A charity playscheme for youngsters with learning disabilities has already hit its funding targets for 2001 thanks, in part, to a "Major" cash injection.

The Braintree Mencap Playscheme relies on grants from charitable groups to top up the basic budget it gets from Essex social services.

And in the coming year the project - which caters for five-year-olds upwards on Saturdays and school holidays - will be part-funded by two generous handouts of nearly £6,000 in total.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.