A YOUTH group in danger of closing due to lack of funding has been saved after it was decided to cut services and lose one staff member to save money.

Ferryhill Ecafe was set up in 2001 in a Ferryhill Town Council owned building.

Durham County Council provided funds to create a co-ordinator post and the town council gave money to pay for two support jobs.

The authority decided in 2011 to drop its funding and a successful application was made to the Big Lottery Fund.

The charitable group gave £37,000 on a fixed three-year contract which ends on March 31, 2015. A bid to the lottery for further funding was rejected.

Now the town council is seeking funding from elsewhere, but it is likely that no external grants will be in place by April 1 next year.

As a result the town councillors were given three options on the Ecafe’s future.

The first was to close the Ecafe from April 1 which would save the town council £17,000 a year.

The second was for the town authority to fund the co-ordinator for a further year which would cost £15,500.

Instead they agreed to keep the co-ordinator and one other staff member. The third job will end on March 31 and the sessions will only cater for children aged 11 to 18-years.

Derek Snowball, council clerk, said the affected staff were on fixed contracts until March 31 anyway and that the matter will be discussed with them. He is to continue to seek further funding for the venture in the hope of re-employing staff.

Any businesses who wish to provide funding should contact 01740-652157.