Worried chiefs of a Norwich-based charity partnership fear people will lose access to crucial advice services after its funding was slashed by 80pc. The Living Well Partnership, led by Norfolk Citizens Advice alongside Age UK Norwich, Equal Lives and Mancroft Advice Project, will lose £509,000 of funding in July. The NHS arm that distributes the funding has announced plans to transfer that money to local councils instead.
Mark Hitchcock is CEO of Norfolk Citizens Advice (Image: Norfolk Citizens Advice) "Charity life is pretty challenging if large-scale funding is cut," said Mark Hitchcock, chief executive of Norfolk Citizens Advice. "We feel bereft - it is a huge backward step for us that will see people lose their jobs and others not receiving the help they need." The Norfolk Citizens Advice service leads the partnership (Image: Antony Kelly) The partnership has supported patients across 21 GP practices in Norwich and Broadland since 2019, with social prescribing work on non-medical factors that affect health including poverty, social isolation, poor living conditions, inactivity, smoking and frailty.
Mr Hitchcock explained that the need for their joint support has doubled in recent years, with the partnership now helping around 1,400 people annually. Dan Skipper is CEO of Age UK Norwich (Image: Newsquest) Dan Skipper, chief executive at Age UK Norwich, said: "Changing provider when you already have an excellent provision makes little sense, and we haven’t been given any .
