It is with real sadness that we announce the SMART Prebend Centre will close at the end of Thursday 1 October 2026. This has been an extremely difficult decision and one we have not taken lightly. 

We have made this decision in line with our commissioned services transferring to Bedford Borough Council. We are pleased that most of the SMART team will also transfer, continuing to work with the people we currently support and providing vital continuity and familiar faces. 

Prebend is an amazing service that supports so many people. However, securing the long term funding needed to sustain it has become increasingly difficult, particularly as local funding priorities have changed. We have watched day centres across the country close and felt the pain of those charities. It is deeply upsetting to now find ourselves in the same position. 

Until our final day, we will remain focused on the people we support. We will help them move into Bedford Borough Council’s redesigned pathway and ensure that everyone using Prebend receives clear information, practical support, and signposting to trusted partners. 

Prebend has never been a standalone service. Everything we have achieved has been made possible by our staff, volunteers, and external partners, who brought the Centre to life every day. 

We want to thank all the partners, churches, schools, community groups, local businesses, and members of the Bedford community who have supported SMART. Your continued support, especially during this difficult time of transition, means a great deal to us and to the people we support. It has helped us to keep delivering vital services and to navigate this period of change with care and dignity. Without you, the Centre could not have remained open for as long as it has or achieved such positive outcomes for so many people.