Fundraising and communications consultancy Beautiful World is to shut down this week, after four years of trading.

The charity, which at one stage had eight staff, currently only has its two founders: Rachel Beer (pictured) and Simon Frank, whom now intend to go their separate ways. The team had been reduced to three staff over the last few months, with the final staff member leaving in February.

Since setting up in 2009, the consultancy had worked with some top 100 charities – including National Trust and Great Ormond Street Hospital. Civilsociety.co.uk was not able to ascertain how many charity clients were still using Beautiful World, but the agency has pledged that its founders will see out any contracts with charities themselves.

Beer, who will continue working with charities and will have a specific focus on innovation and fundraising, said she was proud of what the agency had achieved. “We’ve helped charities save hundreds of thousands in their marketing,” she said.

Co-founder Frank is moving out of the charity sector, and has already set up a creative agency.