A North-East charity which helps brain-injured people get back to work is facing possible closure because of under-funding.

Rehab UK, which opened a Brain Injury Centre in Newcastle only three years ago, said that the public sector was failing to properly fund its work.

The Newcastle centre was set up to help the estimated 5,000 people a year leaving North-East hospitals after treatment for brain injuries.

So far, the 15-strong specialist team at the centre has helped more than 70 brain injured people get back to work, voluntary work or training.

It is the only vocational centre of its kind serving the North of England.

But unless the charity gets more money from statutory services, severe cutbacks or closure will follow.

Jonathan Wade, North-East area manager for Rehab UK, is bitter that the work of the centre is not being matched by funding.

"It's taken us three years to become established. Although health, social services and the employment service are willing to use the services, they are not willing to fund it," he said.

"The worst case is closure, the best option is probably going to be substantial redundancies throughout the UK," he added.

Rehab UK expected to be funded to provide 50 training places in Newcastle, but the Employment Service has only offered money for 22.

Mr Wade criticised the region's Primary Care Trusts (PCTs).

"The PCTs in County Durham and Darlington supply about £5,000, but they should be giving us £40,000 for the work that we do," he said.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Work and Pensions said: "In the Northern region this year, we are putting the same proportion of funding into work preparation for people with brain injuries as we did last year.

"The 23-place contract with Rehab UK, in fact, accounts for an eighth of what we spend overall on work preparation in the region and reflects our commitment to helping disabled people."

A spokeswoman for County Durham and Darlington Primary Care Trusts said: "We have already informed Rehab UK that each primary care trust will consider future funding for their services in their plans for 2003-2004."