A PARISH council’s ambitious plans to redevelop its community playing field for more than £100,000 has been handed a major boost after receiving a large grant.

The National Lottery Community Fund has awarded £75,000 to Great Maplestead Parish Council to help with their ongoing project to revitalise the village playing field.

The project includes replacing the children’s ageing play equipment, as well as providing full access for people of all abilities to what is described as a "valuable, and much loved" community amenity.

The village school, which used the playing field as an outdoor learning space during the Covid pandemic and still continues with lessons there today, stands to benefit from a new, fully accessible perimeter pathway that can also be used for the pupils’ ‘mile-a-day’ challenge.

Since March 2021, an ongoing community fundraising programme has seen donations from individuals, institutions and businesses within the village reach £35,000.

There have been organised social fundraising events such as a village fun day and dog show, as well as quizzes and other fundraisers which have been  generously supported by the community.

The largest fundraiser came in May, when village residents Simon Last, 64, and Martin Crisp, 59, took on a sponsored 1,000-mile bike ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats, which took about two weeks and raised more than £5,000.

Work on improving the community playing field has already begun, with the construction of a boules court, additional picnic benches and the installation of a new drainage system.

The Lottery grant award will now allow work to start on the access-for-all pathway and replacement of the children’s play equipment.

Development project team leader Simon Last said: "Receiving this National Lottery grant has been a wonderful reward for the tremendous efforts put in by everyone involved in the project.

“The improvements the grant will now enable us to make to the community playing field will leave an enduring legacy, benefitting residents and visitors to the village for years to come.”

For more information on the project, visit crowdfunder.co.uk/p/maplestead-community-field.