CHILDREN with disabilities in East Lancashire have a new facility where they can chill out, play and learn - away from their parents. CLARE COOK went to find out how one couple put themselves on the breadline in a bid to fill the gap in community and council-run facilities. . .

"I'VE had enough of being handicapped," says 16-year-old Lora Brighouse.

Every day she sees her younger brother Jamie and five-year-old sister Maddie going to mainstream school and acting like normal children.

All she wants, is to be like teenage pop singer Avril Lavigne, but while suffering from autistic traits she is unable, and too vulnerable, to get on a bus, shop or hang out with friends unsupervised.

That is why mum Andrea, 33, of Blackburn, decided to try and give her daughter the independence she craved.

The mum-of-three, who together with husband Colin, 37, had already launched My Life-My Choice Ltd to offer respite adult care at Lora House in Preston New Road, wanted to tackle the gap in childcare for the disabled.

So the couple sank every penny they had to launch The Blue Tin Roof activity centre, Mill Hill, which is set to transform life for parents with disabled children.

They searched across Blackburn to find the right property before finding the former laundry site in Charnley Street, which they have rented for a year. Andrea begged her parents for £35,000 to start the venture.

Work began to renovate the building, install a kitchen and state-of-the-art facilities for the opening on December 1. Now for the first time in Blackburn with Darwen there is an activity centre where parents can leave their disabled children to play and learn under supervision. The centre offers light therapy rooms, counselling, reflexology, computers, televisions and ball pools.

But the burden of answering the needs of some 500 families in Blackburn and Darwen, and many more across East Lancashire, has put the family on the breadline.

The business is already £23,000 in debt with Visa cards up to their limit and outstanding bills, including their biggest indulgence - a £12,000 sensory room with wind machines, twinkling carpets and fluorescent light tubes.

"Life with Lora is really hard and I've had 16 years of it," said Andrea, of Preston New Road.

"She might go to bed at 2am and be up again at 5am, so you end up exhausted. She can't read body language so if I cry she laughs at me because she thinks it's funny. These children are like aliens in this world.

"I was gutted when Lora was diagnosed at the age of two and how she is treated by society can be heart wrenching. It wrecks marriages and families.

"But parents begged me to do something as I already run Lora House, which came out of wanting to provide good care for Lora when she was older.

"The worst part is the money. It is a massive strain. We were lucky enough to secure £50,000 of New Opportunities Lottery funding. But the centre has cost £200,000 to refurbish and kit out, which means we are in real trouble and there are many funding streams we cannot access until we are up and running for more than six months. We are in limbo, operating as a company but to provide a service the whole community so desperately needed.

"We must say a thank you to everyone who has supported us, but must also beg for more help in terms of roofers, renderers, suppliers - anyone who wants to help start off this service.

"Sometimes I think I could crack up now or keep on going and carry on believing this is going to be a success. When the first child walked through the door it made it all worthwhile."

Andrea and activity centre manager Jan Cook believe they have found the answer to a yawning gap in facilities for disabled youngsters where they can interact with one another, with or without their parents. Although social services offers activities linked with schools and community groups, there was no equivalent to mainstream child minders or school holiday centres where parents could leave their children.

Cath Hitchen, Blackburn with Darwen assistant director of inclusion and access, said Blue Tin Roof "will open a new choice for parents" who want a drop-in service and childcare for a wide age range.

Despite a greater awareness nationally of the needs of children with disabilities, there are no specific requirements in terms of out-of-hours provision. Finance for services comes from government grants like the Carers Grant and Quality Protects schemes but the majority comes from the council's mainstream budget.

But in the interim, it is Blue Tin Roof which offers a lifeline to parents. Disabled youngsters can be collected and dropped off at home every day from 8am to 10pm. The team also offer home visits, counselling and help with the mounds of paperwork involved in accessing benefits and support.

The visitors seem to agree that the £8.25 hourly charge is worth every penny.

Parents Pamela McCullagh, 29, and Derek Maytum, 46, bring nine-year-old Matthew to attend the centre.

Pamela, of Clayton-le-Moors, said: "I have rung every child centre and carer I could think of over the last 18 months but no one would have Matthew who suffers from Angelman's syndrome, a strain of autism.

"It is fantastic and so badly needed. My job has been jeopardised many times, and Derek has to take unpaid days if we have any hope of looking after Matthew after school and at holidays. Now he has somewhere he can interact with other people, gain some independence and start a social life! It is great that it's 'permanently open' so there's a way out if you have an unexpected bad day."

All the 16 staff currently work on a volunteer basis and both manager Jan and owner Andrea are working unpaid.

For details about the centre, available for group bookings, call 01254 278378 or visit www.bluetinroof.co.uk. Social Services can be contacted on 01254 587547.