IT'S BEEN called a vital lifeline by thousands of parents across Hampshire.

But the future of a much-loved support service is today in doubt.

More than 40 Sure Start centres across the county are at risk of closure by Hampshire County Council.

Services offering social, educational, mental and physical support to parents and children could all be slashed drastically as the council proposes to develop a new Family Support Service.

It would see the current 54 centres dotted around communities cut to 11 district hubs next year in a bid to save the council £8.5million.

The cutbacks could see around 60 per cent of staff lose their jobs.

Districts in danger include the New Forest, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Winchester and the Test Valley.

Families using the services in Hampshire say it is heartbreaking and that without the Sure Start support services they would not have overcome the anxieties of becoming a parent or learnt how to best raise their children.

With the potential to come into force in 2017 when the centre's current leases will end, the proposal will see services change from offering support to all families to focusing on more vulnerable parents and children and investing money in their treatment.

Drop-in services would be cut entirely and there would be an emphasis on home visits and telephone calls for support instead of attending group sessions with fellow parents and talking with volunteers.

The Family Support Service would also see some groups come with a charge of up to £9 per session as opposed to 50p or even free meetings.

The Winchester Sure Start centres are Lanterns, Sparklers at Winnall Community Centre, The Carroll Centre in Stanmore, Reign and Shine, Kings Worthy, Sunbeams, Sun Hill schools, Alresford, Little Petals, Bishop's Waltham and Happy Valley, Denmead.

Hampshire County Council is proposing to develop a single service by merging the work of children's centres, Early Help Hubs, Youth Support Services and work with the Supporting Troubled Families Programme.

This service would then primarily work with vulnerable families on a referral or visitor basis, where one volunteer would be assigned to the parent and child to help them with any needs throughout their time with the centre.

The proposal will be up for public consultation for the next 10 weeks, at which point executive member for children's service, Cllr Keith Mans will make a decision and announce the future of family centres in Hampshire in the summer this year.

Centres currently being considered as the 11 district hubs include Aviary at Nightingale Primary School in Eastleigh, Oak Meadow in Fareham, the Siskin School campus in Gosport and Cadland Primary School in the New Forest. Spring Meadow in Alamein could be the centre for Test Valley and the Merry-Go-Round at Wickham Primary School for Winchester.

The proposal comes five years after a successful campaign to save the Sure Start centres.

In 2011 the county council issued a proposal to cut 35 per cent of the Sure Start budget, which saw mum-of-two Catherine Ovenden from Totton and hundreds of other mothers and fathers protest in streets across the county and deliver a petition with 22,000 signatures to Parliament.

Where are all the 43 Sure Start Centres facing the axe? Here's the full list The 36-year-old photographer and business owner said of the new plan: "This is heartbreaking and I am so angry with the council, this is such a stupid, short-sighted proposal that will impact on so many families in the county, the Sure Start services are vital to so many.

"The Sure Start service has helped thousands of families get through all kinds of situations raising their children and even bettering themselves through discounted courses offered at the centres and they are suggesting they get rid of all of this and stigmatise one group of families."

Catherine will make a deputation to full council on Friday, May 13 and she is also organised a peaceful two-hour protest outside Hampshire County Council the same day.

Cllr Mans, a former MP, said: "All these concerns are exactly the reason why we are holding public consultations over the next 10 weeks, no decisions have been made yet and it's important for us to consider every concern that people using the services have.