Swindon Carers Centre will close at the end of the year. The charity works with nearly 5,700 carers of all ages who support relatives and friends with poor physical or mental health, disabilities, or addictions. The organisation has been operating since 1997 and saw a 12 per cent increase in the number of carers registering during the 2023-24 financial year.
But it says difficulties renewing a contract which provides essential funding means that the centre’s 27th year will be its last. Following the closure announcement, CEO Susanna Jones will stay on past her planned departure date at the end of August to manage the complex process of shutting down the charity’s operations. She said: “This is heartbreaking for Swindon Carers Centre, its staff, volunteers and trustee board.
“We are exceptionally proud of the high-quality service we have delivered for more than a quarter of a century and have been incredibly connected with the carer community in Swindon as a trusted provider throughout that time." SCC says it formally withdrew from the live procurement process being run by Swindon Borough Council for the carer services contract for Swindon on August 5 because commissioning decisions by the local authority rendered the tender unviable. The charity’s board of trustees and senior leadership team consulted external auditors and unanimously agreed that the risks to staff, governance, and the unpaid carers themselves were too significant to continue with the bidding proces.