A COMMUNITY has got behind three primary schoolboys who have started a campaign to raise £40,000 for a village skatepark after securing the backing of their parish council.

Young skaters Lewys (cor) Lawrence-Hall, eight, Daniel Greaves, nine, and Gabriel Stevenson, eight, won over Heighington Parish Council after making a power point presentation asking for their support.

The boys, with the help of their families and the rest of the community, have already raised £4,000. They want a skatepark in Heighington as the nearest facilities are in Darlington and Newton Aycliffe, which means the youngsters need to be given lifts if they want to skate.

The group are now in the process of applying for funding grants, including National Lottery money, to finance the park.

Last year, an £85,000 multi-use games area was built in the village, and if plans for the skatepark press ahead, it is hoped it would be built near to that existing leisure facility.

Cath Lawrence, Lewys’ mother, said she had been pleasantly surprised at the reaction from other villagers.

“I was a little worried people may not like the idea, as they may think it would attract kids hanging around, but the village has welcomed it,” she said. “I have had people I don’t know coming up to me in the street and offering to bake cakes to help raise money for it.

“I am sure there will be some people with a few concerns, but by and large people think it is positive that the children will have something else to do.”

She said she had been impressed with the youngsters’ commitment to the project.

“I thought it was wonderful that they came up with the idea themselves, and went to the parish council with it,” she added.

“Fundraising is something we want the kids to help with. We want them to appreciate how hard it is to raise money. We want them to look after the park when it is built.

“We hope they will appreciate it more if ithas been a struggle to get.”