A charity for those suffering from Aids and HIV may close following a decision made by Kingston and Richmond Health Authority to stop funding it.

Positively Healthy is one of only two Aids charities in Kingston and Richmond but closure looks imminent.

Positively Healthy's contract with the authority ended on March 31, which meant it was given less than six weeks' notice. And now the charity is claiming the authority did not follow proper guidelines when it made its decision.

Cass Mann, the charity's president, said: "There is a set procedure if you want to de-fund a charity. We were not told we would not be getting any more money in January which was too late for us to put a bid in anywhere else.

"We have had meetings with the authority and all we want is for them to honour this year's contract."

The health authority said: "We have supported Positively Healthy to provide a series of workshops for two years.

"However, the other elements of service Positively Healthy wishes to develop are, in our view, already being provided by other agencies in London with whom we have existing contracts.

"We regret in this time of scarce resources we cannot afford duplication of services. The health authority continues to support primary HIV prevention strategies in high risk groups."

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