Ref. 27896-27A Swindon charity which has supported people with learning difficulties for almost eight years is to shut unless more funding can be found.

Swindon Advocacy Move-ment has been operating from Milton Road since it was founded with Lottery cash in 1995. The charity works with adults with learning disabilities to help them understand their rights and to speak up for themselves.

Diana Thomas, 28, co-ordinator of SAM, said that the charity has enough money to operate until March but there is no cash forthcoming for the next financial year. It needs £75,000 for running costs.

"It will be a huge loss to Swindon if we have to close," she said. "There is nowhere else around here that offers anything like this service and I don't know where I'll have to refer our clients in the future.

"We help with crisis situations such as homelessness, going to court, debts, employment and we run a parents' service to help with issues such as child protection proceedings.

"Our job is to help people understand what is happening to them, in often difficult circumstances, explain their choices, and help them to achieve what they want."

Last year SAM received 71 new referrals, mainly from Social Services, as well as the existing clients. In all the charity helped 160 people last year.

Ms Thomas said: "We recruit, train and support volunteers to be matched as citizen advocates with adults with a learning disability.

"SAM is managed by a committee who are also its trustees. We have 12 committee members, six of whom have a learning difficulty and have a supporter to help them with the paperwork and to help them participate as fully as possible in the meetings." Over the years SAM has received various grants to keep it going including £30,000 from the Community Fund in 1996 and almost £25,000 from Health and Social Services.

Ms Thomas said: "What SAM needs is a Service Level Agreement with the borough council for at least three years which will allow us to survive and make plans for the future.

"We have only enough money to take us up to March but the council will not even tell us if we are to get more money until then.

"We have to know by Decem-ber because it will take three months to wind down.

"A long-term investment will help make us more secure and could attract further funding to enable us to employ another member of staff.

"It costs £75,000 a year to keep going. We have always been good at attracting funding from other sources such as from Nationwide and Zurich, but these companies do not finance us if the council has not committed in the first place."

For more information call 01793 465660 or email swindon_advocacy@hotmail.com

SAM has sent letters explaining the charity's predicament to various organisations including Social Services.

Hellen Barnes, spokeswoman for Swindon Council, said: "The correspondence received by SAM is being considered by Social Services who will do their best to address the concerns mentioned."

She added that SAM could apply for a grant to the council's lifelong learning division, which is expected to get £1m for the next financial year. But she said the outcome of applications would not be known until March.

Alex Emery

Service user's story . . .

Chris Mansfield (pictured above) is an adult with learning difficulties who uses the Swindon Advocacy Movement.

He said: "I've been using the service for quite a long time now. With my learning difficulties it's been hard on my own to sort out various problems. Diana's help and support has been great. I don't know what I'll do really if the service closes.

"It's quite a worry for myself and other people out there who could benefit from this service if it has to close. It would be a shame. Where are people going to turn to?"