A new £80,000 play area in Colchester was officially opened on Saturday after the local community worked together to secure funding for it.

The play area at Bergholt Road Open Space was made possible after local residents Stephen Pitt, Liz Riggs and Elaine Appleyard secured several grants and additional funding from Myland Community Council and Colchester Borough Council.

The old play area has been overhauled and now includes new swings, an aerial runway, a trampoline, springers, and sensory play items.

Money was secured from the Co-op Community Fund, The Veolia Environmental Trust, the Cory Environmental Trust and the Community Initiatives Fund.

Everyone in the community got the chance to say what they wanted in the revamped play area. When it was decided how it would look, the community council consulted residents and two local schools to identify the equipment they would like.

The results of this work were used by the play equipment suppliers to produce plans and these were taken into the schools and put on the Bergholt Road website for people to vote on.

Colchester Borough Council portfolio holder for communities and leisure, Annie Feltham, said: “It is very impressive how the community in Myland has managed to secure so much funding from a number of different sources for their play area. It is a model for other community groups and a demonstration of the opportunities for funding that are available.”