BURY Family Centre is finally closing its doors after more than 30 years of offering support and care for parents and children.

To celebrate this end of an era, the centre, run by leading children's charity NCH, is holding an open day inviting parents and children both past and present to join staff for a chance to reminisce.

The centre, in Tenters Street, has been forced to close on March 31 after NCH admitted they can no longer afford to subsidise the costs of the services which will now be moved to other agencies, including the Mosses Centre and other NCH projects in Bury. The open day will take place next Wednesday, between 11am to 4pm, and staff members are hoping parents and children will join in their celebrations.

Sue Arnall, a project worker, said: "We decided we could not close the family centre without celebrating what has gone on here in the last 30 years. We would really like to see anyone who has been involved in the centre, whether it is for just five minutes or an hour. We want to end on a positive note."

The family centre was founded more than 30 years ago by a group of volunteers living in the Springs and Chesham estates, who had nowhere to take their children.

The group met at Holy Trinity Church, in Spring Street, and in 1971 were taken over by probation charity the Cell Care Trust who cared for the families of prisoners.

The centre continued to grow in popularity, expanding to all parents living in Bury and the group quickly relocated to Bury United Reformed Church, in Rochdale Road, to accommodate the increasing number of families.

The group moved to its current location in Tenters Street two years later and, in 1984, NCH took over and turned it into the Bury Family Centre, offering a five-a-day week creche, parenting courses and the chance to attend college to get back into employment.

Barbara Martin, the centre's project manager, said: "We want to express how grateful we are to all who have supported the centre over the years, including churches, schools and individuals who have donated money and supported us in lots of ways. We have tried so hard to ensure the services we offer are continued because they are so needed in the community."

Amelia Hughes, of Hazel Avenue, Bury, is one of more than 25 mums whose children attend the creche with her four-year-old son Lennon.

She said: "I am gutted it is closing because there is always somebody here to talk to if anyone wants advice. It gives us a chance to discuss our problems and share experiences. We can also talk to staff in confidence, without feeling it is our last resort."

Cath Taylor, of Townfields Close in Bury, has three children, including three-year-old Aimee, who is a regular visitor to the centre. She added: "The staff are just normal people who want to help. You just need to look at this place to see. They are more flexible than social services, who have a lot of legal restrictions but here, if they have time, they will do anything."

Mr Hugh Thornberry, NCH's director of children's services, said: "The majority of staff delivering services will continue to do so and any disruption and uncertainty to families will be kept to a minimum. Bury Family Centre has provided services to thousands of families and it will be greatly missed. The impact of the work with families cannot be under-estimated, nor can the contribution it has made to Bury itself."