A charity that has supported young people with disabilities and their families for 22 years is having to close, blaming a “perfect of storm” of covid and the cost of living crisis.
Signpost has been a vital lifeline, giving information and help to carers of young people with disabilities or additional support needs in West Lothian.
The charity has announced it will close down on March 31.
It said the last two years have been a challenge, between covid and the cost-of-living crisis, and like many small charities, Signpost can longer see a “sustainable future”.
But volunteers will be making sure families can still get support before the charity closes.
A post on its website reads: “We would like to thank everyone who has supported us during our 22 year history in West Lothian, as well as our staff and trustees who have contributed so much to our work.
“Those 22 years have shown Signpost the tremendous resilience of families whose children have additional support needs and we are proud to have helped so many of you to achieve the best life possible.
"We’re working hard to ensure that families can still find support from partner agencies like Carers of West Lothian and council services such as Listen and Link.
“We’ll make sure that everyone is signposted to another agency – we’re creating this new website to do just that, and it will still be available after we close.
“We will be closing our doors on Friday, March 31. However, the front page of our website will suggest who else can be approached for support, and later there will be a lot more information on the website.
Families we are directly working with right now will all be supported to plan and/or referred to other sources of help.
“Our family passes will no longer be available after 31 March. However, any bookings made up to that date using our electronic tickets will be honoured by our partner attractions.
Signpost began as a volunteer project in September 2000, run by a group of parents of children with additional support needs who started a helpline in founder Lesley Mount’s back room.
Telephone callers were offered information about local services and a chance to chat to parents who had been through similar experiences. The volunteers used the knowledge they had gained from looking after their own children, and the information they had collected about local services.
With the support of staff from West Lothian Council, and NHS Lothian, and following an intensive publicity campaign to raise awareness of the service, the volunteers soon found parents and professionals calling the helpline from all over West Lothian.
Signpost grew to operate full-time from an office at Beatlie Campus in Craigshill and has have helped hundreds of families while winning several awards, including DSC Social Change Award and NHS Health Heroes award.”
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