A CHARITY which cares for autistic children in Bolton may have to close because of a lack of funding.

Registered charity Bolton Kidz 2gether has managed to secure enough money to pay for activities, but it has grown so big that organisers Jacqueline Mason and Stephanie Sherratt are struggling to cope and it has become a full time job.

That has put a financial strain on the pair who say the charity will have to be axed if they cannot raise enough money to pay them a wage.

Things have become so bad, Mrs Mason has had to sell her house and move into one a third of the size.

And they fear that closing the charity would upset the 150 autistic children aged between five and 16 who rely on the club, based at Horwich Resource Centre, Beaumont Road, Horwich.

Bolton Kidz 2gether runs activities which help stimulate members and help them learn social and communication skills.

It was set up in March 2005 by Mrs Mason, aged 45, and Mrs Sharrat, aged 37, who both have autistic children.

Mrs Mason, who lives on Chapel Street, Horwich, with her partner Phredd and 17-year-old son James, said: "It breaks our hearts that we might have to stop because we cannot afford to keep it going.

"It is vital for the development of the children, who learn social and communication skills when they come here.

"It is also good for the parents to meet others with autistic children because it can help them cope.

"We are going to keep fighting and hopefully we will get some money from somewhere because we cannot let these children down."

The club has received £3,500 from Bolton Community Voluntary Service, £4,500 from the co-operative fund and £5,000 from Bolton Pastoral Care through Rivington and Blackrod High School. But these grants only cover activities.

Mrs Mason and Mrs Sharrat say they would like six staff but their pleas have recently fallen on deaf ears - the BBC charity Children in Need turned them down and they are still waiting to hear from the National Lottery.

Mrs Sharrat, who lives with her husband Steve, five-year-old daughter Anna, and autistic son Michael, aged nine, said: "It has been a struggle. We have set up this group from scratch and I have been doing two part-time jobs to try and keep going.

"We have also had fundraisers because every little bit helps. Myself, my husband and a friend did the Great Manchester Run in May and raised £1,400 and we are doing the Great North Run in October to raise some more."

Mari Saeki, from the National Autistic Society, said: "We offer our full support to Bolton Kidz2gether and hope that they can soon find the funding to secure the future of this great charity.

"The range of creative and innovative social and leisure opportunities they offer make such a difference to the lives of many young people with autism around Bolton."