AN aid organisation which provides refuge to thousands of women and children is facing a "critical" funding crisis.

Staff at Women's Aid Blackburn with Darwen today warned that unless vital funding is secured within the next six weeks then services will have to be cut.

Project manager Vivien Blackledge predicted that many of the borough's women and youngsters who are victims of abuse would be left without a lifeline if the cuts had to be enforced.

She revealed that the voluntary organisation needs £60,000 a year to operate and after receiving £17,000 from Blackburn with Darwen Council, they had been left with a budget deficit of £40,000.

And although funding bids had been put into the national lottery they were still waiting to find out whether any have been successful.

Vivien said: "We are in dire straits.

"The problem is that nobody will entirely fund us as we don't fit into one particular category - health don't see it us as a health organisation and social services say it is an adult issue and so on.

"What it is is a family issue where we help, support and accommodate over 2,500 people in the borough each year - women and children - and the bottom line is that we desperately need funding if we are to keep on helping these people."

The organisation has been operating for 17 years and runs both the Women's Wish Centre and a secure refuge.

But these services are now under threat and could be cut by the end of next month.

Vivien added: "We are going through a particularly hard time.

"There is so much demand for our work and we should be looking to expand the services we provide not reduce them. By the end of the month we will have to reduce our opening hours if funding has not been made available.

"We are desperate. The only people who will end up suffering are those victims of domestic abuse who need us the most.

"We should be planning for the long-term future but we are now just worried about the short term."

Women's Aid has 13 members of staff, including counsellors and floating support staff.

Vivien said they were all desperate to raise money and were even appealing to the public for support.

She added: "If anybody wants to help fund our organisation or is interested in fund raising on our behalf we would be very grateful.

"Every little bit of cash raised helps and will mean the service can go on helping victims of abuse in Blackburn with Darwen."

A spokesperson for Blackburn with Darwen Council said the authority would help and advise the organisation on what other sources of funding could be available to it.