AN advice charity which has been helping vulnerable West Somerset people for nearly half-a-century is to close this month due to its financial position.

West Somerset Advice Bureau trustees chairman Barbara O’Keefe said the charity would cease operations on April 30.

Ms O’Keefe said: “Following a thorough review, the trustees concluded the challenging funding environment and unsustainable rising costs, has left no viable alternative but to close.”

The Minehead bureau, part of the Citizens Advice network, has served the community for 48 years and helped about 130,000 people across the district’s 48 parishes.

Ms O’Keefe said: “The decision to close was not taken lightly, and the focus is now on ensuring a responsible closure process.

“This is an incredibly disappointing day for everybody involved.

“We are immensely proud of what our staff, volunteers, and partners have achieved.

“While this chapter ends, we are proud of the lasting impact we have made on so many of the people in our community.

“We want to thank our volunteers, staff, supporters, donors, and partners for their dedication.

“We are working closely with partner organisations to manage this transition.”

The charity was founded in 1979 in response to a lack of free advice support in West Somerset, believing it was important to design a service to meet the requirements of the complex rural area.

It operated as ‘a small, agile group of specialists and volunteers’ responding creatively to the varied needs of the community.

As well as maintaining an open access office in Market House Lane, the charity ran 100 outreach surgeries each year and made nearly 100 home visits annually to help people unable to travel.

The charity’s financial position started to suffer when the former county council axed its grant in 2019, and then in 2023 it opted to remain independent when other offices in Somerset were being merged.