A DESPERATE £11,000 appeal has been launched by a Swindon charity to send a group of children on a summer adventure.

The annual holiday in Devon is the highlight of the year for members of the Rowdy Bunch, a social club for youngsters with physical and mental disabilities.

However, their plans for this August's trip will have to be abandoned if they cannot come up with the £22,000 needed to pay for it.

The group, which relies heavily on fundraising efforts and donations, found itself in exactly the same situation last year.

But thanks to local businesses, which rallied round following a story in the Advertiser, the members were able to spend a week at the specially adapted outward-bound centre.

Volunteer Chris Bull said: "Funding is the main problem we have every year." He explained that fundraising efforts were still going on, but that they had been hit hard by the cancellation of a dance because of lack of ticket sales.

He added: "If we don't raise enough by the end of May we will have to cancel it or we will have to pay a cancellation fee later."

The group, which is based at the Park Youth Centre, has been planning the trip to the Calvert Trust since its return from last year's holiday.

This time, organisers were going to include a Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition for members working on the Bronze and Silver levels.

The centre offers activities such as rock climbing, abseiling, paragliding and canoeing, but because it has had to be specially adapted, holidays there are expensive.

"We have to go to a specially adapted place. We can't just take everyone to Butlins," said Chris.

"If we can't manage it we are going to have to cancel for the first time and it will be a huge disappointment."

He said the holiday was very popular with the 12 to 24-year-old members to the point where they were always disappointed when they went over the maximum age limit.

"It is important because it encourages independence from their parents, who are often their main carers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and it gives them a chance to do things which they wouldn't ordinarily be able to do," said Chris.

In the past, the group has sent at least one volunteer for each member, but this year, to keep costs down, they plan to operate on a one-to-two basis where possible.

Even so, they need to raise about £450 per person volunteers included. Anyone who can help can contact Jackie Dove on 07919 637085.

Tina Clarke