AN INDEPENDENT family centre in East Oxford has renewed its call for donations after losing 14 per cent of its income this year.

Up to 10 families a week attended Saturday drop-ins at Donnington Doorstep, which have now been cancelled indefinitely due to the £60,000 shortfall.

Charity director Beth Knighton said that stopping the regular event, which included singing, storytelling and play for parents and children, was a "pre-emptive" move.

She said: "It doesn't sound huge but it's hard to replace. It's not like we have ever been rolling in money and rich, but this is a big hole."

The centre in Townsend Square is still hosting drop-in play sessions from 10am on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Ms Knighton added: "Drop-ins are sadly where universal services happen. It's fun, playing, coffee and cake, but also that's how you get people that disclose deeper issues.

"We closed on Tuesdays a couple of years ago in similar circumstances, and we haven't managed to re-open."

In April this year the centre received a £180,420 grant from the county council, creating 50 new places at its Donnington Playgroup.

But Ms Knighton said although this seemed "a bit odd", the money had come from a wholly separate department.

She added: "I want people to know that we do need the income in order to stay open. We don't get donations when people come in; it's free and further cuts could happen."

Staff are also squaring up to the possibility of an influx of families from further afield due to the imminent closure of children's centres in Oxfordshire.

Didcot resident Aishah Ball, 43, who grew up close friends with the children of Donnington Doorstep's founders, still routinely brings sons Saeed, five, and Nazim, one, to sessions. She said: "It's a fantastic service. The kids have a whale of a time getting mucky and doing crafts, things we sometimes don't have the time as parents to organise.

"I don't often go on a Saturday but quite a lot of dads went; it could affect fathers' relationships with their children. I feel very sad that it's losing funding."

Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Owen Morton said: "The council provided funding for Donnington Doorstep under a three-year contract which came to an end on March 31, 2016. Unfortunately, due to the need to make huge savings across all service areas, the council was not able to extend or re-tender this contract.

"We very much wish to continue working with community and voluntary partners as part of our new model for children’s services, and to develop new partnerships.

“It is important to remember that regardless of available funding, any service contract must be reviewed on a regular basis, which means both providers and the nature of the services they are contracted to deliver are always subject to change."