By Iain Burns

A crisis meeting is taking place at Old Boat Corner Community Centre (OBCCC) in Hollingbury to address financial problems that may force it to close.

There are fears the 27-year-old centre in Carden Hill may shut in six months without more money and members.

Its chair Liz Clift said: “We are losing money every month – we are having this meeting because it looks like we really could close.

“There are even people who have weddings booked for next year who would be let down.”

The main problem for the centre is electricity, which costs £850 a month.

“We are almost a victim of our own success – we are always open, and always busy, so we always have the heating and lighting on,” Ms Clift said.

In a bid to lower costs the OBCCC applied for energy-efficient grants, including solar panels, but was not successful.

“The building just leaks heat: no double glazing, nothing, and the council won’t do anything about it.

“We were told solar panels would likely be stolen,” Ms Clift added.

Helen Clift, Ms Clift’s mother and a founding member of the centre, said the area would suffer without the OBCCC.

“It’s been a lifeline to a lot of people over the years,” she said.

She was one of a group of people who persuaded ASDA to provide funding to build the centre.

“We fought so hard, it’d be such a shame to see it go – it’s unique.

“It belongs to the community – it would be so unfair if it was sold to private enterprise,” she said.

In a memoir which focuses on the community centre, Mrs Clift recalled a particularly memorable day - when a child was born in the toilets.

OBCCC cafe manager Tony Lloyd said it is an invaluable community asset.

She said: “So many people say they have no idea how they would have coped without the OBCCC.

“Just now I’ve advised a woman who’s worried her child’s overweight – she didn’t know who else to ask.”

It is not just a shortage of money that concerns Ms Lloyd.

“We are desperate for funding, yes, but we also need fresh committee members – fresh ideas.

“The place has enormous potential – it just needs somebody to come in and revitalise it,” she said.

The meeting is on Monday, July 14 at 7.30pm and the OBCCC is asking anyone who is interested to attend.