Victory staff, local police and the community turned out to welcome the new equipment at Tower Mill in Necton. Front: Kian, 10, and Willow, 9.

A village green is buzzing with activity following a £20,000 upgrade that has brought the whole community together.

Housing association Victory Homes has transformed the green space at Tower Mill in Necton with two picnic tables including one with wheelchair access, a football goal and a table tennis table.

Eight solar lights, an extra bin and new fencing have also been installed to make the area cleaner and safer.

Dozens of families were joined by two police officers and a team from Victory’s sister organisation Flagship Services to test out the new equipment. Both Victory and Flagship Services are part of not-for-profit housing provider Bromford Flagship.

Joe McNeill, Victory’s 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.

“I’m really glad we’ve managed to achieve this before the start of the summer holidays.”

Victory’s neighbourhood operations manager Joe McNeill at Tower Mill in Necton.

Mr McNeill said the equipment was for everyone in the village to use, not just Tower Mill residents.

Including materials, installation costs, and labour, Mr McNeill said the project was worth around £20,000. It was made possible thanks to Travis Perkins, a major Flagship supplier.

The 73-home development is off Brown’s Lane in the village, between Dereham and Swaffham, and was opened in February last year.

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.”

Jonathan Hannaby, Travis Perkins account manager, said: "Delivering meaningful social value is a cornerstone of our partnerships at Travis Perkins Managed Services, and our collaboration with Flagship on the Tower Mill village green perfectly exemplifies this commitment.

“It has been fantastic to help transform the green into a vibrant hub for the Necton community, and we are delighted that this project has created a wonderful space for local families. Supporting the community in this way is central to our mission and a source of great pride for our team. Well done to everyone involved."