PLAY areas in two Hambleton market towns have been given a £93,000 boost.

The Department of Children, Schools and Families Playbuilder fund - which supports the development of play spaces for 8-13 year olds - has awarded grants to Stokesley’s North Road Park and Easingwold’s Memorial Park.

Stokesley gets £50,000 towards a £200,000 project to provide accessible facilities for play, recreation and other leisure time occupations for children and young people and their families. The site will incorporate a defined pathway with seating areas, a pre-school playground, a primary playground and a teenage area as well as an open area for free play, an older people zone and a picnic and leisure area.

The Memorial Park in Easingwold will be updated with its £43,000. A space where children can play freely and in safety will be created by changing the current layout and replacing ageing equipment.

The project incorporates inclusive equipment suitable for disabled children, and the installation of new paths to improve access to all.

Both projects are in the Hambleton Play Plan and received vital support from the Hambleton Play Partnership to secure this funding. In total North Yorkshire has £1.1million in Playbuilder money to allocate over two years - it is being managed by North Yorkshire County Council.

The Hambleton Play Partnership will shortly be considering year two projects. Groups looking for funding for a play space and are not members of the partnership should contact Lisa Wilson, Lifestyles Manager at Hambleton District Council on 01609 767149 or lisa.wilson@hambleton.gov.uk