Relief, excitement and gratitude have been displayed by members of a playing field committee which has received funding to benefit its village’s facilities.
Thanks to £78,000 of S106 grant funding provided by West Norfolk Council, the village of Docking will be benefitting from a complete revamp of its pavilion and tennis courts.
Work is already under way on the pavilion, which is being fitted out with new changing facilities, toilets and a new kitchen as well as a ramp ensuring it will be accessible for wheelchair users.
Members of the Docking Playing Field Committee are excited for the work to be completed, which will mean the pavilion will be available for groups to rent out.
Chairman of the committee David Meek, 75, who has lived in the village for his entire life, said that the charitable trust relies on grants and donations to ensure the area of the village remains maintained and up to date.
“Without these grants, we would really struggle,” said David.
“We have been wanting this for years so to finally get this grant is fantastic.”
He explained that the funding project was held back due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but that the pavilion should be ready to open to members of the public in August.
An additional £48,000 was awarded by West Norfolk Council to refurbish the tennis court located next to the pavilion.
This means that pupils at Docking Primary School will be able to use the space to play a number of different sports.
Members of the public who are eagerly waiting for the pavilion have been sponsoring planks of wood on the building.
David added: “We want to thank everyone for their support, we are really appreciative of it all. Our MP James Wild has also supported us.”
Nicki Smith, secretary of the playing field committee, said: “We didn’t want to start from scratch, the bones of the building were good.
“Now we have these facilities, we can do more fundraising.”
Docking playing field was given to the community in 1951 by Nancy Ripper, who has been president of the field for many years.
The pavilion is available for groups both in Docking and surrounding villages to rent out. If you are interested, get in touch with the Docking Playing Field Committee by emailing docking.playingfield@gmail.com