JUBILANT young people were celebrating today after their York charity won a last-minute reprieve.

City of York Council has found £3,000 to secure a month's survival for Special Needs Activities and Play Provision York (SNAPPY).

The group was due to close for good today.

Now the Evening Press is joining the council and the charity to fight for its long-term survival.

The lifeline was thrown last night as the group's members, young people with learning difficulties, partied to mark the expected closure.

But the charity's future continues to look bleak, with the money drying up in only four weeks.

The handout is merely a stay of execution to give SNAPPY and its supporters a chance to fight a concentrated battle to find the £60,000 that will keep it open for a year.

Project development manager Anne Pemberton said: "We need long-term security. You can't confuse a child by not being able to tell them if the group they love going to will still be around in a few weeks' time.

"If I can find £60,000 that will let us run the bare bones of the service for a year. If I can get that I can do the rest. I could work to find more permanent funding."

SNAPPY's plight has shocked York's residents.

Generous donations started to come in after the news broke that cash grants from the Northern Rock Foundation and the National Lottery had dried up, threatening closure for projects working with those aged 14 to 19 and 19 to 25-year-olds.

British Sugar handed over £1,000, while the staff of Woolworths in Coney Street gave £500. Another £1,000 has come from the Minster Lions, while individuals sent as much as they could afford.

The Lord Mayor of York, Shan Braund, a long-time supporter of SNAPPY whose involvement included playing the fairy godmother at one of the group's pantomimes, yesterday offered the group the use of the Mansion House for a charity event.

She said: "SNAPPY is a wonderful group which offers a specialised service in York which we certainly would want to continue."

City of York Council, The Evening Press, SNAPPY and other York groups last night agreed to form a panel to work together to find a way to secure the group's future.

Mrs Pemberton said: "SNAPPY is essential to so much in York. Social services, schools and parents and carers rely on us to offer a service which isn't available anywhere else. We can't do without it."

adam.nichols@ycp.co.uk

Donations can be made to SNAPPY, Burton Stone Community Centre, Evelyn Crescent, York YO3 6DR, or telephone 01904 640562.

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