A charity that runs a day care centre said it has postponed its upcoming closure and is working with its partners on a new model to take the service forward.

Bell View, which runs the Bell View Day Care Centre in Belford, Northumberland, was initially set to close the centre on 31 January due to it being “financially unstable”.

The charity said there had been a decline in referrals from Northumberland County Council alongside a decline in referrals from private individuals, leading to fewer people using its day care services.

“Essentially, this has meant that our income has decreased while our operational costs have increased,” Bell View said.

The charity recorded an income and spending of £1.7m in the year to the end of March 2024, latest accounts show.

Bell View spent £202,089 on its care operations, according to its 2023/24 accounts.

A decision has been made to postpone the closure of the day care centre following discussions with Northumberland County Council.

Trustees held regular meetings in the Christmas break and early January before coming to the decision, the charity said.

Councillors also met trustees in December to discuss alternative services.

“We are now working with our partners on a new model to take the service forward,” the charity said.

“Further details will be made public in the near future and in the meantime, we are in the process of contacting all our clients.

“It is important to reiterate once again that Bell View will continue to operate all other services as normal, including our Bell View Help at Home service and all activities delivered by our charity, including but not limited to social and exercise activities; our community café; room and wheelchair hire; and fundraising events.”

A spokesperson for Northumberland County Council said: “The current position is that Bell View has agreed to extend the service beyond 31 January this year. 

“Bell View and the council are looking at how the service can best be delivered for clients and carers

“This includes looking at demand for the service.”

The charity did not respond when asked about making a further decision on the day care centre’s future.