A charity that provides counselling, cheap meals and financial advice in one of Croydon's most deprived areas is at risk of closure.

The Fieldway Family Centre, which also hosts play groups, cookery classes and laundry services, often to poor families, could shut later this year when its funding from Croydon Council ends.

The centre, which opened in New Addington in 1997, received £65,000 in transition payments keep it afloat for 12 months after the council stopped commissioning it to provide family support and children's services in March last year.

The centre has applied for grants to bring in fresh revenue and is to launch a crowdfunding campaign, but will have to close if it fails to plug the gap.

Manager Julia Weller said: "We are at threat of closure unfortunately. 

"We have been applying for outside funding to places like to Big Lottery, Children in Need and also some smaller grants, but it is very challenging because a lot of other organisations are after the same small pot of money.

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The family centre's manager said its closure would impact on the whole community

"Even if you write fantastic bid there's no guarantee you will get the money."

The 43-year-old, who lives in Fieldway and has managed the centre since 2007, warned the centre's closure would take its toll on the area, where 39 per cent of children live in poverty - the second-highest rate in Croydon.

She said: "The impact would be felt, maybe not immediately but a few years down the line.

"Because we cater for the whole family from birth right up, parents would no longer be able to get support, like the counselling we provide, help with housing and lunch clubs - getting healthy, hot nutritional meals at a really low cost."

Fieldway councillor Simon Hall, cabinet member for finance and treasury, said the council would pay a further £16,250 transition payment to keep the centre open for three months from the end of March, when the £65,000 runs out.

He said: "I have also asked that various relevant people in the council will talk to the centre about what services they could bid for that the council is providing but also other sources of funding to make sure that this very valuable resource continues.

"We are trying to do everything we can to support the centre.

"It is valued, it is trusted, it makes a difference and we don't want to lose that for the people of New Addington, but it is about how we can do that within the context of the funding and how services are now being organised across the borough."

The centre will hold a fundraising fun day between 11am and 3pm on Saturday, February 21, and is to launch a crowdfunding page online this week.

Ms Weller said: "We are still providing a really good detailed programme of services to support parents, carer, families and residents in Fieldway and New Addington, but we are now at the stage where we are asking businesses for some support.

"We are trying to become more independent. We want different funding streams to become more sustainable and to be totally reliant on the council for support."