THE Skipton volunteer bureau, which faced certain closure because of a lack of funding, could be given a new independent lease of life.

For 11 years the bureau was run as an arm of Craven Voluntary Action. Its main role was to match its army of 50 volunteers to those who needed help.

It ran a befriending scheme in which volunteers stopped in for a chat and a cuppa with people living alone, volunteer drivers took the elderly to hospital and shopping, and a furniture store collected and delivered second hand furniture to those who needed it.

But when funding ran out the CVA reluctantly announced that it would have to close the bureau.

Half the money for the service came from social services and the rest from a variety of other sources, but it was not enough to carry out all of the work CVA had planned for this financial year.

The bureau was due to close on September 14.

Following numerous calls of concern from people who wanted to see the scheme survive CVA has been weighing up the options.

There is a small chance that emergency funding from the National Association of Volunteer Bureaux could keep the bureau running in the short term. This decision will be made in the next couple of weeks.

But, whether this is successful or not, the scheme is likely to be floated off next year and a long-term solution needs to be found.

The CVA hopes to re-launch the bureau as an independent charity so the invaluable service will continue.

Spokesman Maureen Moody said projects like the volunteer bureau, which have grown so much, often did better as an independent entity because it could apply for funding from different sources.

In a letter to Skipton Town Council, the CVA said if the service closed: "The quality of life for many people in the town will suffer."

Already people willing to serve on a management committee have been found and information is being collected in case setting up a new charity is the way forward.

At a recent council meeting Councillor Polly English said: "They have done brilliant work. The furniture store was a lifeline for people in a desperate situation.

"We need things going forward in this town not backwards. If someone is prepared to come forward and set it up we should support them."

She added that if the council could precept £2,000 for the bureau it would only cost each household about one penny, a small price to help those less fortunate.

Councillors unanimously agreed to support the project.

They offered an immediate £100 grant for postage and phone calls to help get the scheme off the ground, and will recommend to full council that £2,000 is made available when members receive confirmation that the venture is up and running.