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Pressure is mounting to gain a last-minute reprieve for the Children's Society in Wales.

A group of Welsh MPs met with Ian Sparks, chief executive of the charity, to voice their dismay at the Children's Society decision to pull out of its work in Wales, with the loss of 13 advocacy projects across the principality and more than 125 jobs.

The MPs made it clear that unless there is a reconsideration, trustees from the society are likely to be called before the House of Commons Welsh affairs select committee to explain their actions.

Prime Minister Tony Blair has added his voice to the growing political pressure and expressed his disappointment at the charity's plans. He said: "This is a disappointing decision. I know there are discussions going on and I hope they can reach a successful conclusion."

Julie Morgan, the MP for Cardiff North who organised the meeting at Westminster, said that the eight Welsh MPs who met with Sparks told him how deeply unhappy they were.

"We told him how we felt about the way children in Wales were being discriminated against by the decision to withdraw," she said. "We felt very dissatisfied with the explanations and we have asked him to go back to the board of trustees to ask for a reversal of the decision. We have also requested that a group of staff and young people attend the board's meeting to express their views, as we felt that Wales was very under-represented when the decision was made.

"If there is no reversal of the decision then the Welsh affairs select committee will ask for the chief executive and the chair of the trustees to appear before the committee."

Meanwhile staff in Wales are currently putting together a business plan that they want to put before the board of trustees. A spokesperson said they had received an enormous amount of support from within Wales and that the work that they do with children is considered vital.

A spokesperson for the Children's Society said trustees were prepared to meet with staff from Wales at the board's meeting on 14 December. He added that trustees were also prepared to go before a parliamentary committee if necessary, as the charity had made every effort to be open and transparent about the reasons for its withdrawal from Wales.