A CUMBRIA rural community charity faces a difficult future after management announced the loss of over 20 jobs due to financial problems.

A complex mixture of public bodies, European grant sources and private sector trusts fund Voluntary Action Cumbria (VAC), a registered charity responsible for the delivery of a wide range of advice, information and support services for rural communities.

However, funding for current projects is set to run out in March next year and this has forced the management to review work and staffing from April 2006, leading to a cut of half of their 45 full and part-time staff.

The charity is responsible for a number of projects, including the delivery of many key post-foot-and-mouth regeneration programmes to complement the mainstream work of other agencies in the county.

The Rural Women's Network has also helped women from rural Cumbria to re-enter the job market and set up new businesses.

Chairman Leonard Coulthard said that job losses were a harsh reality as VAC had, as yet, been unable to secure enough funding to continue these projects.

"Despite this we are planning positively for the future, meeting the challenges that the change will bring and aiming to rebuild VAC in a way that will enable it to punch above its weight and serve Cumbria communities just as it has always done," he said.

Chief Executive Roger Roberts was frustrated that they had not been able to secure the funding to continue their work.

"My biggest concern is for those members of our staff who have worked so hard for VAC and the people of Cumbria but now face an uncertain future," he said.

Mr Roberts added that some of the affected staff were taking the opportunity to continue their work in new ways.

"One group of staff is already considering setting up their own private consultancy," he said.