A CASH-strapped charity that helps parents in need has been saved from closure.

Earlier this year, the Bury Times reported Home-Start Bury was due to close because of a lack of funds after Bury Council decided not to renew a contract.

Based at Bury Business Centre in Kay Street, Freetown, the charity supports 70 families with young children, helping them cope with bereavement, divorce, mental-health problems or disabilities or post-natal depression.

It was due to close for good next Thursday, but a solution has been found, so the organisation's four staff and 50 volunteers can continue their good work.

Some 398 people signed a petition presented to Bury Council arguing for the charity, which has been running for almost 20 years, to be saved.

The petition's author, Sarah Bleasdale, said: "I have been a childminder for 24 years and have been a volunteer for this charity for the past 18 months. This is an much needed, early interventions service for struggling families, which prevents the need for much costlier interventions by social and healthcare agencies."

In recent weeks, town-hall bosses have held high-level talks with officials from Bury Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to see if anything could be done to secure Home-Start’s future in Bury.

It is understood a deal has been struck whereby the council and CCG will inject cash into Home-Start on the basis that Home-Start secures funding from other sources.

The cash means families in need can continue to be matched with parent volunteers, who visit them weekly to offer a range of emotional and practical support.

"If Home-Start Bury had closed, there would have been no other early intervention services to support families in the same way, across Bury," said a spokesman for the charity.

He added: "The issues that local families face have changed dramatically over the last five years.

"They are coping with the impact of welfare reform, debt, poor mental health and a lack of housing. It is these families that turn to Home-Start for support."

Home-Start Bury manager Kate Brookes said: "We are absolutely delighted to be carrying on our service in Bury.

"We were greatly concerned about the impact that our imminent closure was going to have on the families we support.

"Securing funding now means that our families will continue to have help from their Home-Start volunteer with no gap in provision, this means that no parent in Bury will fall through the net.

"We are feeling very positive about our future, and are now in talks with a range of other funders too."

The charity’s treasurer Steve Marsden said: "We'd like to publicly thank all of our supporters who campaigned to keep Home-Start Bury open.

"To have so many positive comments about our charity, is a ringing endorsement of the difference our volunteers make to local families."

The organisation is appealing for volunteers to help for at least two hours a week.

Training and ongoing support and supervision is provided, and expenses are paid for.

"Many of our volunteers say that they get just as much out of their Home-Start experience as the families they support," said Ms Brookes.

She added: "Some use Home-Start to further their education or career prospects, others volunteer because they have some spare time on their hands, and just want to give back to their local community."

Call the charity on 0161 763 6335 to find out more.