Government funding for the financial assistance programme has increased by 5 per cent for the upcoming financial year.

But the rest of the Ministry of Community, Culture and Sport has been subject to significant cash cuts to tackle Bermuda’s debt crisis.

Patricia Gordon-Pamplin told the House of Assembly this week that her ministry’s overall budget of $84.2 million had been cut by more than $2.1 million from the previous year.

She announced a raft of cost-cutting measures in which funding was reduced to the Mirrors programme, child and family services, foster care and youth counselling.

Revealing that the budget allocation for the Mirrors programme had decreased by $229,000 to $743,000, Ms Gordon-Pamplin said: “This allocation will allow the foundation support for Mirrors to hold one intensive residential cycle for the 15 to 18-year-old participants and two middle school programmes.

“The allocation requires community funding support to execute these programmes and associated trainings, which includes one parent workshop for financial year 2015-16.

“The Mirrors mentoring programme will be phased out to allow Mirrors to focus on coaching at the middle and high school levels. It is our intention to support the Big Brothers and Big Sisters organisation for mentoring services.”

Child and Family Services’ budget for 2015-16 of $14.9 million represents a funding cut of more than $2 million.

The cost-cutting measures have reduced funding to grant recipients and are also expected to have a significant impact on the Happy Valley Child Care Centre.

Ms Gordon-Pamplin told the House: “As a result of this decrease, and in an attempt to contain expenditure within budget, the feeding programme, clothing programme and enrichment programme will be curtailed so as to minimise the impact on the wraparound services provided to high-risk children referred for care and a head start at the Happy Valley Child Care Centre.

“In an effort to operate more cost-effectively, the department has explored fee-for-service options and has decreased funding to grant recipients the Cross Ministry Initiative, Women’s Resource Centre, Physical Abuse Centre, Teen Services and Foster Care by $50,000.

“The budget allocated for grants in 2015-16 is $400,000 as a result of reducing Teen Services’ grant from $200,000 to $175,000.”

Community and Cultural Affairs has had its budget cut by $330,000 to $3.081 million.

Ms Gordon-Pamplin announced a series of cost-cutting measures to Bermuda Day celebrations, but also outlined a significant financial boost for the funding for National Heroes Day.

“To ensure expenditure is contained within budget, the department will be implementing certain cost-cutting measures, such as a reduction in the number of parade marshals employed to manage the movement of the parade.

“Where possible, adjustments will be made to security personnel, together with the number of boxes of dried flowers ordered for float-making. Dried flowers are provided to the public [at no cost] to encourage participation.

“The amount budgeted [for National Heroes Day] for financial year 2015/16 is $58,000. This is an increase of $48,000 compared with the original budget and has become necessary because the Government is hopeful that the naming committee will receive appropriate nominations on which it can deliberate, with a view to selecting a new national hero and to hosting an appropriate ceremony for the occasion.

“Nomination forms are already in circulation and must be returned to the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs located in the Dame Lois Browne-Evans Building by Friday, March 13.”