Activity centre for hundreds of Wolverhampton pupils faces fight for survival

An outdoor school and activity centre used by pupils from more than 70 schools in Wolverhampton is facing a battle to stay afloat after its funding was cut by Wolverhampton City Council. more

The Kingswood Centre on the outskirts of Wolverhampton has given thousands of inner city youngsters a taste of life in the countryside for more than 90 years.

But earlier this year the centre was stripped of its £70,000 annual grant, leaving bosses searching for ways to plug the shortfall.

It costs £370,000 a year to run Kingswood, the bulk of which is received from charitable donations and parents paying for school trips.

The centre received the additional £70,000 from Wolverhampton City Council up until April, but the axe fell on that funding amid voluntary sector cuts of around £1.6 million.

According to centre manager Rachel Wells, aged 49, it is a case of 'all hands to the pump' in a bid to raise the cash necessary to keep the centre going.

She said: "The council offers us support but unfortunately it is not able to provide us with the necessary funding at the present time.

"It means we are in a situation where we need to explore other ways of raising funds. If we sit here and do nothing there is the possibility that the centre could close.

"It is up to us to not only maintain what we have here but also to work on our long-term vision to extend our activities to make Kingswood become more self-sustainable."

Mrs Wells said bids had already been put in to a number of grant making trusts, while a bid for lottery funding was also in the works.

She added: "We want to make sure we have everything in place to make our bids successful, which means showing how vital Kingswood is to the community."

Other fundraising options include selling plants grown on the site in Barn Lane, Albrighton.

The nine acre site originally housed the Wolverhampton Children's Holiday Camp in 1923 was later developed into a nursery and residential centre under the guidance of Wolverhampton Council.

Kingswood became a charitable trust in 2012. Last year the centre catered for more than 6,200 visitors, many of them staying overnight on residential stays.

Councillor Phil Page, who is a member of the Friends of Kingswood group that supports the centre, said the authority was keen to safeguard the future of the centre.

"We want to make sure it not only stays open, but flourishes and expands," he said. "The situation is unfortunate, but savings have got to be made."