Women's centre which has helped thousands faces axe after Lottery blow

​A CENTRE which has supported thousands of vulnerable women in Hull could be forced to close.
Staff at Willow Women's Centre have been left devastated after their application for Lottery funding was rejected.
The centre, based at Hall Road Primary School in north Hull, supports 500 women every year, which costs �100,000.
Centre co-manager Sylvia Kilvington said: "It came as a massive shock when we were told our funding application had been rejected.
"I am trying not to think we could actually close and lose something so special, but I know it is a reality. It could really happen."
Willow – Woman Into Life, Leisure Or Work – received a �400,000 grant from the Big Lottery Fund four years ago, which has now run out.
The project supports women's education, offering a variety of courses, as well as legal, financial and family support sessions.
If no new funding is found, the opening hours of the centre will be reduced and the eight members of staff will be made redundant.
Mrs Kilvington said: "In this economic climate, everyone is feeling the pinch.
"There are so many organisations folding and we really don't want to be one of them.
"In the grand scheme of things, �100,000 is not a massive amount of money to help 500 women a year."
Sherrie Rhodes, of Orchard Park, overcame severe postnatal depression with the help of Willow.
She said: "It has had a massive impact on my life.
"When I first started coming to Willow, I had no confidence. But I have learnt so much here. I have always wanted to do midwifery, but never had the confidence to do anything about it.
"Now I have been to college and I also want to go to university."
She is also now on the management committee of Willow.
A spokesman for the Big Lottery Fund said: "The latest application from Willow Women's Centre was to Reaching Communities, an extremely popular and oversubscribed funding
programme which this month distributed more than �2.5 million across Yorkshire and the Humber.
"The wide-reaching appeal of the Big Lottery Fund means applying for a grant is a very competitive process and, regrettably, the demand for funding far exceeds the amount of money available.
"As with all Lottery funding, Big Lottery Fund grants are not designed to be a regular source of income for any organisation.
"Difficult decisions have to be made and some good projects will inevitably be turned down, which unfortunately was the case with Willow Women's Centre."
If you can help, call the centre on 01482 474094.

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