Wellingborough's Victoria Centre could close for good

The Victoria Centre opened in 1979 but is now under threat

An appeal has been launched to save a popular community centre from closure.

The Victoria Centre in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, which opened in 1979, is facing rising energy costs and repair bills.

Its finance officer said many of the grants it usually relied on were no longer available.

Users have told the BBC they would be "devastated" if they could not longer use the facility.

The Victoria Centre has played a major role in Wellingborough life for more than 40 years.

The town's African-Caribbean Association and Hindu Association were both launched there before moving to their own premises, and it is now home to a diverse range of groups.

Like many places, it has suffered the double whammy of rising bills and falling income.

Bogdan Cesauana, finance officer at the Victoria Centre, has launched an appeal to save the centre

Finance officer, Bogdan Cesauana, said: "It's a very old building, and during the winter, gas and electricity bills are more than £5,000 a month.

"In the previous year, that loss was covered by grants, but now there aren't any core cost grants available. That's why, last week, we launched a fundraising campaign, and hopefully, with the support of the community, we can make it through the winter."

As a hub for everything from childcare to chair yoga for older people, the closure of the Victoria Centre would affect people across Wellingborough and beyond.

'It's our lifesaver'

Dhani Patel, a regular user, said: "Sometimes we get depressed, we don't want to stay indoors, we come out and this is our only way of communicating with people. It's our lifesaver here, to be honest."

Claire Sharp, another regular, said: "I started coming here because, basically, I felt stagnant because I was stuck at home and a friend from church told me about the exercise class here.

"I just felt such a welcome, it was amazing."

The Victoria Centre hosts a wide range of regular activities

Donations are already coming into the appeal, and a big fundraising event will take place later this month. Local councils have expressed their support as well, and Mr Cesauana is confident the community will pull together and get the Victoria Centre through the crisis.