LEARNING and Skills Council staff at Progress House in Worcester exceeded their target when they helped Hereford-shire special school Barrs Court raise £750,000 for its Hydrosense Appeal.

Barrs Court's deputy head teacher Phil McKinnie said he was delighted to be able to thank the staff personally for raising more than £5,000.

Over the past eight months, the LSC team has been campaigning hard to raise money for the appeal.

From guessing the weight at birth of a colleague's baby and a Halloween lunch, to a gig at Keystones Bar in Worcester, every effort has been made to ensure the LSC's self-set target of £4,000 for the appeal was reached. Local LSC director Patrick Cosgrove got on his bike in a sponsored cycle ride from the West Gate of Worcester Cathedral to the West Gate of Winchester Cathedral.

Strategic planning adviser Steve Fuller tackled a gruelling 26 mile marathon in Snowdonia, raising more than £2,000 for the appeal.

Mr McKinnie said: "I congratulate and thank all staff at the local LSC for their continued efforts for the Barrs Court Hydrosense Appeal over the last eight months.

"The money raised helps enormously towards achieving our target of £750,000. To date, the appeal has raised £140,000, a wonderful testimony to the generosity of people in Herefordshire and Worces-tershire," Mr McKinnie said.

The Herefordshire-based school is the only dedicated secondary school within the county for children with severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties.

Without hydrotherapy, the children may suffer from scoliosis of the spine and are more vulnerable to pneumonia.

The money raised by the Hydrosense Appeal will allow Barrs Court school to realize its dream of installing a hydrotherapy pool for the benefit of its students.