PUPILS at a school near Devizes were able to enjoy a theatre visit thanks to a grant from a Wiltshire charity that supports people with special needs.

Trustees of Imperial Charity gave Rowdeford School £612 which it spent on a performance of Jack And The Beanstalk by a touring theatre company.

Bob Summerfield from Imperial Charity visited Rowdeford to present the money to headteacher Mike Loveridge and to visit Willow Class.

Mr Loveridge said: "Thanks to the Imperial Charity Trust we had something extra special this year.

"The pantomime helped to enhance the lives of many students who do not normally get opportunities to watch a live performance.

"Everybody joined in with the excitement of watching a live performance. Chants of ‘Oh no he didn’t!’ could be heard from all members of the audience, including the staff."

Westbury based Imperial Charity is a small organisation that is dedicated to helping people with disabilities. A spokesman said: "We are trying to bring a little variety into their lives through coach outings, shopping trips and organising a New Year Variety Show.

"We believe there are limited opportunities and resources within the local area so anything we can do to brighten lives has got to be beneficial.

"While we are a very small charity we do have a lovely band of volunteers - without their help we couldn't do nearly as much as we do now.

"However we are always looking for people who wish to dedicate a little bit of their time."