A veterans support charity in Darlington has announced it will close this week due to “significant financial challenges”.

Sporting Force, which supports veterans and their families by providing education, exercise and social events to relieve social isolation, will be closing its operations on 19 July.

The charity announced its closure in Facebook post, saying the past 18 months had presented “significant financial challenges”. 

It said: “Funding cuts, decreased donations and increased operational costs have led to a situation where, despite our best efforts to secure additional funding and reduce costs, we have been unable to achieve a sustainable financial position.”

The charity said that its board of directors has made the “difficult decision” to cease operations after careful consideration and “thorough evaluation of our options”.

Sporting Force said its priority was to ensure a “smooth and responsible wind-down process”, which would include communicating with its beneficiaries, partners and donors to inform them of its closure.

Sporting Force’s most recent accounts filed with the Charity Commission show that in the year to the end of March 2022 it had an average of five staff.

During the same period the charity recorded a total income of £464,074 and an expenditure of £310,276.

Sporting Force said it remained committed to fulfilling its outstanding obligations and ensuring that ongoing projects were transitioned or concluded responsibly.

The charity’s assets are set to be transferred to East Durham Veterans Trust, a local charity that Sporting Force said shares its mission of supporting veterans and their families. 

Sporting Force said: “We believe that East Durham Veterans Trust will continue the important work we have started, and we are confident that our assets will be put to good use in advancing their valuable initiatives.”

East Durham Veterans Trust recorded a total income of £131,783 in the financial year to the end of January 2023 and an expenditure of £160,700.

Sporting Force has been contacted for comment.