A march through Leicester at the weekend to protest against a 2m reduction in voluntary sector grants attracted 1,500 people.
The council will decide on 25 February whether to go ahead with the cuts, which would reduce funding to 180 voluntary groups and result in the closure of the St Matthew's Children Action Group, eight adventure playgrounds and Ajani, a centre for African Caribbean children (News, 14 January).
The demonstration came amid signs the council was preparing to grant some of the organisations a reprieve after a number of Liberal Democrat councillors threatened to rebel.
