DESPERATE disabled club members are begging the community to dig deep - after "mean" councillors refused to give them the £150 grant their group needs to survive.

Basildon Council's ruling Tories have been branded Scrooges for refusing to renew the annual grant for the Rainbow Club, a social group for the blind, partially-sighted and disabled.

The organisation fundraises for the poor, sick and disabled and offers a social meeting place for members at Vange Hall, in Swan Mead.

Club treasurer Dorothy Hole, 71, of Quilters Close, Basildon, said: "We are not the only small club they've done it to. We only charge £3.50 a fortnight, so the club has to cover the rest.

"It's not a lot of money to the council, when you consider how much the council spends on food at all the meetings it holds."

Although a small sum, she says the grant would have paid two thirds of the club's annual rent for Vange Hall.

Basildon Council Labour group's deputy leader Allan Davies branded the decision mean. He added: "This is a Scrooge mentality.

"We are only talking about £150 to the council, but it is very important to the Rainbow Club, which is valued by its members."

Council spokesman Ray McKay said the council had temporarily suspended grants to some organisations, pending a review of its whole grants system.

He added: "We continue to provide grants to key voluntary groups in the district."