A creative 10 year-old has joined the campaign to Save Harrow Arts Centre.

Cannon Lane Primary School pupil Neha Patel is hoping to raise £100 for the centre by selling homemade bookmarks.

Harrow Council recently handed the Hatch End-based project over to a charitable trust saying it could no longer afford to subsidise the service.

The schoolgirl has even enlisted her younger sister Jayna, classmates and fellow Brownies to help decorate the 'Save Harrow Arts Centre' bookmarks after she saw a campaign banner driving past the centre on the way to school one morning.

Neha has enjoyed doing dance classes there, and she and her sister take part in activities at the arts centre during school holidays.

Neha said: "I made them out of card and put googly eyes on them. I wrote Harrow Arts Centre on the back.

"I was making them from the internet and then I remembered that Harrow Arts Centre was closing down.

"I went there for dance lessons and used the library. We go and see shows there.

"We have sold them at my mum's work, and my Brownie teacher has helped a lot and encouraged me - we sold a lot at the Brownie fundraiser last week."

Neha's mother Kilpa, an optometrist, said the arts centre was a "great community place" enjoyed by all ages and it would be sorely missed if it closed.

The 38-year-old said: "She's very creative and artistic. Now she's got everyone involved.

"We go to see quite a few shows at the arts centre.

"It's good especially for people with young children as there's so many activities to try - it's really good in the half term holidays or at Easter.

"With the library closing, I think children in this area are already missing out.

"A new cinema would be fantastic, but what we like are the productions - the children love them - I wouldn't want to miss out on that aspect of the arts centre.

"It's a great community place, there's activities - singing, dancing, classes - pensioners are there during the day too, it's for all ages."

Phase one of the plans for Harrow Arts Centre involve building an independent cinema alongside the 100-year-old Elliott Hall, providing a new programme and the income to keep the project open for the community.

Sandra Bruce-Gordon, interim chief executive for Cultura London, the charitable trust looking to turn the arts centre into a "Southbank for north London", said: "This is a great example of how instrumental the community has been in supporting Harrow Arts Centre and in making our vision for the future a reality."

To find out more about the plans visit www.spacehive.com/save-harrow-arts-centre!