A CENTRE which has helped to rehabilitate hundreds of persistent young offenders since opening five years ago looks set to close its doors tomorrow (Friday) because of a funding crisis. C-FAR (Centre for Adolescent Rehabilitation) based at Burdon Grange in Highampton, says it has been let down by a lack of Government support. At a meeting of trustees last Friday the decision was taken to call in liquidators as the centre could no longer afford to continue its pioneering work. More than 50 people employed at the centre are set to lose their jobs. Founder Lt Col Trevor Philpott, a former Royal Marine, said it was a sad day for staff at the centre who had worked against the odds, with next to no support from the Government. Lt Col Philpott said it cost £24,000 a year to put a young offender through C-FAR, compared with £37,500 to keep him in prison. He added that the reconviction rate for C-FAR participants was 45%, significantly lower than the national average of 75%. ?We are continuing to fight because this programme does work. We do all the things this Government has promoted, but the system never comes on board,? he said. C-FAR takes males aged between 18 and 24 and offers them an intensive eleven-week life change course at the centre followed by nine months of mentor support back in the community. As the Times went to press, efforts were continuing behind the scenes to lobby for funding to safeguard the project?s future. Trainees currently at the centre have written to Prime Minister Tony Blair asking him to save C-FAR. Alternative places had been found for almost all the trainees currently at the centre, but Lt Col Philpott said he was concerned for those who would be left in limbo by the closure. ?We have got about 40 guys out in the community ? who is going to support them? ?There are others who are waiting to come here, they are motivated by the very fact they are coming here. ?If they are told there is no programme to go on, their motivation will disappear and they are going to go backwards.? Lt Col Philpott said in the last five years, C-FAR had received less than 10% of its funding from central government, but it could not continue to rely on local authorities, European funds, charitable trusts and donations to keep it afloat. West Devon and Torridge MP John Burnett said: ?C-FAR have done excellent work and they have done it on a minimum contribution from the Home Office. ?They are involved in very important rehabilitation work, which should be a primary function of the Home Office and the Home Office should pay their share of the funding for this work.? Mr Burnett said C-FAR needed to produce a business plan which clearly demonstrated to the Government that it provided value for money as well as valuable training.
