Age UK Herefordshire & Worcestershire has announced it will close its doors at the end of September “due to financial challenges”.

The charity says it is “devastated” to have to make the announcement due to “severe financial challenges, including rising operating costs and diminishing funding opportunities". This has made it “no longer viable for the charity to continue offering services”.

It is understood that 97 staff members are at risk of redundancy through the closure.

“We are extremely saddened and disappointed that it has come to this,” said the charity's chief executive Julia Neal.

"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."

She said that the charity supported more than 15,000 across the two counties it covers last year “which had a significant impact on their lives”.

This including helping older people access £1.4m in previously unclaimed benefits, carrying out 371 free home energy checks and assisting more than 1,000 people to return home after a stay in hospital.

“As a charity which makes a significant contribution to the work of the wider health and care system, we have continued to support some of the most vulnerable older people at a time when they most need that support,” Neal added.

“However, this commitment has meant that we have become increasingly vulnerable to the challenges faced by providers delivering commissioned services."

"We are deeply grateful for the trust and support of our beneficiaries and donors over the years and understand that this news is upsetting for everyone involved. Our number one priority is ensuring that older people in the area are supported in the best way possible, and we are working hard to facilitate a smooth transition to alternative support.”

The charity is now working with other Age UK partners, local charities and the national Age UK charity to ensure “that as many clients as possible continue to receive the support that they need”.

Latest accounts submitted from the charity for the 12 months to the end of March last year to the Charity Commission show it's income was £1.5m, however it spent £1.7m.

Age UK Herefordshire & Worcestershire is one of several charities that have announced their closure due to financial challenges.

In July Southend Carers announced that “severe and ongoing financial challenges” meant it could no longer stay open.

Meanwhile, in March Pontypool, Wales, based Care Collective announced its closure after three decades, resulting in 87 redundancies.

Another charity to close over the summer was HIV support charity NAM aidsmap. Rising costs and funding challenges were cited by the board as it announced its closure.

---