Charity pulls out of Cornish projects

Three mental health projects supporting more than 40 people in
Cornwall are to close after charity the Richmond Fellowship decided
to pull out of the area.

The fellowship’s day centre, therapeutic community and
semi-supported housing project in Launceston are to close by
November.

The charity said it was unable to invest enough money to maintain
the quality of the service and had not found an organisation to
take over the projects.

Assistant director of operations Nick Howard said a lack of a
strategic understanding of what services were needed in Cornwall
was also a factor in the decision.

He said the charity was working to find alternative placements for
service users.

But Shaun Sloan, deputy service manager for the charity in
Cornwall, said it had not given enough time for other organisations
such as local health agencies to put together a proper plan to take
on the projects.