VILLAGE residents have been given a reason to celebrate with the news of a �28,000 funding boost for their play area.

Bramford playing field received the funds from the SITA Trust.

The field is owned by the Bramford community and looked after by an elected management committee made up of volunteers.

Its current facilities include a hard-surfaced multi sports area, three tennis courts, a bowls green, BMX track, football pitch, play area and sports pavilion.

With the new funds, the community hopes to add a slide, a group pendulum swing and a covered wooden gazebo which will provide shelter for users of the park.

The gazebo in particular was requested by young people in the area, so they could have somewhere to meet up in private.

The total cost of the project will come to more than �31,000 and extra help has been received from county councillor John Field and the Bramford Parish Council.

Jools Granville, of the SITA Trust, said: “It is fantastic when a community comes together to decide what new additions are needed to its local facilities.

“We were only too happy to help by providing a grant of �28,000 to enable the improvements at Bramford and are delighted that Cllr Field and Bramford Parish Council have assisted in helping ensure the full project costs are available to this group.”

The SITA Trust is an independent funding body set up in 1997 to provide funding through the Landfill Communities Fund. The grant was provided through the trust’s enhancing communities programme.