A mother whose son benefited from the work of the Shirlie Project has spoken of her sadness after the Highland-wide service was plunged into liquidation.
She said it has left the most vulnerable in society “abandoned” through no fault of the service.
Chris Coniff, from Poolewe, saw the benefits of the service after her son, who suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, enrolled in the project for a period of 18 months.
Mrs Coniff, who works as a support worker, said: “My son suffers from Asperger’s syndrome and was going through a crisis.
“We needed an extended service in order to support him and that is when the Shirlie Project came along and they were just absolutely amazing. The support they were able to offer him was outstanding.
“On the west coast here, we don’t get access to all services because of the rurality, but when we do, we really appreciate them and try and get the most out of them.
“My son hadn’t left the house in nearly a year before the Shirlie Project came along and, within months, they were able to get him into volunteering at the nearby Inverewe Gardens which proved to be a lifesaver.
“It is such a holistic service and they supported him and focused on his aspirations.”
The Shirlie Project is currently under the control of liquidators after directors made the decision to cease trading amid a funding crisis, leaving 17 members of staff out of work.
The north charity, which has helped thousands of people during the last 25 years, was forced to suddenly close its doors, resulting in a “huge hole” in service provision.
The project provided support to users to enable them to fulfil their ambitions, including access to employment, without facing barriers such as prejudice, lack of physical access or disability.
Mrs Conniff added: “The trouble with losing a service like this is that it has a knock-on effect as each project disperses.
“The Shirlie Project was great. The staff were able to signpost me to other services once our time with them had come to an end and they really did possess a font of knowledge on all things autistic.
“As the central signposting goes, people who use the services are left to drift.
“The west coast is being abandoned and it is through no fault of the services, but at the end of the day, it is the most vulnerable we are putting at even bigger risk.”
