A project to upgrade and revamp a redundant playground in Badingham, Suffolk, is to receive grant funding of at least £8,000, after beating 5,000 other applicants.

Badingham Parish Council lodged an application for funding to upgrade play facilities in the village’s Pocket Park with Tesco’s Bags of Help scheme, which donates grants to community projects via funds raised through the 5p carrier bag charge which came into force in October.

It followed comments put to the parish council during a consultation into the parish plan in 2013 which showed there was an overwhelming desire for better play facilities for children living within the village. And so, in November, parish council clerk Sue Piggott applied for a share of the Bags of Help funding in a bid to make the desire a reality for Badingham’s Pocket Park.

Earlier this year, the project was named as one of three successful applications and is now in line to receive grants of either £12,000, £10,000 or £8,000. The vote for which project gets the most money will go to shoppers, with the cause receiving the most votes getting the largest share of grant funding.

At current, the play area in Badingham’s Pocket Park has only one item, a nest swing, with all other pieces of play equipment having been removed over the years after being deemed unsafe in various inspections.

There are approximately 100 children and young people living within the community, however the council acknowledges that there is a ‘serious lack’ of safe outside activity and play provision.

Sue Piggott, clerk to Badingham Parish Council, said: “The community would like to have a safe and healthy outside play space provision.

“I was so glad I spotted the opportunity to apply for funding from Tesco.

“The competition was steep and the parish council is delighted to be awarded funds to create a proper play area.

“A properly equipped play area will provide outside play space, which is so important for children so that they can grow up understanding the outside environment.

“The play area will be an important place for young families to meet, as village communities can often suffer [from] rural isolation.

“The children of Badingham are very much hoping that shoppers at the local Tesco stores will vote for Badingham.”

The vote will go to shoppers in Tesco stores in Felixstowe, Martlesham, Kesgrave and Saxmundham from February 27 and will last for two weeks.