A CHARITABLE venue that has seen famous faces perform is set to close amid a lack of funds.

St Paul’s Arts Centre, a deconsecrated church in Chapel Road, Worthing, has hosted big names such as Arthur Brown of Fire fame and acoustic outfit Turin Brakes.

The current trust set up to run events in the building has announced that it is disbanding, meaning the existing business is coming to an end.

Those behind the trust were unable to reveal what the future has in store but are keen to find the funds to carry on.

Ed Kilroy, general manager at the venue, told The Argus: “There are lots of things hindering the venue staying open. "Obviously money does come into it.

“We have raised thousands for charity over the years. This has really been a labour of love.

“We have had some seriously big names here. St Paul’s has been a real driving force behind how Worthing has changed, how the town has become more cultured and arty.”

St Paul’s is set up as a charitable trust, where all the money goes back into the trust. It has an agreement to use the space with the Church of England, which is the freeholder.

Any money left over if the venue closes permanently would be used to pay redundancies and suppliers.

The venue is due to close on December 19 anyway for its Christmas break and may remain shut.

Mr Kilroy, 31, added: “As to whether we reopen in our current situation, I just can’t say.

“A lot of the community are getting behind the church wanting to stay open in its current guise.”

The converted church is a cafe during the day and puts on gigs in the evening.

No shows have been cancelled and classes that used the space are in the process of looking for other venues.

In a statement the trust said that financial limitations were “hindering the building’s safeguarding and that the current charity’s objectives cannot be met in 2016”.