BOSSES at a service that provides support for victims of domestic violence have warned that it is running out of time to secure funding.

Northumberland Domestic Abuse Services (NDAS), which is the only specialist domestic abuse service in Northumberland to offer support and counselling for children and helps on average 600 men, women and children a year, will close at the end of March if funding cannot be found.

The charity has been exploring various funding sources and has applied for several grants, but has so far been unsuccessful.

It is currently waiting for the government to respond to an application for a funding grant, but time is running out.

Trustee director Ian McLackland said domestic violence services could be put back 30 years without NDAS.

Ian said: "It's government funding we're waiting to hear about. If we don't get the money we'll be closing by the end of March, and that shouldn't be an option.

"I can remember what it was like for women fleeing domestic violence in the 1980s, it was a poor service. NDAS came in and gave people somewhere they can go.

"If NDAS aren't there you're going to be back there."

Development officer at NDAS Heather Pringle has been spearheading the campaign to try and save the service.

Work has included a petition, a stall at Wentworth Leisure Centre during domestic violence week, and asking people who have been helped by NDAS to record a short video of themselves explaining how the charity helped them.

Heather said: "We launched a campaign back in November to try and get the community behind us and let them know the situation we're in, because we'd been quiet about it before then.

"We're looking at a lot of partnership work and rural outreach work, it's something we're looking to develop and I think there's nothing like that out there, so hopefully we can attract some funding through that.

"A lot of service users have written testimonials which shows what people live with and go through, and the difference our organisation can make.

"That's been good, but the situation we're in now is worse than it was in November.

"People really care and they don't want another community service to disappear, a lot of similar organisations have disappeared already. Something has to be done."