A NEW nursery and holiday club for young people with complex needs has had a £7,000 cash boost.

The New Hope Worcester club is now opening thanks to a helping hand from city folk, via the Worcester Round Table group.

Set up by Jean Wilson and Sallie Wyatt, the holiday club applied for a slice of the Round Table’s £10,000 funding pot, which we reported on earlier this year.

The club will open during school holidays with activities for young people with disabilities aged three to 19, including a pre-school nursery and Saturday club. Round Table chairman Nick Wilkins said his group was so impressed “by the number of local people doing good work” it upped the cash limit to £20,000, handing the largest chunk to New Hope.

Members also rolled up their sleeves to help decorate the nursery’s new hall at 35 Wells Road, Ronskwood, which is provided by Worcester Community Housing rent free, while volunteers from Tesco supermarket have also lent a hand.

Mrs Wilson said that without the cash, the centre’s opening would have been delayed until October.

Nursery and pre-school club sessions for youngsters aged three to five are now set to start on Monday, July 26.

“We just wouldn’t have been able to do it without the Round Table’s money,” she said. “That money will buy the furnishings and equipment we desperately need.”

She was driven to help start the project after experiencing difficulties findings fun leisure activities for her seven-year old daughter Emily in the city.

“It’s for children with special needs and disabilities, and we’ll work with ages three up to 19,” she said “In my personal experience with Emily, there are services but they haven’t matched what she needs. When it’s holiday time I need somebody to look after her five times a week, and when I met other parents in similar situations they felt the same way – so here we are.”

New Hope will run structured activities for youngsters in the holidays including excursions to places like donkey sanctuaries, the cinema and the theatre.

For the Saturday club, there are plans to have visiting entertainers, while providing children with the opportunity to meet up with school their school friends.

Mr Wilkins said: “This is exactly the kind of city project we want to support, which will help a lot of youngsters and give them new experiences.”

He urged people interested in doing their bit for their local community to consider joining the Round Table.

For further information about the group, visit worcester.roundtable.co.uk.

For information about the holiday club, including fees and opening times, visit newhopeworcester.co.uk or call 07847 377760.