​Councillors are due to make a decision on whether to pull funding from a major mental health charity

The decision on whether to pull lifeline funding from a frontline charity will be taken tomorrow (Thursday).

Councillors will decide the fate of Glasgow Association of Mental Health (GAMH) at a full council meeting.

Trade union Unison has accused Glasgow City Council of “bully boy tactics”, saying there has been no prior consultation.

GAMH staff and service users say withdrawing local authority cash will mean the charity – which helps some of society’s most vulnerable – will close.

A demo will take place outside the City Chambers on George Square on Thursday at 12.45pm.

Councillors face making a life or death decision and we want them to stand up for the city’s most vulnerable

Unison says the council’s decision will be taken based on a report which GAMH has yet to see.

GAMH was notified late on Tuesday evening that commissioners want to hold an urgent meeting with the charity on Wednesday– less than 24 hours before a decision is to be made.

Unison says a decision to axe funding will take mental health provision in the city back to the 1970s.

Deborah Dyer, regional organiser for Unison, said: “GAMH were told in spring this year that their service would be reviewed. This review was ongoing when cuts were announced and in November they were told the report was being rewritten for financial reasons. Since then, there has been no consultation with GAMH on the report or its findings.

“And today, less than 24 hours before a decision is due to be made that will decide the fate of the charity, commissioners call for an urgent meeting. This is nothing short of ‘bully-boy’ tactics and we demand councillors take urgent action to put any decision on hold until full and thorough consultation has been carried out.

An independent report commissioned by GAMH shows every pound spent with the charity saves the public purse £6. That means for an annual investment of £2.1 million, the city saves £11.1 million.

Dyer said: “The financial cost if GAMH is to close is staggering. But while the city stands to lose millions of pounds each year, the cost to the most vulnerable people of Glasgow is far greater. Those suffering from mental health issues have varied and complex needs and basing provision on cost alone is farcical. The model being proposed in the report is not a recovery model but a service model and is a backward step.

“The work that GAMH carry out across the city saves more than just money - it saves lives - and we can’t turn our backs on the people who rely on this essential service.

"GAMH cannot continue to provide a city-wide service on the budget suggested and, given the city stands to lose millions through the closure of this charity, serious questions have to be raised about the council’s fiscal competence.

"Councillors face making a life or death decision and we want them to stand up for the city’s most vulnerable - save GAMH, save public money and, most importantly, save lives.”

A city council spokesman said: "The council has been under substantial financial pressure in recent years and it has been widely anticipated that we are still expected to find further savings."