A South London day centre for adults with learning disabilities has been saved from sudden closure, after 1,440 people signed a petition to keep it open, although concerns remain over its future.

Learning disability charity Hft told distraught families in July it planned to close its branch in New Malden, known as Hft Surrey, or Springfield Resource Centre, in October due to financial challenges.

But Kingston Council said Hft is now exploring selling the building and leasing it back so services can continue, following a fight by campaigners.

The authority said the charity had withdrawn its notice to close services at the centre as a result, but no formal agreement to ensure it would stay open had been reached.

Hft said it was continuing to explore options for the centre. The charity said it had been forced to review its future as the social care sector was gripped by major challenges, including persistent underfunding, staff shortages and rising demand.

Residents have rallied around Hft Surrey in recent weeks, as it supports more than 140 people with learning disabilities in South London – including Kingston, Surbiton, Chessington, New Malden and Sutton. It offers activities on weekdays, including creative and educational courses, while users gain work experience in the canteen and enjoy its accessible garden.

Victoria Diamond, whose brother John, 61, uses the centre, said families were disappointed by the "callous and uncaring way" the situation had been handled by Hft. She launched a Change.org petition after the closure plans were announced, stating the "abrupt decision" was made without consultation or enough notice. The petition gathered 1,440 signatures in days.

One supporter commented: "My uncle has been going to Hft for over 20 years and I don't know what we would do without it. It has helped him in every way imaginable for all his needs but also his routines too."

Another wrote: "My brother has severe autism and the care they provide is vital to his routine, and vital for respite too. Staff and service users should not be left like this. Incredibly unfair."

Another petition set up by Kingston Independent councillors, part of Kingston Independent Residents Group (KIRG), said: "The people who rely on the Springfield Centre deserve better than to be treated as an afterthought. This is their space. This is their community. We must stand with them."

Victoria told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) she felt Hft had thrown users under the bus by suddenly proposing closure of the centre, instead of first putting forward options to address its financial challenges while keeping it open. She said Hft and the council had a "knee-jerk reaction" to frantically find other solutions after the closure was announced, when they could have addressed the issues better with more foresight.

She said: "There's just been disappointment about how this whole sorry story has unfolded. It's firefighting at the end of the day, but they are now coming up with, I hope, a very good solution. It could be the best possible solution for them, but my concerns are that we need to ensure the longevity of that solution."

Victoria stressed the importance of the centre staying open as it was a second home for users like her brother, who has autism and learning disabilities, where they were valued, respected and thrived alongside caring staff. John has been going to the centre since the mid-1990s, and she described how closing the service would be "like completely tearing the carpet out from under his feet".

She said Hft would need to rebuild trust among users and their families, and come to an agreement which protected the service as it was critical to so many people's lives.

Victoria added: "The terms that they will have to agree to have to be pretty stringent because you can't have this shock again of the potential closure… so, really, that needs to be super, super tight to protect the ongoing needs of the community of people with learning disabilities in Kingston."

A Kingston Council spokesperson said the authority had been working with Hft to explore options to avoid closure, after this was announced by the charity. They said: "Following discussions with an organisation that specialises in sale and leaseback arrangements, Hft has agreed an option in principle for them to sell the building as planned and lease it back. This would mean Springfield and its services would be able to stay open.

"Due to this development, Hft has withdrawn its notice of termination of the contract, meaning there is no longer a planned deadline of October to find a solution. Services at Springfield Resource Centre will continue as normal whilst details of future arrangements are finalised and agreed. There are a number of contractual and legal issues to work through and there is no guarantee that this option will be successful, but all parties are committed to working together.

"Whilst this is a positive development, we understand the importance of these services and that this situation may continue to be unsettling for both the residents who use the services and their families. We will continue to update residents and families on a regular basis so they feel safe and supported through this period."

A Hft spokesperson said it was exploring options for the centre and supporting those affected through this period. They said: "We are continuing to work closely with our commissioners, colleagues, those who draw on our support and their families to find a positive solution. However, the crisis gripping social care providers – including the restriction of funding to local authorities – has made it an increasingly difficult space in which to operate.

"These challenges are well documented in our annual Sector Pulse Check report – which provides a snapshot of the financial health of the social care sector, based on responses from more than 200 small, medium, and large adult social care providers.

"Faced with ongoing and systemic challenges, compounded by an ageing population, increasing demand for support, a limited workforce supply, and persistent underfunding, adult social care providers are continuing to operate in 'survival mode', sprinting just to stay afloat and being forced to make difficult decisions to survive."

The spokesperson added: "Despite these challenges that affect the sector, including Hft, we remain committed to exploring every viable option that could enable Springfield to continue providing its essential service. While we cannot guarantee an outcome at this stage, we remain in constructive conversations with all of our stakeholders and these form an important part of our decision-making."