A SPA charity, which supports people with learning disabilities, desperately needs cash and volunteers to stop it closing down.

Droitwich, Bromsgrove and Redditch Mencap has issued a plea for help.

Chairman John Russell said the combination of a lack of people to give their time, plus a drop in donations, were causing severe problems.

"We are in dire straits at the moment," he said.

"We need people to support us in fundraising, such as those with a financial, fundraising, legal or publicity background who could really help us move forward."

Mr Russell said monthly costs had been reduced considerably thanks to Foster Care Associates, which has provided the group with an office in Brickhouse Lane at a peppercorn rent and reduced monthly tenancy costs.

Mr Russell said the reduction in donations could be due to people giving to other deserving causes supporting global disasters and other highly publicised charities.

The society receives no external funding, and even though it uses the Mencap label it has to pay an annual fee for this.

Mr Russell said the group wanted to encourage more people to give cash through payroll donations.

He said: "These small monthly donations made by individuals can collectively provide a lifeline for organisations like ours and we would like to encourage local businesses to consider adding us to the list of organisations to which donations can be made in this way by their employees."

Mencap has also lost a number of key trustees this year through ill health and time commitments, so urgently needs people who have an empathy with the learning disabled.

Anyone who can help should contact Mr Russell on 877066.