AN AWARD-winning children's club which serves York and surrounding areas has fought back after facing the threat of closure.

But the campaign continues to save Funfishers' Holiday Club which will fold without continued support and leave worried parents without childcare for 13 weeks of the year.

Children and staff secured a temporary reprieve after launching a rallying call of "use it or lose it" to encourage parents to sign up for February's half-term holiday.

Funfishers' Out-Of-Hours Club is a charity serving children from St George's School and Fishergate School, where it is based, while the holiday club is open to children in and around York.

Manager Lesley Calvert said she now had enough bookings to open next month and remain viable.

However, it is unclear whether there will be future holiday sessions unless parents book places.

The holiday club runs from 8am to 6pm for about 13 weeks a year.

"We haven't been making enough money to even pay the wages some weeks because we have had nine children booked in for a session," said Lesley.

"We have to have 25 to be viable to pay wages, give quality child care and to stay open. Parents who use it during term time don't always use it in the holiday. They might be teachers or use other clubs, or have grandparents to help out. We have been losing money.

"We can't put prices up too much as we don't want to lose sight of being a community-based project. We feared we wouldn't be able to run the holiday club this February half-term and in future holidays. Parents using it were worried because their child care was in jeopardy.

"It is fantastic we have had the support this time because parents know how needed the club is. But it is an ongoing campaign for parents to use it or lose it."

Helen Meadows, whose three children attend Funfishers, said it was a worrying time for parents who relied on the club for childcare.

"The staff are very dedicated and the children love it. But, more than that, there are few alternatives, certainly local to the area. What I particularly value is that the younger siblings can go to the holiday club as well and there is such a variety of activities.

"For a lot of people this is the only option for holiday child care and it must be worrying for them, not knowing how to plan ahead."

In 2007 the after-school club became the first in York to achieve the City of York Council's full Steps To Quality Assurance Level 3 award in recognition of its quality childcare and early education.