WORK and play opportunities for people with learning difficulties will have to stop within weeks unless alternative funding can be found.

The Worcester Active project, run by mental health charity Mencap, provides leisure, education, training, and volunteering opportunities for people with special needs.

It helps people who are living at home to be integrated into the community by encouraging them to take part in such activities as bowling or snooker, to meet people in the pub, or volunteer at places such as the Pump House, the university and local coffee shops.

The initiative has been funded by the National Lottery since its launch in 2004, but the grant ran out on March 31.

Mencap has been ploughing its own money into it, but has revealed it can only afford to do this until Thursday, July 13.

Mark Crouch, regional employment manager for Mencap, said: "We are doing all we can to keep this excellent service open by applying for alternative sources of core funding. Without this, the charity doesn't have the funds to keep the service running after July 13.

"If we can't find any money, we will work with Worcestershire social services to find alternative arrangements."

Worcester Active, based in Sansome Street, has helped 40 people since it opened and now has 18 members. Three staff work on the project, but other positions are being sought in Mencap for them.

It costs £40-50,000 a year to run a basic service, but at the standard it has been running, the cost goes up to £170,000.

Mr Crouch added: "We have approached some organisations, but have not had any luck so far. We have also applied for some grants, and are waiting on those.

"This service is very important for a lot of people in Worcester, and while there are similar things around, they are not quite the same.

"The idea behind this model is progression, and we have helped a lot of people to do that. Hopefully someone will come forward to help us to continue to do so."