Linkage Community Trust has made 39 people redundant as the learning disabilities charity works to refocus its services on more localised projects and reduce its dependence on specialist further education and residential students.

In May this year the charity started consulting on job losses of up to 80 after funding cuts meant it needed to save £1.3m.

Ges Roulstone, chief executive at Linkage Community Trust, said: “I am pleased to report that the number of anticipated job losses at Linkage was halved to 39 in the recent round of redundancies, helped in the main by redeployment. This whole exercise has been difficult for everyone and I pay tribute to the team for their understanding.”

He added that the charity had generated a surplus this year and that the lowest-paid employees had been given a pay rise.

The charity has just started work on building projects worth £5m in partnership with other organisation in Grimsby, Lincoln and South Staffordshire “to grow its business, meet demand and target new areas”, said Roulstone.