BREAKING NEWS: Newton Pop wins �50k Big Lottery Fund bid
DELIGHTED Newton Poppleford villagers are celebrating after winning a �50,000 grant to revamp a children s play area
DELIGHTED Newton Poppleford villagers are celebrating after winning a �50,000 grant to revamp a children's play area.
The results of The Peoples' Millions Lottery, in which the village went-head-to head with Berrow in Somerset, were announced live on ITV West Country on Tuesday.
It was a finger-biting scene in Newton Poppleford as they were declared the winners of the phone-in competition securing the cash windfall which will go towards transforming the Back Lane play park.
David Zirker, who submitted the bid to the Big Lottery Fund, said: "We are so happy. It has been a real community effort and thanks to everybody who voted, everyone involved in the leaflet drop and to the whole village.
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"I didn't believe it when I was told we had won- I thought we had lost because we were up against such a similar scheme."
Mr Zirker said the next step is to set up a working group which will include mothers, children and teenagers, who will help choose the new play park equipment.
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"I want it to be the people who are going to use it to help select the equipment", added Mr Zirker.
The park, which is in dire need of replacement, will be stripped and three new areas will be added for children aged from nought to three, three to 11, and 11 to 18.
Mr Zirker said: "Younger children will not be intimidated as they will have their own area to play in and there will be a seating area for parents who can watch their kids from a distance.
"We hope it will encourage children, who see their friends and parents playing football, basketball, cricket etc and it will give them the mentality for the sports in the future."
Newton Poppleford Playing Field Foundation Managing Trustees aim to complete the overhaul of the play park by May.
