CHARITY staff have raised £200 towards the cost of setting up a sensory room for autistic adults.

Support workers from Creative Support, which provides services for people with mental health needs and learning disabilities, hope to create the room for use by five men with autism spectrum disorder at one of the charity’s homes in County Durham.

The fundraisers have already raised £200 by staging a children’s Christmas party at Esh Winning Cricket Club.

Lucy Allen, development officer with Creative Support, said: "Staff have thrown themselves into this with absolute determination and enthusiasm, and in the coming year there will be bag packing, sponsored Coast to Coast bike ride, band night and a number of other events.

"Sensory rooms help stimulate, develop and balance a person’s sensory system and also helps with processing of every day sensory information.

"It is well documented that people with Autism Spectrum Disorder often struggle to deal with processing every day sensory information and they become distressed and anxious".