Age UK branch set to close

Age UK Herefordshire & Worcestershire is to shut at the end of the month following "severe financial challenges".

The charity, which supports older people, said it was no longer viable to offer services in the counties due to rising operating costs and a reduction in funding.

It said it was working hard to ensure a "smooth transition to alternative support".

A spokesperson said despite making a "significant contribution" to the wider health and care system, it had become "increasingly vulnerable" to the challenges faced by the sector.

The chief executive of Age UK Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Julia Neal, said she was "extremely saddened and disappointed that it has come to this".

She added: "We know that our clients will be concerned about what this news means for them, and we are in the process of making contact to ensure that they know what arrangements will be in place for them."

Ms Neal said it had not previously focused a lot of its efforts on fundraising activities "unlike some other charities".

She stated: "Most of our income has come from contracts and grants... that [contract] income is getting harder to get and harder to predict.

"The number of charities [applying]... for grants is just going through the roof, so the amount of grants that we are successful in getting is becoming much less."

Last year, the organisation supported more than 15,000 older people across the two counties

Last year, the organisation - which is part of the wider Age UK group, but registered as a separate charity - supported more than 15,000 older people across the two counties.

The closure is expected to affect clients as well as staff, volunteers, "funders, and other stakeholders" who had supported the charity's work.

During the past year, it said it had made "a substantial difference in the local community" by helping older people access £1.4m in previously unclaimed benefits.

It also conducted more than 370 free home energy checks and helped more than 1,000 people in safely returning home after a hospital stay.

Age UK Herefordshire & Worcestershire said it was working with other local charities and the wider Age UK organisation to ensure as many clients as possible receive the support they need.

It added that anyone seeking advice and support could also reach out to the charity's national advice line.