A disabled children's club is looking forward to reopening thanks to a £3,000 gift from Basildon Council workers.

The Adventure Playground for Children with Special Needs, based in The Frith, Basildon, had to close last week after an engineer condemned the boiler as being too dangerous to use.

Now the Basildon Staff Activity Group has come to the rescue, providing cash for a new boiler for the charity, which offers activities for physically and mentally disabled youngsters.

Brian Roskam, club chairman, said: "This boiler had been here for 25 years and it has been serviced every year.

"But the engineer came down and condemned it.

"There was no way we could let kids in with no heat. The group read the article in the Echo and offered us £3,000.

"I thought that was absolutely wonderful. I was ecstatic because these kids have all sorts of disabilities, physical and mental."

Linda Bacon, chairman of Staff Activity Group at Basildon Council, said: "When we read in the Echo the boiler had packed up, we wanted to do our best to help the children.

"This is an ideal cause for our group which raises thousands of pounds each year for youngsters with special needs."

Mr Roskam said it will be up to a fortnight before the playground reopens, but it has secured the services of a hall next door to hold a disco and after school club.

The Adventure Playground for Children with Special Needs relies on charitable donations to fund its £80,000-a-year running costs.

Anyone wanting to donate can call Mr Roskam on 01268 571451 or 07881 810247.