A DRAMA society that received a cash windfall has said the money will really make a difference to the group, which survives through its fund-raising efforts.

The Worcester Operatic and Dramatic Society (WODS) has received £400 from the Making a Difference campaign, run by Worcester Round Table in conjunction with the Evening News.

The group will use the money to repave the area outside St Mary's Hall, in Northfield Street, a listed building they bought 23 years ago and which is used by the group for rehearsals.

Bruce Wyatt, from WODS, said the outside area of the former church hall had been a mess since they bought it, but the group could not afford to do anything about it prior to being given the cash by Worcester Round Table.

The group's productions - which have included Chess, La Cage aux Folles, Westside Story and the Sound of Music, in the past two years alone - usually break even, with any extra money going towards the next production.

Pleased

"We were very pleased when we heard we'd been successful with our application," said Mr Wyatt.

"The external area has been rough and overgrown since we first started using St Mary's Hall. We have the occasional 'working party' to remove the weeds but because our members attend mainly in the evenings, when it is often dark, we don't notice it as much as our neighbours!

"But we don't have any spare cash at all, that's why this money will really make a difference to us."

WODS, which was established in 1892, has 60 active members and puts on two productions a year.

There is a spring production, which runs at the Swan Theatre, in Worcester, and an autumn production, at Malvern Theatres.

The group is currently rehearsing Kiss Me Kate, which is due to run at Malvern Theatres, from Tuesday, October 14, to Saturday, October 18.

The group is also very excited about its spring 2004 production, Jesus Christ Superstar.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical has been scheduled to run one month earlier than the usual May time slot, and will run from April 6 to April 17, 2004, over the Easter period.