A centre which helps disabled people to exercise, socialise and take short courses will be offered short term help from the council as it faces closure due to cuts.

Waltham Forest Disability Resource Centre (WFDRC) in Crownfield Road, Leytonstone, has been providing a place to go to some of the borough’s most vulnerable people since 1988.

However council funding has been withdrawn from April, leaving its future in serious doubt.

WFDRC manager Peri Stanley said central government changes to the way money is distributed meant fewer disabled people are entitled to personal support under tough new funding criteria set by the council.

A petition was signed by over 500 people, asking the council to honour a promise of ‘peppercorn rent’ made in 2010.

This would save the centre around £40k.

Cllr Angie Bean, the Council’s cabinet member for adult services, said WFDRC had been missing its targets.

She said: “This has been a very tough decision as we have been supporting the Disability Resource Centre for over a decade.

“While we recognise the work they have done in supporting residents during that period, unfortunately since 2011 the centre has only been achieving around half of its targets.

“We have supported the centre in a number of ways including offering reduced rent and agreeing to extend our funding until March next year to enable the organisation to put alternative funding measures in place, but we are unfortunately in a position where we have to prioritise our limited funding on organisations and services that provide the best value for money for our residents.”

The council has not confirmed whether or not it will honour its original promise.