Arch has stepped in to save the Up! mental wellbeing service from closure.

Up! was set to shut its doors in September following a decision by Staffordshire County Council to remove its funding support.

But with no available alternatives available for the service’s users, Arch has acted to guarantee funding until 31 March 2015, to give it time to explore alternative funding solutions for the future.

“Our research shows that many vulnerable North Staffordshire residents have been saved from entering the NHS mental health care system during the last 12 months,”said Barry Pitts Director of Arch services at Staffordshire Housing Association.

“We simply could not find alternative accommodation and services to help these residents in the three months’ notice we were given. We have now brought some time to source alternative funding or move people on carefully should we not get the funding required.”

Up! will now continue to provide services for vulnerable people from its base at Pointon House, Newcastle-under-Lyme until at least the end of the current financial year.

Up!, run by Arch (part of the Staffordshire Housing Group), opened in July 2013. It was previously fully funded by Staffordshire County Council and was just one year into a three year contract when the decision to cut the funding was announced.

At the time, Mr Pitts described the decision as “devastating” and Newcastle-under-Lyme MP Paul Farrelly weighed into the debate describing the cuts as “savage and cruel.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

For media enquiries contact Sarah Pye on 01782 743883.

Arch, which is part of the Staffordshire Housing Group, works with some of the most vulnerable people in society, providing support services for people experiencing domestic violence, poor mental wellbeing, substance misuse or homelessness.

Based in Stoke on Trent with homes and services throughout Staffordshire and East Cheshire, the Staffordshire Housing Group comprises Staffordshire Housing Association, Arch, Blue Mountain and Revival Home Improvement Agency. The group is dedicated to creating opportunities and changing lives by providing high quality homes and services to a diverse range of people.

Parent company Staffordshire Housing Association owns and manages around 3,000 homes for rent and sale, and also delivers regeneration and housing development.

Revival, the group’s home improvement agency, works with older and vulnerable people to maintain their properties, help them return home from hospital, adapt their homes to suit their health needs and maintain their independence.