CONCERNS have been raised after an adult counselling service ran by a Southampton youth charity had to be closed because of a lack in funding.

After a number of years, Southampton YMCA has had to refer its 32 clients undergoing treatment after it was revealed it could no longer support the service due to current economic challenges.

The youth charity has made alternative arrangements for those people undergoing counselling.

A YMCA spokesman said all but one of its clients had continued with their existing counsellors on a private basis, using venues subsidised through the charity or in some cases free, or they had gone on to use other services all together.

He added: “As a community charity we must ensure our resources are allocated wisely, so we will continue to invest in services for children, young people and families.

“Our counselling was a fee paying service and didn’t receive any grants, so it hasn’t closed due to a withdrawal of funding but due to a lack of income that we’re no longer able to support.”

Councillor Warwick Payne, responsible for adult care at Southampton City Council, said the counselling offered by the YMCA in Southampton was not commissioned by the authority but he was concerned that it had been forced to close.

He added: “While the city council was not a user of this service we are obviously keen to ensure that as much help, advice and support is available in the city as possible.

“It is a concern that the service has closed but we recognise the YMCA has not taken this decision lightly and if they feel there is no alternative then that has to be recognised.

“We recognise that our volunteer partners including those in the charity sector are struggling to balance the books in tough economic times and we value all the other services provided by the YMCA in Southampton and look forward to working with the organisation going forward.

“We are always keen to work with charities in the city.

"If there is scope for making joint bids, bringing in more funding then we are always keen to have conversations with the charities and discuss how we can help.”

Richard Barritt, the chief executive of Solent Mind - a Southampton mental health charity, said: “We are always concerned to hear when counselling services are unable to continue.

“As a local charity ourselves, we fully appreciate the difficulties of continuing to deliver valued services with limited resources in the current financial climate.”