A £38,000 project to involve more disabled people in community life is to be extended until at least April.

Extra funding could be found to continue Mainstreaming Disability into the next financial year.

Keighley Area Committee, part of Bradford Council, provided the initial cash to start the initiative.

It recently provided a further £6,000 to tide the project over for the next few months.

Further funding could be given if Mainstreaming Disability meets priorities in the latest Keighley Area Action Plan.

The plan, drawn up by local agencies, covers issues such as crime, young people, regeneration, health, community life and the environment.

Mainstreaming Disability encouraged local organisations to let disabled people play an active role in running and delivering mainstream services.

Such people were also given support to provide self-help initiatives in local communities.

The area committee paid for a worker at Keighley’s Temple Row Centre, which is managed by disabled people.

The worker, Lionel Lockley, helped the centre develop as an independent open-access based for community activities.

He helped the centre promote its facilities, improve its administration, recruit volun-teers and increase usage.

He also created a network of agencies providing advice and support for disabled people and their carers across Keighley.

Of the £38,000 original grant, £6,000 was spent on outreach work in “hard to reach” and minority communities.

This led to the establishment of the Keighley United Voices Group, with members including the Citizens Advice Bureau, Skipton Road Day Centre and Keighley Community Organ-isation.