A homeless day-centre is set to halve its opening hours due to a lack of funding.

Last week bosses at the Fountain of Peace Day Centre in Staff Road, Leyton, announced that they were considering reducing services at the centre because money had run out.

They say it costs £5,000 per month to support and its funder, the Fountain of Peace Ministry, can no longer afford it.

Currently open six days a week, the centre will cut hours to open to Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from the beginning of December unless funding can be secured from elsewhere.

Project manager Audrey Stephens said: “I’m absolutely devastated.

“We’re doing so much work with these people here and we’ve come so far.

“We’re just praying and hoping that in the next two weeks something happens and we don’t have to close.”

Currently taking in up to 50 homeless people, the centre offers shelter, food, IT services, English classes and support services.

Mrs Stephens, who has been working at the centre for a year, had doubled the hours at the centre to provide greater support.

“When I first came here these people had no hope,” she said.

“They’d given up but they’ve regained hope and something to believe in.”

Funding is used to pay one full-time member of staff and two part-time staff, utility bills and rent, among other costs.

Sam Bremang, church trustee, said: “After a lot of consultation we decided to extend funding until December 1.

“It’s a small church and we don’t have unlimited resources.”