Somerset fundraisers' work pays off as play area opens

The five women spent much of the past year fundraising for the new play area

A small rural community has a new recreation area thanks to a group of five dedicated fundraisers.

The women, all residents of Somerset villages Charlton Mackrell and Charlton Adam, managed to raise £67,000 in lockdown.

Thanks to their efforts, the local play area, closed in 2018, has reopened with new equipment.

One of the women said it was "absolutely amazing" to see the area being used again.

Volunteers Nina Gronw-Lewis, Dee Powell, Dawn Richard, Jody Allen and Andrea de Berker, had planned to spend 2020 holding fundraising events after forming Project Charlton in 2019.

The pandemic stopped that, but Ms Gronw-Lewis said the generosity of locals, businesses and councils meant they reached their target.

The new equipment is now available for local families to use

"We had donations from South Somerset District Council, Wessex Water, Viridor and the local parish council," she said.

"A substantial amount of money came in from a crowdfunding project and the local tennis club were also very generous."

The seven-and-a-half acre plot, gifted for village use after World War Two, has a new climbing frame, swings, an agility trail, roundabout and slide.

A series of picnic tables, some wheelchair accessible, have also been installed.

'Joy to see'

Ms Gronw-Lewis added: "There are children in the village with special needs who were not able to use the old swings. It was an absolute joy to see them, at the age of five, to go on a swing for the first time.

"After the year that we've all had, it's great to see all the generations enjoying the area.

"When you look back on what has been achieved over the last 12 months you do think 'wow, what a good way to spend what has been an awful year'."

There are plans in the pipeline to add a zipwire, adult fitness zone, an area for teenagers to play and more.

"We've just had an anonymous donation of £5,000 towards a sensory seating area and we've also just been pledged some money by Clarks, the shoemaker," said Ms Gronw-Lewis.

"We just want to keep going."