AN independent family centre that has had to cut drop-in sessions to one day a week has launched a campaign to secure council funding.

On Monday the Oxford Mail revealed Donnington Doorstep was cutting its drop-in service back to Wednesday mornings only due to funding pressures.

The centre lost £60,000 of funding when a grant from Oxfordshire County Council ended last March.

Now the campaign has taken on the slogan #SavetheDoorstepDrop-In and supporters have called for the county council to support the service through the transition fund.

The £1m pot of cash was made available in February 2016 to provide grants for children’s services, with organisations able to bid for money to help them adjust to funding changes.

Protesters will hold a demonstration outside County Hall in Oxford on Tuesday before the county council’s cabinet meets at 2pm.

A statement from the centre said: “We are inviting all past and present families, supporters, friends, collaborators, staff, volunteers, neighbours and everyone to come and support our bid.

“We are a community-based family centre and we know how important the drop-in is to you all.”

About 1,600 children and their parents use the drop-in services each year.

They cost £360 a day to run.

County council spokesman Owen Morton said: “The council is putting in place a brand new children’s service which will continue to meet the needs and aspirations of children at risk of abuse and neglect, and ensure families in need of extra help are identified at an early stage.

“Start-up funding has already been approved for three community schemes in the city at Elms Road, Grandpont and St Nicholas at Marston.

“A further three applications for service delivery in the city are currently being considered.”