Two sisters running a parent and toddler group in Skinningrove are urging more people to become involved because the group needs all the help it can get.

Sure Start East Cleveland provided £16,000 so that the group could equip its own room at the village's former primary school.

As parents and children enjoyed the new surroundings for the first time this month, Maria Downs and her sister Clare Boyd, treasurer and secretary, were delighted about the windfall.

"I can't describe how wonderful this new room is," said Ms Boyd. "We owe such a lot to Sure Start. We would not be here without them as we did not have the funds to keep going."

Ms Downs said: "Things were getting really iffy before Sure Start stepped in. We were finding it hard to keep going."

Formed in 1998, the group had been meeting in the village chapel once a week, even though the venue was too small and not always warm enough.

When all the group's toys were lost in the floods which devastated Skinningrove in 2000 it had to stop meeting and only got going again this January.

Now the group can meet three times a week, taking up to 15 children from an area that covers Easington to Carlin How.

Parents pay a 50p fee for refreshments and to put towards treats.

The voluntary organisers also run raffles and other fund-raising schemes.

As she appealed for more help, Ms Downs praised one girl from the village, who cannot be named. "She knows who she is and she has been a real star for us," she said.

Sure Start programme manager Julie Conner said: "We are delighted to be able to help the group and wish the mums every success."

The group meets on Tuesdays from noon until 3pm and on Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am until 1pm.