A PLAYSCHEME during the summer holidays will be run by the Open Door Family Support Group this year in Okehampton but a lack of funding means it will only be one day a week.

A failed bid to the National Lottery 'Awards for All' scheme and reduced grant from Social Services Early Years Development Forum means that the group is nearly £2,000 short in its budget this year.

Group member Jim Goodwin said they feared that the playscheme, for children aged 3-12, might have to be cancelled but after an appeal to large local companies for sponsorship, sufficient funds were found to run the scheme one day a week for five weeks of the summer.

Two companies responded to the appeal — South West Water which donated £500 and Heinz which contributed £300.

Last year various organisations such as Okehampton and District Lions' Club and the Round Table were approached to help but Mr Goodwin said it was not fair to go back to the same ones every year.

'We hoped to have a better response from businesses but we realise there are so many organisations and worthy causes looking for the same money,' he said. 'Unfortunately our social services grant was cut from £2,500 to £640 which did not help.'

The group, which also supplies a toy library, has continued to run various services for families previously provided by NCH Action of Children at Tenby House whose contract was withdrawn by social services last year.

'We are very disappointed not to be able to offer more than one day a week but if we could find a few hundred pounds we could arrange another day,' said Mr Goodwin.

Morning sessions will be for the 3-6 year-olds and afternoon sessions for 6-12-year-olds.

Tenby House has hosted a playscheme during the summer holidays for 16 years.

If anyone can help financially they should call Jim Goodwin on 01837 840136 or Liz Westlake on 01837 54213.