Advocacy Alliance charity to close after loss of funding
A charity which helps vulnerable people lead independent lives is set to close with the loss of 30 jobs.
Advocacy Alliance, which has offices in Bedford, Luton and Northampton, said the decision followed a reduction in its funding.
The charity said it had experienced a £171,000 cut in core funding and lost £929,000 of public service contracts.
"We recognise that we do not have the funding to continue," chief executive Vicki Airs said.
The charity had previously provided advocacy services for Bedford Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council and Luton Borough Council, but failed to secure new contracts.
Ms Airs said: "We are a comparatively small charity and national organisations are now winning tenders for the work that we've been delivering for the past 18 years."
She said she believed that many other small charities were in the same position.
"It is very tough out there for the voluntary sector, particularly those for vulnerable people and I'm personally aware of a number [of charities] across Bedfordshire that are very 'close to the wind' now.
"It's a very sad day and the most vulnerable in society are going to be the most affected by this," Ms Airs said.
The charity said it would attempt to transfer active cases to other organisations by the end of March, when most of its staff would be made redundant.