MEMBERS of a tiny dales community are looking to councillors to give their millennium project a cash boost.

It has taken more than two-and-a-half years for people living in Ireshopeburn to raise just under £20,000 for a playpark in the village.

Now the Ireshopeburn Millennium Playpark Scheme Committee has appealed to Wear Valley District Council to give it a grant for £7,000 to bring the total amount to £25,000, so the work can start.

The project will be discussed at a meeting of Wear Valley District Council's resources committee tonight.

Chairman of the park committee, Steve Robson, said that the community pulled together after it was told no funding was available from the council to revamp the children's play area.

He said: "The park had fallen into disrepair and most of the equipment had been removed as safety precautions.

"None of it was replaced and Wear Valley District Council said that funding was a problem.

"So we set about fundraising in the hope of eventually providing a park for the youngsters in the village."

The committee wanted to raise £25,000 to provide a decent play area that will serve the community and visitors.

Villagers have taken part in a host of fundraising activities and events, including parachute jumps, carol singing, and a Royal memorabilia exhibition that saw local magistrate and royalist Anita Atkinson enter the Guinness Book of Records for her mammoth collection.

At the beginning of the year, the community was awarded a grant for £5,000 from the County Durham Foundation.

Mr Robson said if the district council looked favourably on the request, the play area could be in operation in time for the school summer holidays.

He said: "It has been an outstanding effort which has been very well supported within the community.

"The fact that it is for the kids has kept us going.

"We are now hoping that since we have come this far the council will recognise the hard work that we have put in and support us so we can move forward.