Brandon Trust launches charity appeal after funding cut
A charity that helps people with learning difficulties across the South West says it is having to make a public appeal for funding for the first time.
Bristol's Brandon Trust, which was set up 16 years ago, needs to raise £1m to prevent cutting some of its services.
The charity, which helps 1,500 people, has now set up a fundraising team.
Lisa Cousins, manager of the team, said cutbacks in local authority funding meant some of its non-core services could be closed.
She said government-supported front-line services were not at risk, but extra projects such as the Bristol Travel Buddy Project were.
"Most of our services are provided through local authority contracts, but we're finding that there's a real squeeze on that and we're having to look at a lot of those services that we're providing and some are going to be at risk," she said.
The fundraising team is being funded by the charity's reserves.