SINGLE parents across Glasgow who benefit from the work of One Parent Families Scotland are said to be “distressed” at the news the flagship city service faces a 100% cut to core funding.

Bosses at the charity said they only found out on Friday that its lifeline money would stop in September due to recommendations made to the Glasgow Communities Fund.

The organisation, which has been working in Glasgow for 14 years, has called on its service users and supporters to petition local councillors and ask for the cuts to be stopped.

Satwat Rehman, OPFS’s chief executive, said: “The Covid-19 virus pandemic is still creating a unique challenge for single parents and their children, as they depend on one income and don’t have the support of another adult in the home to share childcare and parenting responsibilities.

“We believe the expertise and ­experience of our community-based services will be vital in the recovery effort that lies ahead.

“In the hardest of times, our service in Glasgow has risen to the challenges thrown at us and ­involved parents in all our work.

“To weather the worst and rebuild, we need this kind of community-minded approach which is tailored to single parents’ particular needs.

“We, and the parents we work with, are dismayed that now, when families need it most, our vital Glasgow services face drastic cuts.”

In Glasgow, four in 10 families are single parent families, the highest rate in Scotland, and children living in single parent families are twice as likely to live in poverty.

The charity works in Maryhill, Canal, Pollok, Cranhill, Tollcross, Govan, Shettleston, Knightswood, Possil Park, Easterhouse, Bridgeton and Denniston.

During the past six months, OPFS Glasgow has extended a range of support to 1423 single parent households worth more than £582,000.

In those six months, among ­other supports, it has delivered 4949 lunch packs and food parcels, food vouchers and essentials to 1260 children and babies during lockdown as well as giving benefits and debt advice to 372 single parent families, adding £500,000 in total to their income.

It has also:

lAssisted 837 families with energy costs amounting to £41,614 for families who couldn’t afford the cost of heating their home or cooking.

lGiven crisis support to ensure the health and wellbeing of 833 parents and 1333 children.

lGiven 590 single parents telephone and on-line advice on issues such as child maintenance, separating from your partner and child contact and residence issues.