AN EMERGENCY meeting will be held in order to try saving a branch of a parent support charity from closure.

The Bridport and Lyme Regis branch of the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) is appealing for residents to come along to a meeting next week to discuss how the branch can avoid shutting down.

Run by volunteers, the group organises a wide range of activities, including popular pregnancy, baby and toddler groups to antenatal and first aid classes. The group also organises large scale nearly new sales four times a year to raise funds and help new parents to pick up goods.

The branch is heavily reliant on a small group of helpers. With a number of volunteers standing down for personal reasons, the group is lacking the people power to keep it running.

Branch coordinator, Danielle Lanning, said: "One of the things that our NCT group does brilliantly, is to plug the gap in services in the local area for young families - for instance providing antenatal classes when NHS provision was cut, and organising specialist groups such as Peas in a Pod, our monthly session for families with twins and multiples.

"We are really worried that without more people stepping in to help out, we will have to start reducing what we do and we may even have to wind up altogether if we cannot get the volunteers. That means support that people need and rely on will disappear."

The branch receives no central funding and is dependent on its own fundraising and income generation.

Mrs Lanning added: "We are a really friendly branch and have had the benefit over the years of some wonderful volunteers who have gone above and beyond to help us grow and develop what we do.

"But we are now in serious need of help, from anyone in the local area, to keep going. You don't need to have young children to get involved - some of our roles are desk based and we never ask for more time than you can afford to give.

"We do really hope that people who have benefitted from the NCT, either recently or in the past, will come along to our meeting to offer some ideas and find out what they can do to help. "

Branch president, Ellen Simon, added: "The NCT has been around in Bridport for more than 30 years and hundreds, if not thousands, of families have had the benefit of its support.

"It would be terrible for us to lose this wonderful resource and for expectant families or those with babies and toddlers to lose access to information, support and friendship when they really need it. Please try to get involved."

The emergency meeting will be held on Thursday, September 29, from 7.30pm to 9.30pm at Bridport Children's Centre.

For more information, email coordinator.bridport@nct.org.uk