A GROUP of volunteers are encouraging shoppers at Tesco in Ilminster to help them secure £1,500 for a new seesaw at Donyatt Recreational Area.
The recreational area on Donyatt Hill was installed around 20 years ago with the help of National Lottery funding, and it contains children’s play equipment, a football goal, and a dog walking area.
The green space also hosted the village’s bonfire in November.
Sarah Young, a trustee of Donyatt’s Recreation Area, said the play park is “hugely important” and “a nice green space at the top of the village”.
Some of the play park’s facilities have been removed in recent years because they became unsafe, but the recreational area’s trustees have not been able to secure more lottery funding to bring in new facilities to restore the park.
Donyatt Recreational Area is now in contention for a community grant from Tesco in Ilminster.
Shoppers at Tesco’s Ilminster superstore will receive a blue token from the checkout when they finish their shop, which they can use to vote for one of three local causes.
Currently, the charities customers can pledge their support to are Donyatt Recreational Area, the British Red Cross, and the NSPCC.
The charity that receives the highest number of blue tokens will be given £1,500, which Donyatt Recreation Area will put towards a new seesaw for the village’s play park.
On Saturday, February 26, supporters of the recreational area visited Tesco and spoke to shoppers to drum up support for their initiative and hand out tokens.
Speaking about their Tesco campaign, Sarah said: “We had a really successful morning and would like to thank the people of Ilminster and Helena at Tesco for supporting us.
“As a small charity, run entirely by volunteers, every little helps!
“Please keep putting blue tokens in our box - we really are very grateful.”
If Donyatt Recreational Area's supporters are successful, the £1,500 from Tesco will cover most of the cost of the new seesaw.
This month’s Tesco community grants scheme will end on Thursday, March 31.
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