Mental health charity closes with immediate effect

The charity provided various mental health support services

An Aberdeen charity which provides mental health counselling has announced it has closed with immediate effect.

Mental Health Aberdeen (MHA) said it had taken the decision after "working tirelessly to explore all available options."

The charity - which operated for 75 years - added it faced a complex set of circumstances, including growing pressure on its services.

In a statement the charity said funding had been reduced or withdrawn and rising operational costs including a "significant increase" in National Insurance contributions led to the closure.

MHA provided various services including counselling, services in schools and community projects.

Announcing the closure the charity said: "Despite the team's tireless efforts to meet rising demand, our current income can no longer sustain the level of service we aim to provide.

"Like many third sector organisations across the country, we are facing the stark reality of being asked to do more with less - a position that is no longer viable."

MHA also called on "funders, partners, decision-makers, and government policy makers" to recognise the need for more investment in mental health services.

It added: "It is vital that charities, like ours, are given the tools and resources to continue delivering essential services to those who need them most, before it's too late."

'Remaining assets'

Charity regulator OSCR said: "As part of the wind-up process, they must apply to OSCR for consent.

"During this process, we will engage with them to ensure that any remaining assets are used solely for charitable purposes, as required by charity law."

Last year a number of charities warned they had "nowhere to cut" and their operations were in jeopardy due to the increase in employers' National Insurance.

The UK government said at the time that it supported charities through a "world-leading tax regime which provided £6bn in relief for the sector in the last year alone".

It added that an increased employment allowance would protect charities, meaning more than half of them with NI liabilities would "either gain or see no change".