A CHARITY which has operated in the Maldon district for more than two decades is at risk of closure as long-standing council funding looks set to be withdrawn.

Maldon and District Community Voluntary Services has provided community support since it was launched in 2001.

It is understood Essex County Council is moving to a countywide model for providing charity support services and could withdraw funding for local charities.

This includes Maldon and District CVS, with £53,000 of its funding being cut.

Sarah Troop, director for Maldon and District CVS, said: “The termination of funding for our charity and the core services we provide necessitates a fundamental redesign of how we serve the community and voluntary sector in Maldon District."

She said the charity delivers a range of projects and services which will be affected by the funding ending.

Maldon and Burnham Standard: Efforts - Sarah Troop with Men's Shed member Bob Adams accepting the keys to Southminster's shed in 2022Efforts - Sarah Troop with Men's Shed member Bob Adams accepting the keys to Southminster's shed in 2022 (Image: Maldon and District CVS)

That includes crisis response and support, digital inclusion drop-ins, youth gaming, suicide prevention work, encouraging people to get involved in nature, and falls prevention.

Maldon and District CVS also provides information, advice and guidance to voluntary groups across Maldon, such as food banks and heritage projects, as well as older people’s services and social inclusion.

Sarah said: “Simply put, the loss of local funding from Essex County Council will reverberate throughout our organisation and the Maldon charities and voluntary groups we support. 

“Closure may become unavoidable.”

Despite the setback, the charity has drawn up a plan to maintain key services.

A spokesman said Maldon and District CVS has already had to cut staff hours, and has appealed to Maldon District Council for support.

Sarah said Maldon and District CVS is particularly vulnerable as it does not receive support from a district council, unlike other Essex-based CVS organisations.

She said: “We know that Maldon District Council recognises the value of our community work and hope that it can provide essential short-term support to facilitate the necessary adjustments of our service delivery.”

Sarah added: "From April 1, these services will no longer be available free of charge to Maldon and District CVS and local groups will be signposted to a central support offer."

A spokesman for the charity said it provided more than 380 hours of free consultancy support over the past year as well as supporting more than 200 residents through projects.

An Essex County Council spokesman said: “Funding for local Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) infrastructure is not being withdrawn and we are maintaining the same level of investment as we have in previous years.

"However, a long-standing review is ongoing into how VCS support is best commissioned and provided going forward in order to secure the best outcomes for people and communities.

“We first notified existing providers of this review in 2022 and many local VCS organisations have contributed to it and helped us to design new ways to work.

"Providers were informed at the time that current contracts would be extended until March 31 2024 to ensure they had adequate time to plan for the future.

“VCS organisations play a vital role in connecting, engaging and empowering local people and groups and we continue to work with the sector, as we have always done.”

For more details or to donate, visit maldoncvs.org.uk.