Changes made to Bognor's Laburnum Centre as cost of living crisis hits the charity sector

In a statement published to the Age UK website on March 15, a spokesperson for the charity clarified the reasons for and extent of the changes.

They said the biggest change coming to the company, at least locally, would be the loss of office space in Chichester and Littlehampton, and the increase of office space in The Laburnum Centre, as leases expire and staff move from one site to another.

At The Laburnum Centre, this is set to affect one room currently being used as an activity space. There will be no loss of services or activities, however, and staff have assured residents that they are working to minimise the effect on members. Activities which currently take place in the space will continue, just elsewhere in the building.

Unfortunately, food choice at the café is set to decrease and prices are set to rise. A spokesperson made clear that the increase in wholesale costs have made this increase ‘unavoidable’, but staff hope to keep prices as low as possible under challenging conditions, especially compared to most high street cafés.

Age UK is also reviewing staffing throughout some parts of the organisation. Although these conversations are confidential, a spokesperson said the charity’s first priority is minimising the impact on the older people who use the service.

"We know there’s frustration and upset among some of our members,” they added. “We want to be as transparent as possible about the changes that are taking place and why they’re necessary.”

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