A NEW Megan Baker House centre has been opened in Ledbury to help even more children and adults.

The charity's main base is in Morton Eye near Leominster and it has now expanded to open an outreach centre at Leadon Bank, on the site of Shaw Healthcare, in Orchard Lane, Ledbury.

Project Chrysalis, run by the Hereford Times, has now reached £31,000 making it just £4,000 short of the final target to raise £35,000 for Megan Baker House.

Income from grants account for approximately half of the charity's running cost - the remainder comes from community support, parents and the general public which is why Project Chrysalis is needed.

The Ledbury centre will help more people and will initially be open one day a week but this will increase to five days eventually.

Last Friday the centre was opened by Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant for Herefordshire, Lady Darnley.

Lady Darnley said Megan Baker House has an "atmosphere of encouragement and belief."

She added: "It is a wonderful story of belief, determination, research, sheer hard work and enormous love and care for others."

Megan Baker House provides conductive education sessions for children and adults with motor disorders such as cerebral palsy, dyspraxia, Parkinson's disease, stroke and acquired brain injury.

Conductive education teaches participants how to learn to solve problems when faced with them. It is a holistic, movement based educational approach for children and adults who have neurological motor difficulties.

Lady Darnley said: "It does work. It does transform lives and not just for the child with motor problems but also for all the family, where they can see a future where none had previously been offered."

She added: "What was once considered a questionable form of educational support is now acknowledged as a genuine and effective route."

Richard Wileman, chair of trustees, thanked the Ledbury Healthcare Trust for the generous donation to renovate the room.

He said: "It will help children and parents get treatment more easily, to raise visibility of the charity in the public eye which will hopefully raise money funds and treat more people."

During the day the centre is opened, staff will provide support for adults with Parkinson's disease and also for an individual child, and twins from Birmingham.

Becky Griffiths and Chloe Newman, classroom assistants, said how rewarding it is to work at Megan Baker House.

Becky explained a typical day. She said: "We usually have two or three groups in a day. We will set up the rooms and we have a group say from 9am to 11am. We might have an individual from 11.30am to 12.30pm. We'll have lunch and then a dyspraxia meeting from 2pm to 4pm. There are three groups a day usually."

Children are put in groups based on their age and abilities.

To donate: visit www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/meganbakerhouse/projectchrysalis or send a cheque to Megan Baker House, Moreton Eye, Leominster, HR6 0DP or call the charity on 01568 616179 to arrange a BACS transfer.