A volunteer at a parent support charity has launched a petition to try to save it from closure.

Parentline Plus, based at The Park centre in Daventry Road, Knowle West, is a local branch of a national charity that is set to close next week after the loss of £50,000 a year in funding grants from the national Parenting Fund.

But Shirley Adams, 53, who has volunteered for the service for more than two years and runs courses in understanding children's behaviour and anger management, is determined to save it. She has written to local councillors and Bristol South MP and Health Minister Dawn Primarolo, and has set up an online petition, all with the hope of securing £50,000 of funding a year for two years.

She has been told that there is no local government funding available.

Shirley, of Spring Gardens in Knowle Park, said: "Time is running out, but I am sure that, even if we have to close down next week, we could still reopen if we managed to get the money together soon. This service is so important to so many people, we can't just let it stop. My hope now is to get some money from the Government."

The service helps about 500 local parents and grandparents each year who are struggling to cope with behaviourally challenged children; those facing having their children taken into care because of drug or alcohol problems; and grandparents who have become the main carers for their grandchildren.

Shirley was introduced to Parentline Plus when she was going through big changes in her life after she took over full-time care of her four grandchildren. She was working full-time as a retail manager, looking after the children and her home, while dealing with her partner leaving because he couldn't cope with the change in lifestyle.

She said: "Every parent struggles at one time or another and no parent is perfect. There was a time when I couldn't even leave my house because I was so low and I got through that with the support of Parentline Plus. When I was asked to do volunteering and run some courses I knew this was where I had to be – supporting others who had been through difficulties."

The charity has 10 UK offices and five of those – Bristol, Merseyside, Hampshire, Croydon and Nottingham – applied, but failed to win, any of this year's Parenting Fund money.

Parentline Plus's Newcastle centre is the only centre to have been awarded the funding.

The closure will not affect the charity's national support services to help parents and carers of children, including their 24-hour, free and confidential Parentline, 0808 800 2222.

To add your support visit petitions.number10.gov.uk/saveparentline or email shirley11032006@yahoo.co.uk.