A LIFELINE has been thrown to special needs groups left in limbo by the closure of their centre.

We revealed on Tuesday how 10 groups who use St Michael Garicoits House, Greenhill, off London Road, Worcester, were desperate for new premises when they heard the centre would close in March.

It has been run as a community centre for the last 26 years but the Sacred Heart Order which owns the house can no longer afford to run it.

However, hope is on the horizon for the groups thanks to generous offers from a community centre and a church who would like to rehome some of the groups.

One of the offers came in from Mandy Rimell, manager of The Green Centre in Gresham Road, Dines Green, Worcester.

She said: "We're always looking for new business and we know how we would feel if someone said we're pulling the plug so we thought we would try and help."

Father Paul Fitzpatrick of St George's Catholic Church, Sansome Walk, Worcester, has offered the use of the church hall after he was moved by our front page story.

He said: "The hall is built for the community's benefit. That's exactly what we do. We want to open up the hall to as many people as we can and we're right in the centre of Worcester. Hopefully, we will be able to fill that void for some of the groups."

Carol Boughton, leader of the Worcester Gateway Club, one of the groups which is now looking for a new home, was delighted by the offers.

She said: "We have been quite moved by the responses. Father Paul was on the phone to us straight away. I'm thrilled to bits. Worcester is a caring community."

The Solihull-based Sacred Heart Order blamed the closure on rising costs, a fall in membership on the management committee and a change in direction for the order, which is taking on more missions in the developing world.

Austin Hughes, of the Sacred Heart Order, said there was a possibility that the house could be used in future as a home for elderly and retired priests.