CHILDREN are sure to be delighted with £8,000 worth of new facilities officially opened at Hurdles Family Support Group in Bury on Wednesday.

Bury North MP David Chaytor was on hand to oversee the launch of a soft play room and a light-sensory facility.

The play room is padded and filled with plenty of safe, hands-on games including a climbing slide and small train. The light-sensory area offers a range of hi-tech features including fibre optics.

Based at the Herbert Coates Community Centre in Morley Street, Hurdles provides a safe play environment for children - particularly those with special needs - and supports their parents and carers.

The soft play room is ideal for both young and disabled children and particularly so for those with profound disabilities. It will enable them to mix more easily with other young children. Hurdles raised about £4,000 towards the new facilities. A £3,500 grant from the Lloyds TSB Foundation and £530 collected by punters at the Masons Arms in Radcliffe helped the charity to their £8,000 target.

Co-ordinator Liz Sanderson said: "I would like to thank everyone for helping with the fund-raising and also Awkward Corner Decorating who came in to do some painting free of charge at the last minute."

Hurdles committee member Juliet Berman, of Polefield Hall Road in Prestwich has a 10-year-old daughter with special needs.

She said: "This new play room is wonderful for Emma. You only have to watch the children play to see how much fun they are having. It's great to have somewhere so safe for the children and so supportive for us."

Bury TSB branch controller Paul Cochrane added: "This play room is yet another facility that the Hurdles group can now provide and I'm sure lots of children will benefit. I'm glad that the Lloyds TSB Foundation could help."

Facilities at Hurdles are constantly being updated and to that end a disabled lavatory is currently under construction.

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