A TROUBLED youth counselling service has been thrown a lifeline by the county council, saving it from having to make staff cuts.

However, the manager of the 14-25 Winchester Youth Counselling Service has warned that the service may still suffer or possibly close unless more funding is found next year.

Hampshire County Council has given the service £5,000 in its latest round of community grants to help support its running costs, and manager Jill Guppy says that this has enabled the service to keep its five members of staff.

"We thought we may have to lose a counsellor in October but this money will help us keep them until next April," she said.

The project was launched in May 2003 after Winchester city bosses called for a long-term counselling programme rather than immediate but short-lived services.

It was set up using money from various sources, including the county council and a three-year lottery grant, which will come to an end next year.

Mrs Guppy said: "Difficulties may come this time next year. The project could have to close because our lottery money will run out.

"It will have a big impact on us if we lose that money."

The service has applied for another lottery grant but will not know until October if it has been successful.

Mrs Guppy added: "We don't want to lose any resources. We're trying to increase resources and keep the project going.

"If we don't get a lottery grant in 2006 the danger is there won't be a project and that would be disastrous. Where would the young people go then?"

The project is fully staffed with five counsellors, funding for which comes from various sources such as Hampshire Youth Service, health improvement and social inclusions budgets, and Winchester's drug action team.