A COMMUNITY in Darlington could be hitting the National Lottery jackpot with a bid to improve their neighbourhood parks.

The Firthmoor Community Association is working with Darlington Borough Council to apply for grants to renovate the green areas on the estate.

The community association has already been awarded £3,500 from the New Opportunities Fund and the Countryside Agency to carry out a consultation exercise.

People in the area will be asked what improvements they would like to see to the green spaces on the estate before a wish list is compiled by the community association and the council.

A bid for funding will then be presented to the National Lottery, combining the results of the consultation with the council's views on what kind of park facilities it would be able to maintain on a long-term basis.

Funding for the Doorstep Greens scheme is directed towards the most deprived areas of the country and is aimed at ensuring that people living on estates or away from the countryside can enjoy parks and open spaces.

Dave Preston, of the community association, said: "When the estate was planned, some of the parks were just created without much thought and some areas of open space have just become dumping grounds.

"We want the parks to be a pleasant asset for the area. At the moment some areas are lived in mostly be elderly people who want different things from a park.

"We want to ensure these older people have the facilities they need, while ensuring young people are provided for in other areas of the estate."

The community association hopes to complete the consultation in the next few weeks.

If the bid for Lottery money is successful, work could start by the end of the year.

Darlington councillor Stephen Harker said: "We are delighted to have received this funding for a feasibility study, and we are confident we can secure even more money and working with the community we can improve the parks.