A charity based in a converted church is looking to secure £50,000 as it hopes to avoid appointing administrators.

Deal and Walmer Community Association, which owns the Landmark Centre in Deal high street, is seeking funding “from a number of sources”.

The converted church has three halls and two smaller rooms for hire for community groups and also includes the Spires Cafe and Landmark Bar.

At a meeting of Deal Town Council’s finance and general purposes committee last month, trustees made a formal request for funds, which would allow them to apply for more cash from Dover District Council (DDC).

Agenda papers from the meeting on March 19 state how the “amount and urgency of the request” meant it fell outside the authority’s normal grant schemes.

“The trustees are seeking an opportunity to address this meeting to request £5,000 of funding so that they can continue with their application to DDC,” they said.

“They advise the funds are needed to prevent Deal and Walmer Community Association, which owns the Landmark Centre, from having to appoint administrators in the next few weeks.”

“It’s understood the trustees are seeking funding from a number of sources…”

After the meeting, committee clerk Paul Bone said: “At our March meeting, members agreed to grant funding of £5,000 to be awarded to the charity.

“It’s understood the trustees are seeking funding from a number of sources to prevent them from having to appoint administrators.”

Walmer Town Council also discussed a request for funds at a full council meeting on March 5.

Councillors resolved to award a grant of £5,000, subject to the not-for-profit organisation obtaining the remainder of the funds required to continue operating from other local authorities.

A spokesman for DDC confirmed discussions are ongoing on whether to award the remaining funds to the group.

“We regularly receive requests for grant funding from community groups, but cannot comment on individual cases during the early stages of discussions,” they said.

KentOnline asked Deal and Walmer Community Association about the future of the Landmark Centre, but the group declined to comment.

The high street site has had several uses over the centuries, first becoming home to a church in 1681.

The original chapel, known as the Meeting House, proved too small for its growing congregation by 1800, so it was pulled down and replaced three years later.

The Deal Congregational Church opened its doors in 1882 and was the third building to be constructed on the site, but was since converted and run as the Landmark Centre.