Community Spirit is alive and well in S E Cornwall

Back in 2008 a small group of Pillaton (nr Saltash) villagers joined together to form the Pillaton Playground Project (PPP). The objective was to raise funds to redesign and refurbish the children's playground in the village. The group was supported by the Village Hall Committee, Village Magazine, local businesses and Pillaton Parish Council.

The fund raising activities included a Halloween Party, a Quiz night, Xmas Party and a fantastic May Day celebration on 2nd May 2009. Over the same period donation applications were submitted to SITA and VIRIDOR and The Lottery Fund and in less than 12 months with kind additional donations from The Weary Friar, the Village news, Pillaton Parish Council, Caradon Council, the PPP group had raised in excess of £37k. Great news but no more than many local communities do?

That should have been that, job done !. However, one member of the team pursued the fund raising activities with Community Spaces and the Big Lottery Fund in the hope that further funding could be achieved for the design of a community park. Pillaton Community Park project, designed to improve the environmental area available to the local community was suddenly becoming a reality.

Early in 2011 we received notification that Community Spaces and the Big Lottery Fund had awarded the group £29,640 to realise the project. The project is now well under way and will transform the area to the rear of the village hall into an environmental community park available to the whole local community.

Over a period of less than three years local people with support from local businesses and organisations and large community orientated organisations had raised funds in excess of £60k, not bad for a small village in a quiet corner of S E Cornwall?.
Even in these austere times there is funding available for eligible groups, come on Saltash go and get it !!