Flagship staff, local police and the community welcoming the new equipment last year at Tower Mill in Necton. Front: Kian, 10, and Willow, 9.

After customers at Tower Mill in Necton told us there wasn’t enough outdoor for space for older children, last summer we worked with local police and Travis Perkins to improve the village green.

The play area was mainly for younger children, leaving older children with few places to play, meet friends or stay active.  Together, we secured £20,000 for the project, including £10,000 from Travis Perkins. 

The new space included a football goal, table tennis table, accessible picnic benches, solar lighting, fencing and extra bins. The work was completed before the summer holidays so families could start enjoying it straight away.

The village green is now a popular community space used by people of all ages. Children have a safe place to play, families can spend time together, and residents feel more proud of where they live. 

Joe McNeill, Neighbourhood Operations Manager, said the green was now looking better than ever.

He said: “We already had a playground installed, but there wasn’t much for the older children. It’s turned out brilliantly and really brought the green space to life. It’s helped make it a fantastic place for ball games, for picnics, and for families to come together and enjoy."

Tower Mill local Willow, nine, gave the improvements the thumbs up. She said: “It’s been a massive upgrade. The goals are lovely and I love the benches and everything.”

Willow’s mum, Paige Bate, added: “Before we just had the play park for the little ones, but now they’ve given us more variety of things for the kids to do. They’ve really catered for all ages now. It’s a nice little community to live in.”

The project shows how listening to customers and working with partners can help create stronger, more connected communities.