A CENTRE for the elderly is under threat after it was announced that its funding could be slashed.

The Asian Elders’ Resource Centre, in Northfield Street, Deane, offers a variety of activities for pensioners, including exercise classes, crafts and English lessons.

But the centre, which receives £120,000 a year from Bolton Council, would see that figure slashed by more than £36,000.

It used to have a day care centre for frail and disabled members but that closed in August due to a lack of funds.

Centre manager Shabeen Rehman said the organisation, which is a registered charity, would struggle to survive without the core funding, making it more reliant on donations.

She added: “It is good for social interaction but it also gives them a lot more than that, in terms of keeping fit and active and learning new skills.

“We get a lot of our funding from the local authority, but some more cuts are coming our way.

“We do not know what the future holds yet, but we will lose 30 per cent so it will be difficult.

“We will struggle to survive on that.

“We will be more reliant on donations from the community, and will be asking businesses for sponsorship and organising fundraising events.

“I wanted to highlight this because it is a very well used centre.”

Council bosses insist they have no choice but to cut funding to the centre, along with a further nine organisations that provide adult social care in the borough.

The local authority carried out consultations and will, from March 31 next year, replace funding with a grant scheme.

The £745,597 available for the 10 groups will be cut by £250,000.

A council spokesman said: “As part of the consultation, 10 organisations, including Asian Elders, submitted a joint proposal to voluntarily reduce funding by 33.53 per cent, on the basis that contracts are extended by 12 months.

“This proposal will allow time for the organisations to prepare for the new system of funding, and allow more time to develop the new grant scheme.

“This proposal is being considered along with all consultation responses by the Executive member for adult and community services on November 24.”

There are 700 members on the elders’ centre’s database, with around 70 attending each day.

One of the members, 105- year-old Punambhai Patel, was featured in The Bolton News last week as the town’s most active pensioner.

The retired joiner takes part in weekly yoga classe