A CRISIS meeting over the future of a family centre which says it is threatened with having to close due to a £30,000 funding shortfall will take place tomorrow.

Health professionals, school and children's centre representatives, councillors and other community figures are trying to save Bacup Family Centre.

The centre, which has supported to thousands of children and parents for 14 years, says it must close on June 30, if money cannot be found to keep it going. Six members of staff will be made redundant.

Although some money is provided by Rossendale Council, £90,000 a year is needed. The centre, run by national charity Spurgeons, relies heavily on donations to offer affordable family services. Attracting grants is difficult due to the varied nature of the work.

The centre runs pre-school clubs, parent and toddler groups, playgroups, and creches, after-school clubs, and does contact visits and parent training.

It also does outreach work and families can call at any time for support and be put in touch with health and social services. The centre also helps with house clearances and debt problems.

Project manager Leila Allen said they had already had to cut back services. She urged anyone with ideas on how to help to keep the centre open to attend tomorrow's meeting.

She added: "We have received donations but we are trying to find people and businesses who can help raise more. We are also meeting with local churches to find places for the children's groups to go."

Mike Kermath, head of St Marys Primary School, Tong Lane, which works with the centre, said it would be a devastating loss to the community.

He added: "If anybody has got ideas of how to help save it then they need to come along to the meeting to voice them."

The meeting takes place at 10am, at the Sunnycrest Community Centre, on Pennine Road, Bacup.