A PLAYGROUP which has given a head start to more than 1,000 New Forest children with special needs is looking forward to celebrating its 30th birthday - while hoping it will not be its last.

Money has always been tight for the First Opportunities group based at Ashley Junior School near New Milton, but recent changes in government funding have brought the specialised playgroup to the brink of closure.

A frantic summer campaign by staff and parents brought in enough cash to stave off immediate disaster, but they are still nearly £400 short of the £2,000 a month they need to keep afloat.

First Opportunities has eight qualified staff members who provide one-to-one care and playschool-style learning for under-fives with a wide range of disabilities.

Like other opportunity groups throughout the country who care for under-threes, First Opportunities has been hit by a cut in education funding for that age group. Social services have also recently announced cutbacks.

"None of our younger children is being officially funded," said administrator Janice Smith.

"We have 14 children attending regularly and would like to take more, but we are restricted by lack of money to pay for more quality staff. We desperately need a regular income.

"Lots of little standing orders are what we need. We have funds until next Easter, but what then?

"Over the years, about 1,000 children have attended the group. If 1,000 people signed up to pay £2 a month we would be secure."

The group is a lifeline for mum Lucy Chambers from Ashley. Her three-year-old son Zac has recently been diagnosed with having an autism-type disorder.

"First Opportunities means so much," she said.

"Before coming here I had no one to turn to who really understood our problems. With two mornings a week here, Zac is really making progress. The group must stay open."

Lymington mum Kirsteen Matthews agrees. Her daughter Anna, who has a rare chromosomal defect, has been attending the group for more than two years.

"There is a lot of input here. They work one-to-one, so children succeed. They gain confidence and sociability and mothers can share experiences and feel less isolated," she said.

New Milton firemen are holding a sponsored car wash this Saturday to raise funds for the group. To add your support for the group, write for a form from First Opportunities Appeal, c/o Ashley Junior School, Ashley Road, New Milton, BH 25 5BP.