Mum Sarah Morgan, whose five-year-old son, Finlay, was born weighing less than a bag of sugar, is helping people band together to support our Give Us A Chance Appeal.

Miss Morgan, 26, of Hewitt Court, Devizes, has had a batch of wristbands made up, in array of colours, to support Devizes Opportunity Centre.

The nursery looks after children from babies to five years with a range of learning difficulties and health problems, but its work was threatened by a cut in Government funding.

Less than two months after we launched the Give Us A Chance Appeal, generous readers had surpassed our £10,00 target and raised £12,992.

But the centre still has a shortfall in its budget to meet this year’s running costs, so the appeal is ongoing.

The centre helped Finlay during his early years. The youngster, who suffers from autism, is now a pupil at a special unit at Wansdyke School in Devizes, but his mother is determined to do her bit for the appeal.

She said: “The Opportunity Centre is a fantastic place and did so much to help me and Finlay.

“I thought selling the wristbands would be a good way to raise money, as the job the centre does is so important.

“I have sold the first batch of 50 and I have just ordered some more.”

Finlay – who has a younger brother, Alfie, three – was born 23 weeks into Miss Morgan’s pregnancy, at Southmead Hospital in Bristol. He weighed just 1lb 7ozs at his birth.

After month in Bristol, he was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit unit at the Royal United Hospital, Bath, and spent five months there before being allowed home.

Miss Morgan said: “It was a very scary time and I was just glad to get him home.

“He remained under a specialist at Bath and, when he was a year old, I was referred to the Opportunity Centre.

“He had problems with mobility and speech, but he made a lot of progress because of the help he was given with speech therapy and physiotherapy and that is continuing at Wansdyke. He is still very small for his age, but he is doing well.”

The wristbands are for sale at the Opportunity Centre, priced at £2 each. For more information, call on (01380) 726077.

Other people have continued to do their bit for our appeal during the Easter break and the total now raised has now gone up to £14,794.

The tally includes £310.50 from donations by regulars at the Black Horse pub, Devizes.