The Gianna Centre to close after 19 years of family support to Bendigo community

It comes as the Sandhurst Diocese, which owns the building the organisation operates out of, has placed the 18 Edwards Street, Kennington site for sale.

The Gianna Centre volunteer co-ordinator Jayde Nicolson said the not-for-profit charity had spent the last six months looking for another suitable location, however a lack of permanent funding had made it impossible.

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"None of our clients or participants to any of our peer support groups had any idea that this was happening," she said.

"We've just been inundated with comments and phone calls and emails, and the community is just extremely devastated."

The Gianna Centre's support revolved around pregnancy, parenting, relationships, fertility, referrals, loss and health and wellbeing issues.

It provided emergency assistance such as formula, nappies and medication, and held peer support groups, including a Stillbirth and Newborn Death Support Group.

Ms Nicolson said volunteers, including chief executive Catherine Holmes, had worked tirelessly with clients, and the charity would endeavour to support them as it ends.

"Some of our peer support groups are really unique and they're run by beautiful volunteers who put their heart and soul into it, and they are very attached to The Gianna Centre," she said.

"We will be working with them to try and find them another position that they feel fulfilled in within another organisation in Bendigo."

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There were about 20 volunteers at The Gianna Centre, Ms Nicolson said, although hundreds have worked at the centre since 2004.

She said she wanted to thank the community for their support and for "making our job easy every single day".

"We hope [our clients] find support elsewhere in the community, and we're saddened to say goodbye to them."

Ms Nicolson said The Gianna Memorial Wall at the Eaglehawk Cemetery, which allowed families to honour their deceased children, would remain.

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