People with learning disabilities have been given a chance to experience working behind the scenes of a youth theatre in Edgware in a pilot project.

Approximately 20 people have signed up to the scheme at Flash Musicals Youth Theatre in Methuen Road using cash from their personal social care budgets, which allows them to choose where to use cash that would be previously have been spent on them by the council.

The project gives vulnerable people a chance to work on lighting and costume design with a team of budding young actors, and if successful, could become a full-time scheme for people to choose to spend their budget on.

Harrow Council’s portfolio holder for adult social care, Councillor Margaret Davine said the idea was “an excellent example” of how to include people with learning disabilities in the community.

She added: “Flash Musicals boasts facilities second to none so when our residents told us they would like to spend some of their personal budgets on a drama or musical course or experience, it seemed like the perfect combination.

“The project was designed by Harrow Council to address a gap in the market for people who wanted to buy drama and theatre services through their personal budget.

“If the demand is there, this could be a regular self sustaining service for the community.”

The week-long course culminates in a grand finale show on Friday at the theatre, which opened in 2005 to offer children from low-income or disadvantaged backgrounds a chance to get involved in drama.

The borough has been at the cutting edge of the new way of providing services through personal budgets, and was the first in the country to use an Amazon-style online market place, called shop4support, which has won an award.