Deaf News: Lancashire Deaf Service goes into administration

Just weeks after it was announced that Walsall Deaf Centre will close, it has now been revealed that Lancashire Deaf Service has gone into administration, with the loss of over 70 jobs, many of them deaf employees.

This is despite advertising job opportunities at recently as the end of April.

This represents a huge blow to the Deaf community in Lancashire, specifically in Preston, Blackburn and Burnley, where the charity had offices.

The charity offered a range of services, including a cafe employing deaf staff, a nursery and an interpreting agency, so this situation has directly affected deaf people who used those services as well as employees.

Rumours about the fate of Lancashire Deaf Service had been widely discussed within the Deaf community for weeks.

A spokesman for the charity told Blog Preston: “Lancashire Deaf Service has ceased to operate from Cannon Street, Preston, Keirby Walk, Burnley and Heaton Street, Blackburn.

“The reason for this was a shortage of funds for staff wages. Inevitably, this resulted in the organisation going into administration on 3^rd June.

“Understandably, it has been a difficult time where over 70 staff were made redundant and more importantly the support services have been cut to Deaf people across the county.”

Blog Preston has also stated that the the Charity Commission has told them that they’ve “opened an investigation into the charity and its governance.”