A PLAYGROUND in a Ribble Valley backwater is to receive a £46,000 facelift thanks to a Lotto windfall.

The play area at Dunsop Bridge is among dozens of projects in the North West to receive a slice of £4million from the National Lottery's Community Fund.

The cash will be used to refurbish the village's Jubilee Play Area, described by village spokesman Kim Schutes as completely inadequate, and install new top-of-the-range equipment.

The spokesman added: "We are thrilled to have been awarded this generous grant and the Hodder Valley will benefit greatly from this fund as the current facilities are totally inadequate."

The Community Fund dishes out Lotto cash to community groups and projects aimed at easing isolation and loneliness.

The fund's regional chairman, Maureen Williams, congratulated the organisers of the Jubilee Play Area for their verve in getting the project off the ground.

"All of the groups and areas that are benefiting from Community Fund fall into our priority guidelines. The work that these project organisers are doing will help ease isolation and loneliness among the disadvantaged, and contribute to greater community involvement.

"We fund urban and rural projects, household name charities and tiny community groups. The grants we have awarded in the North West today reflect our policy of targeting resources to those most in need," she said.

Groups and project organisers wanting to know more about Community Fund grants are asked to ring 0845 7919191 for an application pack.