A FUNDING crisis means a toy library serving 250 families a week could be forced to close by December.

The Borrowers Toy Library, in Barnards Green, costs £80,000 a year to run, but a grant from Children in Need runs out before Christmas.

Small grants to buy toys are readily available but the problem lies in finding large sums of money for running costs and salaries.

Co-ordinator Sue Rogers said: "If we don't have staff, we haven't got a service.

"There needs to be some sort of vision from the main charities on who they're funding."

The library can re-apply to Children in Need, but will not know if it is successful until April - four months after it needs the cash.

The two other main sources of large grants are the lottery and Comic Relief.

Comic Relief spokesman Kate Conway said an upper limit of £5,000 had been set on grants in order to reach as many community projects as possible.

The library has also received three grants from the National Lottery in the past and is not eligible for more.

Mrs Rogers said tsunami and Third World charities should be supported but people should remember to donate to organisations closer to home.

She hopes to set up a 'task holder group', whose members can research funding opportunities.

Meanwhile, people are being encouraged to buy a leaf on a fund-raising beanstalk to help boost funds.

Local businesses can also make a donation, in exchange for having some advertising on the library's van.

Since the Borrowers Toy Library opened almost 10 years ago, it has developed to provide a mobile service and children's workshops, as well as a lending library.

"It's a make-or-break time for our 10th birthday," said Mrs Rogers.

To help Borrowers, telephone 01684 891081.