A SERVICE which has found more than 5,000 volunteers for charities and businesses is facing closure unless it can find £75,000.

National Lottery funding has run out at the volunteer centres of Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Council for Voluntary Services, which co-ordinates volunteers in 495 organisations.

The centres in Cannon Street, Accrington, and Swan Mews, Clitheroe, have been running for seven years.

Manager Dorothy Shears said each CVS branch had to find its own funding and without the volunteers they provided many local groups would struggle to continue.

Mrs Shears said: "A lot of local organisations rely on the service we provide.

We help groups with recruitment and training of workers.

"We have agreed an extra three months funding with the Lottery, which takes us up to December, but after that we haven't got any more money to keep going.

The CVS service, which also provides community development and healthy lifestyle projects, is not under threat from the funding crisis -- only the volunteer centres are affected.

Mrs Shears said volunteers come from a wide spread of society: "Volunteering is a great boost for your confidence.

"We have volunteers who are looking to improve their CV to get into university or people who need experience in a certain field to get a job.

"There are also people who want to give something back to the community or have a reason of their own to be involved with a certain organisation.

"We see a lot of long-term unemployed people who can't get work because they have no experience. We can help with that.

"We sit down with potential volunteers and find out what type of work would suit them best and where they can be of most help.

"We pride ourselves on the personal touch."

The CVS centres in Accrington and Clitheroe, which employ two full-time and two part-time workers, need £75,000 to operate next year.

Dorothy McGregor, founder of Maundy Relief, a charity based in Accrington, said: "They provide a lot of support and information and help with our fundraising.

"They are invaluable to us and provide a fantastic service. We would struggle for volunteers if they were not around."