A SCHOOL playground has been given a new lease of life thanks to a donation from a Dorset charity.

Youngsters at Lilliput Infant School, in Poole, are enjoying the new-look facilities after £10,000 was given to revamp the area by the Talbot Village Trust, a grant-giving group supporting worthy causes across the south east of the county.

The donation, together with funds raised by the school’s PTA, has seen the outdoor space revitalised, replacing irreparable wooden play equipment.

Up to 350 school children, aged four to seven, are now enjoying the colourful new equipment.

Christine Chambers, head teacher at Lilliput Infant School, said: “We are grateful to Talbot Village Trust for their assistance with this project.

“The children absolutely love the new play structures. Importantly to us, the new area is in memory of a Lilliput pupil who continues to inspire us and whose motto in life had been ‘Be kind, be brave and never give up’.

“He always enjoyed playtimes.

“Without this generous donation, the children would have seen the deteriorated wooden play equipment dismantled for safety reasons, and we would have been unable to replace it for a good number of years.

“The play equipment is not only there for our current children but also for future generations to come.”

The play equipment is designed to inspire role play and children’s imagination and includes a wooden train and a play tower, helping develop children’s physical skills including strength, grip and grasp.

Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, chair of the Talbot Village Trust, said: “Outdoor school playground equipment has long been recognised as a beneficial tool for a child’s development.

“Not only does it give children an opportunity to interact with peers in a safe and stimulating environment, but it also encourages physical health and well-being.”

He added: “It is incredibly important to the Trust that we continue to support projects which encourage positive health and wellbeing. We’re delighted to hear that the children love the new play area.”

The Talbot Village Trust donates up to £1 million each year, supporting causes from youth organisations, education groups and community-focused projects.

The charity is encouraging further local causes to apply for funding ahead of its application deadline on July 31. For more information, visit www.talbotvillagetrust.org.