HYDROTHERAPY sessions in Barrow which enhance the lives of children living with disabilities will continue thanks to a charitable donation.

A cheque for £1,000 has been presented by The Mail on behalf of the Lake District Farmers Armstrong Family Charitable Trust to a group of parents and children who use the hydrotherapy pool at Furness General Hospital.

The specially adapted pool can offer respite for children living with a range of physical and mental disabilities.

Unfortunately the hydro group have not held a session since July after the funding needed to pay for the sessions was withdrawn. However, thanks to the £1,000 donation the group can begin once again.

Janice Fong's 12-year-old daughter Mia, who has cerebral palsy, finds great comfort in playing and exercising in the warm hydro pool.

Mrs Fong, 53, of Fairview, Dalton, said: "I'm absolutely delighted. At the moment the sessions aren't running but this means that we can get up and running again."

It costs around £3,000 to run the hydro sessions each year. The special therapy pool is warmer than a normal swimming bath to make sure disabled children are comfortable and safe when exercising.

There are also special hoists if a swimmer has mobility issues, as well as specially adapted changing rooms.

After their funding was cut earlier in the summer, the group had been searching for a way to keep the service alive.

Mrs Fong said: "We're used to cuts but it's disappointing that the children can't use regular pools because they're too cold or too big. They don't have the special equipment they need to get in and out of the pool."

Mrs Fong was pleased her daughter would be able to not only exercise but enjoy the company of other children.

She said: "This is great for her because her limbs get so stiff. It is a great exercise and a great social event for the children who won't get that normally."

A pupil at Sandside Lodge School in Ulverston, Mia, and others like her are offered hydrotherapy on the NHS but the sessions only come in three-week blocks.

The return of a 20-minute hydro session every week will have a marked impact on the health and wellbeing of the children who go.

Mrs Fong added that the hydro group was a good opportunity for parents of disabled children to socialise.

She said: "I know that sometimes these sort of things can be a bit of a moaning session but we don't do that. It's just nice to interact with them."

Mrs Fong is hopeful the hydro sessions will begin again on Wednesday.

The money was a grant made on behalf of the Lake District Farmers Armstrong Family Charitable Trust, and the cash was raised at an annual celebrity chef event held in Dalton, hosted and sponsored by Clarence House Country Hotel and Restaurant.