TWO poorly youngsters have been given thousands of pounds for specialist equipment by Didcot fundraisers the Thong Rangers.

Well known in the town for tackling sponsored feats of strength and endurance dressed in the skimpiest of underwear, they have given £2,550 each to the parents of Logan Goodall, two, and seven-month-old Kayleigh Finnemore, both of whom need constant care and specialist support.

Logan was diagnosed with autism in June and has yet to utter a word, while Kayleigh suffers daily fits and may be blind.

When the Thong Rangers heard about the two children’s plight, they vowed to raise money for them at a family fun day on August Bank Holiday.

The event raised so much money that Logan’s parents are able to buy specialist toys to help him learn to speak, while Kayleigh, who suffers from the rare Aicardi syndrome, will be bought a sensory mat that will trigger an alarm if she stops breathing during the night.

Father Patrick Finnemore, 18, of Kynaston Road, Didcot, said: “Being given this money is a big relief, and gives us more security when she is asleep. She is getting better slowly, but she cannot do the normal things a seven-month-old would.” Logan’s mother, Miriam Sear, 26, of Goldsmiths Terrace, Wallingford, said: “What the Thong Rangers have done is absolutely amazing.

“This will make a hell of a difference. There is a lot of play equipment that will help with his speech, but it is very expensive. We will not spend all the money at one time, but get different things to help Logan’s development as he gets older.”

As well as the money, the Thong Rangers also arranged for both families to have a week’s holiday at Bunn Leisure’s holiday park in Selsey, West Sussex.

Miss Sear said: “The week’s holiday was brilliant. Logan really came out of himself more than I have seen before.”

The Thong Rangers group was set up ten years ago to raise money for Sobell House hospice in Oxford. Since then, their sponsored kerbstone-carrying, truck-pulls and shovel-walks have raised more than £100,000 for 20 poorly children and Oxfordshire charities.

There are now 18 Thong Rangers, 14 Rangerettes, and a group of 50 supporters. Thong Ranger Clifford Oakes said: “A lot of people know what we are about now. When there is a poorly kid, a friend mentions it to a friend and eventually we hear about it. It is a massive reward for us to see children like Logan and Kayleigh benefit from our efforts. It makes us more passionate and gives us more drive. We just want to do as much as possible to raise money.”

Upcoming fundraising events include a sponsored pub crawl, a ladies’ night and an end-of-year party.