THE only youth centre in Purley will lose almost all of its funding at the end of March when the council pulls its services from the site taking £23,500 rent a year with them.
The Purley Youth Project (PYP) centre has served the town for 20 years and serves 100 children each week across youth clubs and through one to one mentoring.
The council hired out the centre building - which is owned by and sits on the back of Purley United Reformed Church - for youth work on a 20-year contract.
But this finishes at the end of March and will not be renewed, meaning PYP will have to raise all of its £30,000 yearly running costs. The council will also take the computers, photocopiers and broadband connection when it leaves.
Martin Miller, PYP chairman for 25 years and a retired dental surgeon from South Croydon, said the centre is used every day of the week.
He said it has enough funds to run for six to nine months after council funding is withdrawn, but then it will need to source money from elsewhere. This will probably have to be raised by charging groups who CURRENTLY use the centre for free., forcing those who cannot pay out.
Mr Miller said: "Apart from the chicken shop there isn't a great deal for young people in Purley.
"The centre is somewhere safe for them to go where they can find things they enjoy doing. If you stop looking after the young people, they're our future workers and leaders and that's where you need to invest."
Purley Youth Project Juniors (PYPJ), a youth group for seven to 12-year-olds, use the centre every Wednesday and hosts between 60 and 80 children each week.
PYPJ has been the centre's biggest user for 13 years.
David Garfield, who runs the youth group with a team of volunteers, said there is a misconception that Purley is an affluent area that doesn't need any money.
He said: "There are pockets of wealth but people don't realise there is a lot of social housing in Purley and lots of needy families."
"After school a lot of youngsters are wandering around or going home to play on computers, and that is because there isn't anything for them to do."
Mr Garfield said PYPJ will have to do a lot of fundraising to carry on using the centre.
"It would be a disaster if something were to happen to the centre. The children love coming," he said.
Steve O'Connell, Kenley councillor and Greater London Authority member, is helping the centre find alternative funding and is asking the council to support it through the transition.
He said: "There isn't a lot about for young people and PYP do things for a range of ages. They're a real success story and I want them to continue."
A council spokesman said it has rented space in the building since December 2013.
But he said the council will not renew the rental agreement at the end of March because it no longer needs to use the centre "as youth activities are more widely dispersed across the south of the borough".
The spokesman added: "Over the past 12 months, the council has been working to support PYP in preparation for the changes that will follow; and the project's management has been exploring options for the future.
"The council will continue to offer support for the continuation and development of youth provision in the Purley area."
