CHARITY bosses fear that York's image as an affluent and attractive city may be blocking bids for urgently-needed cash.

Some voluntary workers believe that York "doesn't hit the right buttons" for lottery-funded grants, despite pockets of deprivation.

Leaders at Older Citizens' Advocacy York (OCAY) said their future is in jeopardy after a recent bid was turned down. They believe lottery bosses cannot see past the "beautiful face" of York to see the real needs of vulnerable and older people.

Meanwhile it has emerged that the Council for Voluntary Services, in Priory Street, has also been turned down for funding.

Chief executive Colin Stroud said: "A year or two ago the lottery became much more focused on targeted groups of people.

"It's probably fair to say that York doesn't hit the right buttons, but I would've thought that older people were certainly in there, so OCAY being turned down does surprise me."

But a Big Lottery Fund spokeswoman said today that grants were allocated to priority areas, which included disadvantaged older people and their carers.

She said OCAY had been turned down because it failed to meet the required standard of grant budget costing.

It was claimed last week that a £300,000 application by The Samaritans in Sheffield was rejected because the group did not help "the right sort of people".

Linda Tester, of OCAY, said the charity's bid for funding could have been rejected because York was seen as wealthy, despite having pockets of deprivation throughout the city.

OCAY was set up in 2001 using lottery funding in order to promote the rights, welfare and well-being of people aged 60 plus. It needs £60,000 a year to continue its work.

As reported in the Evening Press last week the charity has until June to raise the money or it will fold.

A spokeswoman for the Big Lottery Fund said the group wrote to OCAY last year to explain the decision and to invite leaders to a workshop on the application process.

She added that the group received more than £180,000 from the fund for three years, from January 2002 onwards.

York has received more than £15 million in lottery funding in various forms since the charity was established in 1995.

Updated: 11:14 Wednesday, February 16, 2005