£200,000 leisure plea

Plans to improve children's play programmes in the Wyre Forest district are to be drawn up as part of a bid to the Big Lottery Fund for £207,799.

Big Lottery Fund officials are committed to provide £155 million to back schemes for youngsters and Wyre Forest district is keen to grab a slice of the cash.

The overall aim is to create, improve and develop free local play spaces for children and teenagers.

Councillors have asked officials to devise a play strategy which identifies areas of greatest need but feel there may be advantages in a countywide approach to applying.

Bids for part of a £124 million pot are to be submitted with the help of people from the voluntary sector and local communities.

Further funding from another grant fund totalling £16 million is expected to be sought for for innovative projects by charities, voluntary and community groups, social enterprises and parish councils. Another share of a pot totalling £15 million is already on offer through the Children's Play Council.

The council was allocated £207,799 from the Children's Play Programme, based on the number of youngsters in the district and level of poverty. A Big Lottery Fund group has been set up .