A National Lottery grant of £30,000 is to fund a brand-new playground in Peldon after fundraising efforts by Winsted Hundred Parish Council.

The playground was first built in the late-1990s, but years of use from the community eventually saw maintenance and repair costs spiral upwards.

Combined with other funds already secured, the National Lottery grant means the requisite sum of around £70,000 has been raised for a resurfacing of the playground alongside new equipment.

Liz Davidson, one of the Peldon Parish Councillors, and Robert Davidson, Mayor of Colchester, helped offset further costs by offering to clear the site free of charge using machinery from their farm contracting company, RDS Farms.

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The chair of Winsted Hundred Parish Council, Claire Lauwerys, was thrilled with the culmination of all their fundraising efforts.

“It seemed like a big task to raise all the money,” she said. “But we decided to forge ahead on the basis “if you don’t ask you don’t get.””

“Our clerk Sue Pullen has been amazing and found lots of grants to apply for; she’s a real star.,” Mrs Lauwerys added.

“The Lottery money was the final bit we needed. It took a few days for it to sink in when I got the phone call to say we’d been successful.”

Construction will begin later this summer, with the Parish Council looking to ensure the playground is out of use for as short a time as possible