DURSLEY community association has been inundated with calls since the Gazette launched its "Save Our Centre" campaign last week.

We are urging local people to volunteer their services to the association and support the excellent work being done by Dursley Town Mayor Jane Ball.

It needs to find a new chairman, secretary and treasurer at its annual general meeting on Monday night to secure the long-term future of its community centre.

Unless this happens, it will be forced to scale back on its vital local services and maybe even close the centre.

The association has received calls of support from concerned users, but still needs people to fill the roles, which require little more than one or two evenings of work a month.

Surestart, a support group for local families, which uses the centre twice a week, has joined the fight to keep it open.

The group holds sessions on Wednesdays (10am-12noon) and Thursdays (12noon-2pm) that are usually attended by about 25 families.

For just £1.50, parents and children have the chance to meet new friends and discuss any problems they have with family support workers and health visitors.

They also provide parents with refreshments and toys for the children.

Cheri Jones, 21, from Kingshill, has been attending the sessions for two years since her daughter Ellie was born.

She said: "I come hear twice a week and find it a good opportunity to meet people from all over Dursley and make friends.

"If it closed, then neither me nor Ellie would get to see some of the friends we've made.

"They say our community is getting bigger but services like this don't get the support they deserve - especially in an era when most of us don't even know our neighbours names."

Sarah Clark, 22, from Weavers Close, said: "I've also been coming here for two years - it's well priced and is it's a real benefit to meet all these people."

Surestart, which also runs Treetops Children's Centre, has been using the centre since October 2004. Organisers see it as an important facility to expand its services, which they plan to extend throughout the county.

Sarah Birch, Surestart and Treetops centre manager, said: "We use the community centre because it's a location that families can reach. Jane Ball is always accommodating and the services really suit our needs.

"I think it would be a huge loss to the area if anything happens to the centre, I'm not sure where else we would go - it's by far and away our best option."

People can help to save the centre by attending the association's annual general meeting on Monday (7.30pm) at the community centre (near Rednock School).

In the meantime, the centre remains open and is available to book. For more information call 01453 543355.