 per year - a cost which the charity believes is 'minimal' compared to what care costs for all service users would be.

Cllr Angie Bean, Cabinet Member for Adult Services said it is no longer possible for the council to help them.

“We recognise the valuable contribution that Community Transport makes to residents’ lives and this decision was not taken lightly,” she added.

“Their funding originally came from the Conditional Grants programme which ended in 2012 and at that time, we made them aware of the financial situation.

“Due to an underspend in our strategic commissioning budget in 2013 and 2014, we have since been able to continue funding them on a year to year basis while other organisations did not get any support, but this was always a short-term solution and Community Transport were aware of this.

“Now that there is no surplus funding and we have to make savings, we have sadly had to give them two months’ notice that their funding will end on 9 May 2015.”