Age UK stopping Help at Home service in county

Age UK has said its Help at Home service in Shropshire will come to an end this summer.

The charity said it had spent months exploring alternative options, but was facing "significant financial challenges" and a loss of funding from Shropshire Council.

Help at Home has run in the county for more than 20 years and supports about 1,000 older people. The move puts 119 roles at risk of redundancy.

The charity employs a team of support workers who have helped people with tasks such as housework, laundry, shopping or collecting prescriptions.

Of the 119 potential job cuts, 10 operational roles are at risk at the charity's office in Shrewsbury.

Age UK Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin said it stopped taking new referrals to Help at Home on 25 June and also stopped taking referrals for its Trusted Companion scheme, which provides practical help, companionship and emotional support to older people across Shropshire.

It said it planned to stop operating the scheme by 31 August.

The charity's chief executive Clare Davis, said it had been "one of the most difficult decisions the charity has ever had to make".

She said "every possible" option had been looked at, to keep the service running, but it had reached the point where it was no longer financially viable to continue.

Davis also thanked her Help at Home team and said they had "worked tirelessly, alongside the charity's senior management team, to try maintain this service".

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