COMMUNITY groups in Southampton who feared they would be homeless were yesterday celebrating after council chiefs promised to keep a roof over their heads.

Just weeks ago, one of two buildings at the Lordshill Community Centre was permanently put out of use because of a leaking roof.

Desperate Lordshill residents feared they would lose the centre for good.

But following appeals in The Daily Echo and a heated public meeting at the centre yesterday, the groups will have a place to meet.

Southampton City Council, which owns the buildings, has promised to pay thousands of pounds for toilets and storage in a disused portable classroom to make up for lost space.

The council will fund these for one year, during which time a more permanent solution will be found.

Chairman of the centre's management committee, Derek Marsh, said: "It's good news. This is not just a community centre, it is the heart of Lordshill.

"We get people in here of all ages from the whole community. They treat it as a home and for some, a weekly trip here is their only outing.

"We will now set about getting funding to build a permanent building in the future," he added.

Groups that meet at the centre include a Brownie pack, pre-school, bridge club and slimming clubs.

Following slight alterations to the timetable, all groups will now meet in one hall.

Vanessa Shahani, neighbourhoods and involvement manager at Southampton City Council, said: "The message is that this is a thriving, vibrant community centre.

"It is a facility that the council wants to protect."

The only casualty could be a Slimming World class. Unless its members can rearrange the times of their meetings, the club will have to find alternative premises.

A preferred site is a vacant shop next door to the nearby Sainsbury's supermarket.