ANOTHER Birmingham day centre for the elderly has been left fearing for its future because of council cutbacks.

Birmingham City Council is axing its £68,000-a-year grant to Cotteridge Church Day Centre from the end of March.

Last month the Birmingham Mail revealed how Shard End Day Centre is facing closure after 40 years because its £14,000-a-year grant is also being scrapped.

More than 50 pensioners go to the Cotteridge group which meets five days a week at the ecumenical Cotteridge Church. They live within a five-mile radius and most live alone and many are housebound and the centre has been running for 25 years.

They pay £8.20 per session and this gives them a three-course meal, games and activities.

Church administrator Irene Spooner said that fee covered the cost of the meals and activities, but the £68,000 they received from the council paid for the salaries of seven staff and overheads.

“We have enough money in our reserves to keep the day centre going for another two months or so, but after that we will have to try and find money from other sources to keep going,” she said.

“The thought of this club not being here is terrible and it will break the hearts of our members.”

Chairman of the church council, Rev Jacky Embrey, said if they did not find alternative funding they may have to charge the members the unsubsidised rate of £30 per session.