THE future of an Aberystwyth drug advice centre has been secured, after Ceredigion council agreed to handle rental payments for the organisation’s office.

Council officials had warned that, with the National Assembly elections coming up, a decision was needed quickly on whether the council would take over as banker for the rental payments for the North Parade office of counselling service Cyswllt Contact, arrangements for the rent of the premises could collapse.

But council Cabinet members said they were keen to see the highly-rated service continue and agreed to take over banking arrangements that will see the council handle grant funding from the Welsh Government to pay the rental costs of the office.

Cllr Dafydd Edwards, the Cabinet member for finance, said changes in how banking arrangements for the funding were needed after Pembrokeshire council had lost out on funding after a provider in the county went bankrupt.

He said that, while there is a risk that if a counselling service went bust there could be a loss of both the service and Welsh Government funding, he did not foresee a problem.

Cllr Edwards said: “It’s quite simple. There are risks, but they’re relatively easy to overcome.”

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