A women's group could close before it has had time to hold the official opening of its new £190,000 centre.

Keighley Women's Centre is facing the axe after Bradford Council omitted to include it on the list of appeals for community grant aid.

The group's application for a £53,000 hand-out to pay for its staff - two part-time and one full time worker - was turned down earlier this year.

But an appeal submitted to City Hall bosses on November 24 has not been included on the list of more than 90 groups who want a share of the £200,000 available.

The centre has been running in Keighley for about 17 years and, until last year, was in Alice Street.

But it paid out £190,000 last year for a new base, an Edwardian terraced house in Skipton Road, Keighley. It received cash help from Keighley Single Regeneration Board and from the Government-funded English Partnerships.

Co-ordinator, Jean O'Keeffe, said: "Officers said they couldn't find the appeal forms and there was no sign of us on the computer. We didn't get an acknowledgement of our appeal but I didn't expect one."

She added: "This place is thriving. It has never been fuller and we are now part of the town-wide network of different agencies.

"We were planning to have our official opening in January. It has taken so long to set up because we have been so busy.

"But it looks now like we could be opening and closing at the same time."

The centre opens five days a week and provides a number of projects including a home safety scheme for young families and elderly people, a dementia project for carers and sitters and various courses, including assertiveness and counselling.

On average 250 women a month use the centre but it is also open to men.

Bradford Council was unavailable for comment.

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