A CHARITY providing respite care and days out for disabled adults has issued a stark warning that its days could be numbered without a major funding boost.

Breathing Space was launched in 1994 to enable people with learning difficulties and disabilities in Richmondshire and Hambleton to join in leisure activities.

Current chairman Anne Alder said the Northallerton-based charity is running on its cash reserves which are sufficient to keep it going for the rest of the year.

However, she warned it will be in serious difficulty by next spring unless it attracts significant funding.

“It costs around £40,000 a year to run our services and we get £9,000 of that from council funding.

“We have been advised to start charging realistic prices for our trips but we already charge our members the full cost of the activity plus a £3.50 administration fee.

“We need to pay trained staff to care for our members who use wheelchairs, suffer from epilepsy, or have other disabilities that need to be understood – on average each activity costs around £250 for just ten of our members – so we are really stretched.”

Breathing Space has 135 members using its services and whose families benefit from the respite care.

Trips and activities include bowling, cinema, sport nights, trips to the seaside, country shows and museums – but Ms Alder said the charity has already cut back on the range of trips it offers.

"We understand that all charities are now struggling, and that the public has a lot of choice in deciding who to donate to.

“But we really have to issue a plea to our local community that without more support – be it financial, or people donating their time or experience – we will cease to exist by next year.”

Breathing Space, based at the Mencap Centre, relies just as heavily on regular, smaller donations, and is appealing for people to consider donating through Localgiving.com, which is running a scheme from October 14 to match fund all one-off £10 donations and all monthly donations up to £10 for six months.

For more information call 01609-779420 or visit www.breathingspacenorthallerton.org.uk/.

To donate visit https://localgiving.com/campaign/gyt from October 14 and search for Breathing Space Northallerton.