FURIOUS supporters of a charity for mentally disabled children are reeling today after funding was re-directed – to young offenders.Angry mother-of-two Amanda Dibenga spoke to The Evening Star after it was confirmed that the Orwell Genesis Mencap project, held on Saturday mornings in Ipswich, was to be closed.

By Victoria Knowles

FURIOUS supporters of a charity for mentally disabled children are reeling today after funding was re-directed – to young offenders.

Angry mother-of-two, Amanda Dibenga, spoke to The Evening Star today after it was confirmed that the Orwell Genesis Mencap project, held on Saturday mornings in Ipswich, was to be closed after its bid for £100,000 was refused by the Children's Fund.

She said: "We received a letter from the Children's Fund which said it could not help us this year. It said that the government had set the Children's Fund some tight targets around the youth offending services with an expectation that 25 per cent of their projects meet criteria laid down by the Children's and Young People's Unit and the Youth Justice Board."

Mrs Dibenga said the message being taken from such action was that crime pays.

"If I am interpreting this correctly it means that children with disabilities are being bypassed, so that funds can be given to youths who offend against society," she said.

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