OUR Sparkle Appeal is off to a flying start, with money and support already starting to arrive.

And now the bid to raise £250,000 towards a new £6m centre for disabled children has received a wonderful boost - a £5,000 donation from Monmouthshire Free-masons.

The money will go towards providing a purpose-built centre, to be built on a 14- acre site at High Cross. Several potential sources of funding are being explored by the South Gwent Children's Foundation, the charity behind the scheme.

And the South Wales Argus is hoping to give the appeal a massive boost by raising £250,000 during 2004, with the help of readers.

The centre will be a one-stop centre for more than 1,200 disabled children in Newport, Torfaen and south Monmouthshire and provide a vital, much-needed resour-ce for the youngsters and their families - all under one roof.

These youngsters include seven-year-old Rebecca Maggs, and 11-year-old James Allen, both from Newport, who have both been featured in the Argus.

Monmouthshire Freemasons, who give approximately £16,000 to charities each year, handed the Sparkle appeal a cheque for £5,000. The group said it was delighted to offer their support to the Sparkle Appeal, which was launched by the Argus on December 17.

The Monmouthshire Free-masons also supported the South Gwent Children's Centre with a £1,000 donation before the appeal started. John Hughes, provincial grandmaster of Monmouth-shire, said: "We are delighted to support the Sparkle appeal."