YOUNGSTERS in a city amateur dramatic society have come to the aid of disabled, sick and traumatised children.

Members of Worcester Operatic and Dramatic Society's Youth Section have decided to adopt the local branch of MusicSpace Trust as their charity for this year.

MusicSpace is a national charity that provides music therapy for children with a variety of needs. Many of them have learning or physical disabilities, or are very ill.

"Every year WODYS choose a charity - usually associated with children - to support, raising money with raffles at their annual show," said WODYS' director and producer David Humphries.

"This summer - from Tuesday, July 31 to Saturday, August 4 - we are staging The Music Man at Worcester's Swan Theatre, so it seemed appropriate to go for a group which uses music as therapy for children.

"Funnily enough, we had to appeal for help to find brass instruments to use in our show and the local branch of MusicSpace is also desperately short of musical instruments as they have been going for less than a year. So it seems even more fitting that we should help them.''

Eleanor Tingle, of Bromsgrove, co-ordinator of MusicSpace West Midlands, said music therapists went into schools, family centres, residential units, hospices, young offenders institutions and community centres to work with youngsters.

Music was used to help the children express themselves if they had difficulty communicating because of a physical disability or emotional trauma. It was also used as a form of counselling to help reduce anxiety and increase motivation.

Two state registered music therapists work for MusicSpace in Worcestershire. Sarah Chater and Abigail Stain go into schools and family centres to help youngsters with differing needs.

"We're following in the footsteps of Worcestershire's greatest music man, Sir Edward Elgar, who recognised the value of using music therapy when he was young," said Sarah.

Bandmaster

"Record has it that one of the more bizarre appointments he accepted was the post of bandmaster to the Attendants Orchestra at Worcestershire County Lunatic Asylum, in Powick, where doctors evidently had a remarkably advanced idea of the value of music therapy," she said.

"As a newly-established branch we are desperately short of musical instruments. We hope to equip each therapist with a box of small percussion instruments which they can transport around with them.

"At the moment we have to hire or borrow instruments, which is inappropriate. So we are extremely grateful to WODYS for any help they can give towards the purchase of suitable instruments."

Over the years WODYS has raised more than £6,000 for charity.

For tickets to The Music Man ring The Swan Theatre box office on 01905 27322.