A GROUP dedicated to providing fun for children with learning and physical disabilities has been preparing to put on a pantomime.Funtastic Futures was set up in January by two couples whose youngsters have Down's syndrome to try to offer youngsters access to mainstream activities.

A GROUP dedicated to providing fun for children with learning and physical disabilities has been preparing to put on a pantomime.

Funtastic Futures was set up in January by two couples whose youngsters have Down's syndrome to try to offer youngsters access to mainstream activities.

About 20 children are already members of the group, which meets at the Ashley School on Thursdays, and they are busy rehearsing a production of Puss in Boots to be performed on May 7.

The sessions are run by David and Cheryl Betts and Adrian Sykes and Nicola Brown.

Cheryl explained: 'As parents of children with special needs we find it difficult to access different mainstream activities, so the four of us decided to set up a group at the school. We went to the Waveney Community Forum for help to start up and it went from there.

'The whole point is that all children are able to have their own input. We are just there to help along the way. Any child is welcome to come.'

Funtastic Futures has already attracted funding from the Suffolk Foundation, Beach Radio, Birds Eye, Lowestoft Lions and Adnams.

The initial money helped to hire the hall at the school and the use of the drama teacher, who is also bringing song and dance into the rehearsals for the panto. Parents are asked to stay on the site with their children but have a chance to socialise over a cuppa.

Cheryl said they planned to develop the group by using more facilities around the school, plan trips for the group to go bowling and swimming and organise sessions for parents in the ICT suite.

Anyone interested in the sessions or who would like to volunteer should email funtasticfutures@talktalk.net

The cost is �1 per session and they start at 5pm.