Lottery cash gives Long Sutton school a hand

Summer play times will be more exciting at Long Sutton Primary School thanks to nearly £10,000 of lottery cash.

New equipment, including a ‘trim trail’ and rubber flooring, will be installed at the school next month ready for children to use during the summer term.

The school was handed a grant from the Big Lottery Fund through its Awards for All England programme to replace existing equipment that was considered to be unsafe.

Head teacher Bill Lord said: “The trim trail will provide a much-needed play space for our Foundation Stage and Key Stage One children.

“It will include a tyre challenge, balance beams, net traverse, inclined balance, Burma bridge and swinging steps.

“Whilst aimed primarily at children as a play area, it will also benefit them in developing their hand-eye co-ordination and encourage them to be active at break times.”

At a time of shrinking budgets, charitable donations and grants are absolutely vital in providing resources for our children

It is the seventh time a group of organisation in Long Sutton has benefited from Big Lottery Fund cash since November 2010 and in that time, just over £42,500 has been given out to six different causes.

Mr Lord said: “Long Sutton Primary School is so grateful to Awards for All England, part of the Big Lottery Fund, for this award which will have a significant impact on the daily lives of the children in our infants’ department.

“We are very grateful for the support in placing the bid from Inspire+, the Grantham-based sports charity, without whom it was not certain that we would be successful.”

The school was also successful in gaining a separate £1,000 grant from the Grange Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund for an outdoor learning area, with workstations, orienteering course and educational fire pit.

Funding has been provided to the school by Renewable Energy Systems (RES) Ltd, the developer of the wind farm between Sutton Bridge and Tydd St Mary which opened in April 2013.

Mr Lord said: “At a time of shrinking budgets, charitable donations and grants are absolutely vital in providing resources for our children.”

The school is ready for an active summer term after a recent talk by runner Ben Smith who completed 401 marathons in 401 days last year.

Mr Lord said: “We are now looking at other ways of increasing the educational provision we offer for the children in other areas of education.”

James Harcourt, Big Lottery Fund England Grant-making Director, said: “This is a great example of the types of community-led projects we love to see.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, this funding will support local people to bring about positive changes in their communities and improve their lives for the future.”