A CHARITY that provides legal and financial help to Ryedale residents may be forced to reduce its services by almost a third.

The Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB), based in Wentworth Street in Malton, announced last week that unless it can find £20,000, it will have to reduce its services by 30 per cent.

The CAB currently has a team of 24 unpaid volunteers, providing 130 hours of advice each week.

Last year they helped 11,200 people resolve their problems, and raised more than £17,000 to help 65 families pay rent and mortgage arrears and avoid homelessness.

Judy Conn, chairman of the Ryedale CAB management committee, said: “Due to unsuccessful funding bids, we are facing a deficit in funding amounting to almost £20,000, so we have no option other than to reduce the hours that the service is open to the public.

“The cutbacks are very bad news for our clients, many of whom will have nowhere else to turn.

“The combined impact of over-indebtedness and the startling rise in redundancies are already placing a great burden on the service, and we wish we were able to increase, not reduce, our opening hours.”

Sue Bywater, from the CAB in Malton, said: “In the past four months, we have seen a 40 per cent increase in the number of people who are facing redundancy, or a reduction in their hours at work, so the news that we may have to reduce the help that we can offer is very serious.

“Just at a time when people need us the most, we have to make cutbacks, but unfortunately we are not immune to the credit crunch.”

Robert Wainwright, chairman of Ryedale District Council’s policy and resources committee, said: “In this financial climate, the work of the Citzen’s Advice Bureau is very very important to the people of Ryedale.

“The council has helped the CAB in the past, and we will be discussing whether or not we are able to provide any financial relief at a meeting tomorrow (Thursday) night.”

Anyone who is able to make a donation to the CAB, can contact Judy Conn or Sue Bywater by emailing bureau@ryedalecab.cabnet.org.uk.