CHILDREN who attend a specialist autism centre will soon be able to take shelter from the rain whilst playing outside.

Daisy Chain has been fundraising to establish a weatherproof canopy next to its children’s soft play area in order to make outdoor play more accessible whatever the weather.

And its coffers have been boosted by a £3,500 donation from Newcastle Building Society after one of its Middlesbrough branch customers, Patricia Chambers, nominated the charity for support.

Fundraising by charity staff, parents and volunteers has so far raised around £7,000, with money coming in from cake sales, raffles and sponsored participation in a range of events.

Katy Carmen, the charity’s fundraising and communications manager, said: “Our soft play area is very well used by all our children, and we’ve long wanted to make better use of the outside space alongside it, in which we can’t currently provide the required shelter when the weather’s too hot or too wet.

“Having the canopy in place will give us a lot more flexibility in terms of the number and range of activities we can offer, and will be especially useful to our toddlers who aren’t yet big enough to use all the play equipment that we have in place.

“We’re hoping the canopy will arrive well before Christmas, and we’re looking forward to seeing all the children getting out in the fresh air as much as possible once it’s in place.”

Alongside the animals on the charity’s farm, facilities include sensory gardens, a vegetable garden, wetlands and a day centre.

Patricia Chambers said: “The outside canopy will extend and make safe the play area and gives us an all-year round opportunity to use the facilities. Rain usually sees everyone go inside, but some children with autism can’t cope with being inside. The canopy will provide shelter for the children and the care team all year round.

“I realised there would be had hundreds of applications to the Society’s Community Fund and didn’t think we’d actually win the funding, so am overjoyed that we’ve won their support for such a worthwhile project.”

Grant applications for a maximum of £3,000 can be made in any Society branch or via the newcastle.co.uk website by customers who wish to support their local communities.

Karen Morgan, manager at the Society’s Middlesbrough branch, added: “Our community fund helps us support communities across the North East and we hope everyone at Daisy Chain will enjoy being out in the fresh air all year round once the canopy is in place.”

For more information visit daisychainproject.co.uk