Ideas devised by disabled people have been celebrated.

Scope, a charity for people with cerebral palsy, has handed out £54,200 to projects in the North-East during the past two years under its Give It A Go Millennium Award Scheme.

This week, those who have benefited got together to mark their achievements at the Gala Theatre, Durham.

The money has been distributed to ten projects that gave disabled people the chance to get involved in the community.

Susan Vass, of Darlington, received £5,200. She created an artwork called Endangered Species, which looked at how disabilities are seen in the context of genetic engineering.

The Sound Track music group, made up of four musicians from North Tyneside, was awarded £6,900 to hold workshops and produce a compact disc.

Photographer Bill Scott, of Newcastle, received £4,400 to take his Positive Millennium Images exhibition around the North of England. It featured disabled people challenging stereotypes.

Others receiving grants included:

* Paul and Margaret Simpson, of Durham City, who were awarded £4100 for dance workshops across County Durham.

* Ian Rutland, of Durham City, received £5,500 for his directory of access information about attractions in the North-East.

* Nicholas Hindle and Jonathan Mariner, of Darlington, got £7,900 to set up a disability awareness course. * Margaret Sneddon, of Middleton Road Residents' Group, was awarded £4000 to attend courses to help her become more active in her residents' group in Cleveland.