A HULL charity that has helped vulnerable young people for more than 30 years is facing closure. The Warren Young People's Resource Centre in Queens Dock Avenue could be closed if funding is not found.
The centre helps young people battling poverty, homelessness, mental health, drugs and alcohol misuse, domestic violence, and much more.
A spokesman for The Warren said: "The centre is under severe financial pressure. There have been numerous cuts over the years, this year being no different, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to run.
"We do not have an issue with Hull City Council at all, as it too does not have as much money as it used to to devote to services like ours, but it is getting harder every year to survive."
The Warren gets up to 100 people through its doors each day and offers a vast range of services, including childcare, music and arts programmes.
It is believed to be the only centre offering free counselling sessions to young people in Hull.
In recent years, government funding cuts have seen the establishment struggle.
The centre's spokesman said: "The previous funding cuts have not hampered our work, but they have stopped us from developing our projects further. At the end of the day, it will be young people that bear the brunt of these financial cuts."
Users of The Warren have joined forces to raise vital funds needed for its survival, including via Facebook. People wishing to donate to the charity can do so by text by writing WARRØØ and the amount they wish to donate to 70070.
"We really appreciate the young people getting behind us and offering their support and fundraising ideas," the centre's spokesman said. "If a service like The Warren did not exist anymore, then where would young people struggling in the city go to for help and support?
"In a city like Hull, which has struggled more than most and has already taken its fair share of cuts, it is vital that our service remains open to help the young people."
People have also been posting messages of support on the Save The Warren Facebook page.
Mick Burton said: "UK City of Culture 2017 – what a joke.
"The Warren is a major part of the city's culture, it's turned the lives around of so many young people that it should be top of the list for funding. Let's all get out there and let them know what we think.
"This cannot be allowed to happen."
Hull City Council confirmed funding for Youth Commissioning Projects in the city are currently up for renewal and projects such as The Warren are invited to tender for their funding.
The Warren storyThe Warren story began with the huge rise in youth unemployment of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Humberside Youth Association (HYA) met Hull City and Humberside County Councils to discuss what could be done to provide support and activities to young people who were out of work, living in poverty, homeless and/or facing other issues.
The Warren started in Alfred Gelder Street before moving to its current location after a £220,000 partnership bid.
In 1988, The Warren became independent of HYA and has been a registered charity in its own right ever since.
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