CHILDREN at two primary schools will soon have new equipment to play on thanks to a National Lottery award.

Chilton and Fishburn Primary Schools have won grants from the Awards for All group to create outdoor play areas.

Chilton has been given the maximum £5,000 to equip its two playgrounds.

Headteacher Dave Wallace said: "We've got playgrounds, but that's all we've got so we want to do something to develop the outdoor play potential.

"We realised from a very early stage, if we were going to make the most of play opportunities for children we needed to do something. Just putting kids in an empty playground isn't enough."

It is hoped the first pieces of equipment will be in place by early summer.

Mr Wallace said: "We're absolutely delighted to get the award because £5,000 is a lot of money for a school.

"It means that instead of us having to do a lot of fundraising and using resources to buy a lot of portable equipment, we can go for something a bit more ambitious which will have more impact and benefit."

Most of Fishburn Primary School's £4,906 grant will be used to buy play equipment for the nursery children.

Headteacher Geoff Handley said: "The school put in a mini adventure playground for the infants a couple of years ago.

"We wanted to extend that into the junior play area and the nursery, which was going to be the next phase.

"But because of falling rolls and a budget deficiency we had to draw some things in a little bit. That's what made us go for the grant money, which is going to get us through to the next phase."

He added: "This is something the school's been working towards for a year, but Melanie Blackburn at the nursery is the one who's been pushing for the funding, so it's all credit to her."