Members of Save Our Northwich Inpatients Campaign (SONIC) met with councillors, health organisations and Weaver Vale's MP on Friday to see what could be done for the Victoria Infirmary Northwich (VIN).
The wards which make up the inpatient unit were closed in May last year when they failed electrical tests.
Health bosses said the 103-year-old wards would have needed a massive upgrade to make them suitable for modern equipment.
Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) was planning to do this as part of a bigger redevelopment of the site, on Winnington Hill, which would have also seen three doctors surgeries move under the same roof as VIN.
But these plans were axed when the PCT announced in December it had no cash for the project.
Members of SONIC organised a meeting with representatives from Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC), Northwich Town Council, Cheshire West and Chester Local Involvement Network (LINk) and Graham Evans MP to discuss alternative sources of funding.
June Chapman, from SONIC, said: 'It was an extremely positive meeting.
'Everyone's gone off very keen to find out what we can get and where from.'
'It's not going to come from the PCT, so it's got to come from somewhere else – there's money out there.'
'The town is dying on its feet, so restoring the inpatient unit would be a great gift to the people of Northwich and the surrounding area – we've got to keep fighting.'
Graham Evans MP pledged his support in investigating areas of appropriate funding at Government level, and CWAC councillors will investigate at council level.
Nora Dolphin, chairman of CWAC LINk, will look into possible areas of support from the health and social care service.
The next meeting will be held on Friday, March 4, to coordinate the results.