WINCHESTER's drop-in centre for the homeless is coming under financial pressure as funding begins to dry up.

Turnover has increased as the centre on St Paul's Hill takes on more roles - but some sources of finance could cease.

Centre manager Michelle Gardner told the annual meeting that the centre would not be able to apply for European funding for its education projects next year.

She said: "This project runs out in December and we won't be making any application to the European Social Fund. We are still trying to find new funds but we cannot be guaranteed of getting as much funding as we used to."

The Trinity Centre received £41,800 of European money last year, around 11 per cent of its total income.

The centre has operated for nearly 20 years and provides care to people with a mixture of health, addiction and money problems. It offers food, showers, a laundry, medical advice, training workshops and recreational facilities.

Ms Gardner said: "We are averaging 45 people a day, which seems a pretty consistent number. There can be no doubt that we have a homelessness problem, whatever the government statistics might say, people are sleeping rough in our city.

"We really have to accept the problems that cause homelessness before we can deal with homelessness."

The centre's turnover increased by 57 per cent last year, from £240,550 to £378,500.

The extra money has funded such services as Rupert's, a support centre for drug addicts, based in Bridge Street.

Reverend Dr Michael Semple, who chairs the Trinity Centre, said it was often easier to find money to start a new project, than to secure funding to keep a scheme going.

City councillor Dominic Hiscock, Cabinet member for housing, said he wished they could offer more to the Trinity Centre. "We do what we can, but it's never going to be enough."