Cash-strapped autism charity forced to close

AHALTON charity has folded after 20 years. Halton Autistic Family Support (HAFS) shut following a period of financial difficulties.

A resident had told the Weekly News that the charity’s store on High Street in Runcorn appeared to close suddenly over the weekend of March 1 and not re-open.

Accounts published on the Charity Commission website showed it was running at a loss since 2017. In 2017 its spending was £143,122 against an income of £115,015.

Its 2018 accounts were filed 37 days late on October 17, 2019, and showed its outgoings were £143,554 versus income of £129,519.

Both spending and income had fallen since 2014, when the charity spent £164,646, and brought in £164,902.

Its last published accounts, for 2018, said the charity had been shielded from Government spending cuts because it did not receive funding from any statutory bodies, but ‘living without regular committed funding and standing on our own two feet has been a sobering exercise’.

A deficit had also been racked up that year due to investing in its shop and family centre.

The group provided services to families in Halton with a child or young adult with autistic spectrum disorders.

The charity’s description on its website said it was ‘unique’ in supporting whole families as most groups either helped parents or their children.

Part of its mission was to tell parents ‘you are not alone anymore’.

Paul Whittaker, who took over as HAFS manager from Ciaran Shanahan following his retirement, wrote in the 2018 accounts that ‘the last 12 months have been a very daunting time for me’ and he noted the charity’s struggle with its deficit.

Mr Shanahan told the Weekly News the trustees of the charity decided to wind things up in an orderly way.

He said: The group has folded due to financial/ funding difficulties that are affecting many charities.

“HAFS had been losing money over a long period of time and the trustees decided to close in an orderly fashion rather than plunge into forced insolvency as reserves were quickly dwindling.

“Unfortunately, there were no other options.

“It is very sad after 20 years of supporting families in Halton but I think it is a sign of the times.”