Dozens of jobs at risk as Worthing charity faces huge cuts to survive

One of Worthing's longest standing charites could be forced to cut dozens of jobs as it battles with the impact of coronavirus.
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Guild Care has served Worthing and the surrounding area since 1933, but the strain of lockdown has left it facing an uncertain future.

A spokesman for the charity, which supports older people, dementia sufferers and their carers and people with learning disabilities, said around 80 people's jobs were at risk.

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"Guild Care’s Board of Trustees, who are responsible for ensuring both the financial stability of the charity and the long term ability to support the community, met recently to review the current and future position of the charity and at this meeting it was with great sadness that it was agreed that Guild Care has no other option than to begin consultation with staff about a staff redundancy programme," said the spokesman.

Methold HouseMethold House
Methold House

"This robust and thorough programme of consultation has started, and we are hopeful that we can limit the number of roles at risk, by encouraging staff to take up new and different roles within our care services."

The 30-day consultation period is set to end on July 13, with 80 individuals affected - equating to around 60 full-time positions.

Prior to March's lockdown, Guild Care operated more than 30 different services but strict regulations designed to curb the spread of coronavirus meant many of its activities had to stop.

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Its shops were also forced to close and vital fundraising events were cancelled. The charity needs to raise more than £500,000 a year in additional income to keep its services going.

Guild Care's spokesman said the charity had responded 'quickly and with bravery' by introducing services such as telephone support, shopping for its clients and provision of more care in people's homes - in many cases stepping in where others had withdrawn services.

Complex and costly clinical practices were put in place to protect staff and clients, the spokesman said, against a backdrop of reduced income.

"Despite making brave decisions and opening all our shops as soon as we were able and reviewing our fundraising activity, as a charity we are unable to continue to pay the salaries of staff in services that are not able to operate," said the spokesman.

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"This and the significant reduction in our income means that in order to ensure our long-term sustainability we are sadly having to place a number of roles at risk of redundancy.

"The charity has always relied on the community to financially help it support Worthing’s most vulnerable and we hope that we can continue to do so even through these challenging times.

"Guild Care has been supporting the local community in Worthing for over 85 years and in doing so has had to adapt and change to meet the needs of many of the town’s most vulnerable, it is and always will be a priority for us as a leading local charity to be able to continue to support those who need us most."

The charity's chief executive, Suzanne Millard, said: “We understand that this is going to be a very difficult time for staff and we will do all that we can to minimise the need for compulsory redundancy, our staff are dedicated and loyal and we want to ensure that we can be as supportive as possible throughout this challenging time."

To donate to Guild Care, become a volunteer, work for the charity or take part in fundraising challenges, visit www.guildcare.org or call 01903 528600.

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