The Diocese of Chichester has been slammed as “uncaring” after news that a popular children’s centre has closed.

Knowles Tooth in Hurstpierpoint has been closed by its managing charity, the Family Support Work (FSW), which says it wants to concentrate its resources on working with children and families in their homes instead.FSW is based in the offices of the Diocese of Chichester in New Church Road, Hove, and also rents the Knowles Tooth building from the church.

Advocates of Knowles Tooth have called the church “uncaring” over the closure and have written to the Archbishop of Canterbury to ask for intervention to save the centre.

But the charity says the decision to close the children’s centre is “nothing to do with the church” and was made by its board of trustees.

Tony Greenstein has been taking underprivileged children to Knowles Tooth for more than 25 years.

He said: “The church is involved with FSW up to its eyeballs.

“The Bishop of Chichester is their president, they operate out of Church House, there are two priests on their board of trustees and another is involved in an ecclesiastical council.

“The idea that they are going to be involved in visiting vulnerable people when they have withdrawn one of the major facilities for vulnerable children in Sussex defies belief.

“I’ve written to the Archbishop of Canterbury for help. The Diocese of Chichester has proved itself uncaring.”

Despite the backlash, FSW said the centre was closing to meet an increasing demand for its services from disadvantaged families.

Maggie Simons, director of FSW, said: “Knowles Tooth is a well known and loved building and we will all be sad to close it however our prime function of working with children and families across Sussex will strengthen as a result of this decision.

“The demand for our services across Sussex is significantly increasing as everyday more families find themselves socially and economically disadvantaged.”

Martin Warner, the Bishop of Chichester, added: “FSW depends on widespread commitment from across the diocese of Chichester, but is legally and financially a separate charity. My hope is that the trustees will be rigorous, realistic and imaginative in assessing how to use limited resources to deliver the best and most professional service possible to families in desperate need.

“In stringent times the model of partnership, especially with colleagues in statutory and other voluntary agencies, must play a vital part in the future work of FSW.”