'It feels like we are constantly firefighting'

One in eight charities say they have been forced to turn people in need away due to financial challenges they are facing, a survey of more than 600 voluntary sector organisations has found.

More than half say they are at full capacity for their services and two fifths say they cannot help anyone else.

Those responding include representatives from community groups, food bank charities and other local support organisations.

“Demand for our services has tripled but we've had to turn people away, which is a step we never wanted to take,” said one representative from a London-based girls’ charity.

Meanwhile a representative from a Wales based homelessness charity said: “Our operations, more crucial now than ever, are stretched thin, forcing us to prioritise essential services while pausing others, leaving gaps in our support network.”

Three in five charities say demand has increased over the last year, with a third saying this has risen “substantially”.

Furthermore, more than half of charities say they are worried about their survival in the current financial climate, the same proportion as a year ago.

“We have ever-increasing waiting lists and demand on our service. It feels like we are constantly firefighting,” said a worker from a youth services charity in the North West.

The survey was carried out in September by Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), which warns charities face a tough winter amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Just under a third of charities are warning they have not been able to access support to cope with the rising cost of their utilities. One in seven say they are locked into an unfavourable energy tariff.

With government support with energy costs set to end in March next year a third of charities say they plan to invest in improving their energy efficiency long term.

“The relentless financial pressure on charities is continuing,” said CAF chief executive Neil Heslop.

“Many are unsure how they will survive from month-to-month. Tens of thousands of charities are at full capacity, and sadly this means many are having to turn people away, people who desperately need their support.

“We can’t afford to have charities facing such uncertainty. The Chancellor recognised their critical work in the March Budget, but now a longer-term plan is required to build the fantastic, hardworking charity sector back up.”