Work starts on Cotswold play building (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Work starts on Cotswold play building

FAMILIES in South Cerney are celebrating after work was finally started on the eagerly-awaited new playgroup building.

The foundations are now being laid for South Cerney Playgroup's new purpose-built structure, which will cost over £140,000 and is the result of four years of hard fundraising.

Many people have been involved with the fundraising activities which included, strawberry tea parties in the gardens of Atkins Manor, tandem parachute jumping with the Silver Stars at South Cerney army camp, and 70-year-old granny Margaret Scrivens wing-walking on a plane.

Catherine Isles, who has organised much of the fundraising for the 40-year-old playgroup, said: "We have had such generosity from so many people and so many companies it's been amazing."

The building is expected to be completed by the summer and will open its doors in September.

The fundraising contributed £50,000 towards the project. Grants from South Cerney Parish Council, Cotswold District Council and Gloucestershire County Council helped make up the rest.

Businesses helping the construction include; The Watermark club which is managing the project and covering £30,000 of the costs, Bison which provided a digger and driver to demolish the old building, Foundation Solutions which is constructing the foundations and Creative estates which is supplying and erecting the building's wooden frame.