BOSSES at a Stourbridge charity have vowed to do their utmost to carry on helping the elderly across the town and beyond in 2017 in the face of devastating £200,000 funding cuts.

Age Concern Stourbridge and Halesowen is bracing itself to lose all of its funding from Dudley Council this year.

The charity has been going since 1974 - serving up meals, activities and advice for older people at the Elton Centre next to St John's Church - but it faces a fight for survival to stay afloat when the cuts take effect from April 1.

Dionne Legge, chief officer for Age Concern Stourbridge and Halesowen, said: "It's been such a kick in the teeth but we're just trying to get on with things.

"We're still trying to serve the old people in the borough as best we can."

The charity, which is run by 25 full and part-time staff and about 30 volunteers, will receive its last payment in March 2017 - after which the future is uncertain.

But bosses are in the process of recruiting a new business manager in the hope he or she can help the organisation to access funding or develop initiatives to grow the business.

Dionne added: "We might have to cut back on some things eventually but we're going to continue as much as we can. We're trying our very, very best to carry on looking after elderly people in the borough to make older life more fulfilled and active."

She said the charity is still running its three centres - the Elton Centre, the Mary Stevens Day Care Centre in Hagley Road, Oldswinford, and the Halesowen Day Care Centre in Green Lane and still providing transport "from a reasonable pick up distance".

A host of activities including yoga, dancing and art classes also continue to run at the Elton Centre, near the Stourbridge Interchange bus and railway station, and people can continue to enjoy a cuppa or a hot meal at the centre's cafe, which is open seven days a week, or get advice on topics such as pensions and benefits in the advice centre.

Age Concern's company secretary Brian Mitchell, however, has warned the charity faces a "major challenge" in the wake of the impending funding cuts and he described the situation as a "matter of great concern to our staff and clients".

Anyone interested in volunteering at Age Concern or wishing to make a donation to the charity can email Dionne at dionnelegge@acstourbridge.plus.com or call 01384 395534.