BURY Family Centre, run by leading children's charity NCH, could be forced to close in March because of a cash crisis.

Although bosses are trying to transfer the services offered by the scheme at the Mosses Centre, worried mums fear the family centre may shut altogether and leave them and their children - some with special needs - in limbo.

The centre offers a five-day-a-week creche and a parent support group as well as parenting and educational courses to help mums get back into employment. It works with, among others, Asian and asylum-seeker families.

NCH admit that they can no longer afford to subsidise the costs of the services but are examining "all the available options" in an effort to safeguard their future. The charity runs the centre in partnership with Bury College and others.

Amelia Hughes, of Hazel Avenue, Bury, is one of more than 25 mums whose children attend the creche. Her son, four-year-old Lennon, is a special-needs child.

"He has been using the centre since he was 18 months old after a health visitor referred me to the creche," said 30-year-old Amelia. "We couldn't get help anywhere else. If it closes, it's going to be horrendous and devastating for everybody. I've also been involved in free computer training and other courses through the centre."

She says NCH staff at the Mosses have been warned about the prospect of redundancy and that some have been told they will be able to re-apply for their jobs.

Amelia added: "I understand that NCH have been given pledges that enough cash will be available to run the centre until 2006. But because the money is not yet on the table, we fear NCH will withdraw the creche and parent support group from the end of March.

"The parent support group gives a lot of help to mothers. We meet up each week and have our own room where we can sit and talk to support workers. The rest of the parents are just as upset as I am about the possible closure."

NCH said that a consultation exercise, mounted in the wake of the financial plight facing its centre, was due to end this weekend.

Mr Hugh Thornberry, NCHs director of children's services, said: "In the last two years, it has proved very difficult to secure the level of funding required to continue to deliver these services, despite a heavy subsidy provided by NCH. Unfortunately, NCH can no longer afford to subsidise the work and is considering all the available options in an attempt to ensure that the service provided by the Mosses continues.

"As a result, we are in discussions with our partners to look at the possibility of transferring these services to another organisation. In the meantime, all services will continue and plans are in place by the childrens charity to ensure appropriate consultation with our partners and service users."

Once the consultation process is completed, the charity hopes it will be in a position to clarify the future of the centre.

NCH, which has had a presence in the town for many years, works with more children and young people - including those affected by poverty, disability and abuse - than any other UK charity.