Bureau fights on

But it is not the end of the line for the Uckfield Volunteer Bureau, according to trustee Mrs Sheila Charlesworth. The management committee and volunteers aim to carry on its valuable work and manager Mrs Eve Currell has promised continuing support on a voluntary basis.

The bureau was set up more than ten years ago to provide a link between people who wanted to do voluntary work and the organisations that desperately needed their time.

Social services threw their weight and funding into setting up the bureau which took on High Street premises in September 1999 and there was also support from the town council.

But the county council's budget for social services was badly hit by cutbacks in Government grants, and funds for voluntary organisations like the bureau were withdrawn.

Town council priorities also changed and the bureau was forced to start eating into its reserves to pay rent and overheads. The situation began to stabilise last year when it entered into an agreement with the town council whereby it agreed to carry out work for the council for payment.

'Unfortunately we have not been able to secure the funds to cover both the cost of the premises and the manager's salary but we have got the funds to continue until April and hope that a new service agreement with the council will enable us to carry on after that,' said Mrs Charlesworth.

One idea being explored is a possible link with the Uckfield Youth Trust which has been forced out of its own High Street premises because of planning difficulties.

The suggestion is that at least to start with the two charities could share the bureau's premises and a meeting is being set up to see whether the arrangement could be suitable for the youth trust.