A Walsall day care centre will close after 30 years and another’s future has been thrown into doubt after council funding was slashed.

Age Concern chiefs say their base in the Salvation Army building, in Field Street, Willenhall, will shut at the end of next month after three decades of serving pensioners.

And a general overhaul of the charity’s day care in the borough could also see the end of centre at St Thomas of Canterbury church hall in Dartmouth Avenue, Ryecroft, unless financial support is found before March.

The closure of the Willenhall service will affect just four users, but around 16 pensioners attend the Ryecroft base every week day.

Around six workers across both sites have taken voluntary redundancy as part of the shake-up.

Age Concern chief officer Davina Lytton said Walsall Council had reduced its funding by half earlier this year and that a desperate bid had now been launched to retain the Ryecroft centre.

“It is a shame we have to close our Willenhall centre, but at the same time we recognise that the face of day care has to change,” she said.

“Day care is something we have always been valued and known for. But we have to work in partnership with people and we realise funding is an issue for everyone at the moment.”

The Willenhall centre will close on September 30, after which Mrs Lytton said the branch would have six months to find a new source of cash to safeguard the St Thomas base.

Anyone interested in volunteering to help at Age Concern Walsall could call 01922 638825.

Margaret Willcox, Walsall Council’s assistant director of social care, said: “We have done this in consultation with all the organisations which provide day care in Walsall and Age Concern is currently working with us to develop services that will meet the new government agenda.”