Charity has no home’

January 25, 2006

Updated: Monday, June 7, 2010 (08:53)

A HUNTINGDON charity has had the rug pulled from under its feet with barely two months before it is due to move to new premises, it claims. The eight staff at Crossroads Caring for Carers Huntingdonshire, South and East Cambridgeshire branch knew they wo

A HUNTINGDON charity has had the rug pulled from under its feet with barely two months before it is due to move to new premises, it claims.

The eight staff at Crossroads Caring for Carers' Huntingdonshire, South and East Cambridgeshire branch knew they would have to leave their offices in Primrose Lane, Huntingdon on March 31.

But, at the last minute, a plan had to be abandoned to move to the new Maple Centre in Oxmoor, under a lease agreed with Huntingdonshire District Council last October, according to the charity. HDC denies any such agreement.

Now the expanding charity's chief executive is appealing to landlords in the area for up to 1,000 square feet of office space to enable work providing respite breaks and care for carers and people with care needs to continue after April.

Dr Helen Brown said: "We are concerned that our ability to provide essential services may be affected if we do not find premises."

Crossroads Caring for Carers schemes have been in Huntingdonshire and South & East Cambridgeshire for more than 20 years.

Last year, the organisation provided over 37,000 hours of care throughout a rural area that covers around 1,000 square miles.

Dr Brown pleaded: "We would like to hear from any business or landlord who may be able to help and we are happy to consider any agreements, including short-term leases, within reasonably easy reach of Huntingdon.

HDC said no lease had been signed with the charity, which had been one of two contenders for a large space at the Maple Centre. In the event, it had been decided to lease it to Oxmoor Opportunities because of the organisation's closer ties to the area.

"In an ideal world we would have liked to accommodate both of them," said a spokesman.