VULNERABLE women with complex needs will experience a temporary break in their services due to funding cuts.

Brighton Women’s Centre was forced to close its counselling service, designed for women with a history of suffering abuse, poverty and addiction, in March after its sub-contract with the mental health and wellbeing service, funded by Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group, was terminated.

It used to provide the counselling from its city centre headquarters in High Street in Brighton, where the charity has been since 2006.

Faced with the need to reduce its operational costs, Brighton Women’s Centre’s board of trustees took the decision to stop delivering its volunteer-run services such as the women-only drop-in centre and foodbank out of the building, which will be closed from June 28.

The charity is now looking for new venues for these volunteer-run services.

Director of Brighton Women’s Centre Lisa Dando said: “The last few weeks have been very full-on and challenging.

“It is disappointing and sad that we have to close our Kemp Town building, but our drop-in and foodbank are not going to be lost completely.

“We want to reassure women they will still be able to get the help they need, but let the people who hold the purse strings know that community services are essential and funding needs to be sustained in order for people to keep their doors open.

“Our counsellors had experience in dealing with gender-specific issues and other counselling services cannot provide that.”

The charity’s Thursday evening drop-in, a safe space for women experiencing issues with health, abuse and poverty will be delivered from its building at 22 Richmond Place from July 12.

It is currently looking for a new venue in a central location in Brighton where it will hold a weekly hub to incorporate a drop-in, foodbank and essentials shop and holistic therapies.

It aims to also provide weekly women-only drop-ins in Hangleton and Knoll and Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, as well as regular groups and workshops for mothers in partnership with Brighton-based non-profit organisation Mothers Uncovered.

Ms Dando said: “We want to take a more neighbourhood approach to ensure we reach the women who need us. The areas we have chosen are areas of deprivation.”

The charity is holding a Summer Fete on Sunday at 72 High Street to act as a celebration of the closure of the building.

For more information go to womenscentre.org.uk.