The Swanton Abbott Playpark Association is absolutely delighted to share that we have been successful in securing funding from The National Lottery Community Fund through the Reaching Communities programme!

We would also like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone for bearing with us over the past year. Through a determined effort, we have also succeeded in securing funding from The Red House Youth Trust, The Geoffrey Watling Charity and The Paul Bassham Trust— alongside the generous members of our community who have donated their time, skills, and money to support us. Thanks to this combined support, our project to transform the playpark has now reached full funding.

This is fantastic news for our village. After years of setbacks and hard work behind the scenes, we can now move forward with transforming the playpark into the welcoming, inclusive space our community has been asking for.

With this funding in place, we’ll soon begin installing new play equipment, seating, and creating our sensory and herb garden. The park will become a place where children can play safely, families can meet and socialise, and residents of all ages can enjoy being outdoors. We’re especially excited about the accessible features and wildlife-friendly planting, which will help ensure the space can be enjoyed by everyone.

We’re working closely with our suppliers to begin installation as soon as possible and will keep you updated as plans progress. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the ideas gathered from school surveys, community conversations, and fundraising events coming to life.

We’re also planning a community gathering around Easter 2026 to celebrate this funding success. While the new equipment won’t be installed by then, the event will be an opportunity to share our plans, thank the community for its support, and look ahead to the next stage of the project.

We’ll be inviting volunteers to help with future planting of the raised beds in the sensory and herb garden — so if you’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you. We’re also keen to hear from anyone interested in using the new park space for organised community groups, whether that’s gardening, outdoor exercise, children’s activities, or something entirely new. We hope the park becomes a space shaped and enjoyed by the whole community.

More details will follow, if you have any questions or wish to participate in the project, please contact us at playparkswantonabbott@gmail.com.