Children in Barford St Martin came out in force to celebrate as a long-awaited playground moved a step closer to becoming a reality. 

The Barford St Martin Community Fund committee was set up earlier this year to raise funds for much-needed village amenities such as the playground. Just over £60,000 needs to be raised for the installation of the playground. 

Recently, the Nicholson Trust approved a grant of £11,900 to fund a three-bay swing, which has basket swings, flat swings and cradle swings. 

A number of other funding organisations and charities have also stepped in to help the project and awarded grants for the playground including Wiltshire Council's South West Area Board who awarded £5,000.

Morag Walker, the chairperson of the Barford Community Fund said: "We are thrilled with the generosity of grant-giving organisations so far, but we still need to raise a further small pot of money to ensure that we can install the playground this year.

"We are now on a drive to organise exciting events and activities that visitors and residents can all enjoy in order to raise further funds for the playground. This will include an action-packed fete during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations on June 4."
Another event happening on Saturday, May 14 is the Barford Brocante. The event is a tabletop sale held in the residents gardens across the village.

Visitors will be able to buy bric-a-brac, vintage wares, pre-loved clothes, toys, plants, cakes, and much more besides. 

Visitors can park in the Barford Inn car park (SP3 4AB) and pick up a map to find their way to the gardens of those residents participating in the tabletop sale. The sale will start at 10am and run until 1pm.

The following day on Sunday May 15, Peter Thompson, a well-known local wildlife expert, will be running an early morning 'Walk on the Wild Side'  which will focus on the wild birds on farmland surrounding Grovely Wood.

The stroll will help participants match the song to the many birds in the area.

It starts promptly at 7.30am from the car park at the Barford Inn. The event will end with a bacon roll and coffee plus an opportunity to quiz Peter on anything to do with local wildlife.

To book a place on the walk and for further information on the Barford Brocante, email Stephanie on stephanie.stephanian@hotmail.co.uk 

 

Get more Salisbury news. 

You can also like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date, as well as signing up for one of our newsletters.

If you want online news with fewer ads, unlimited access and reader rewards - plus a chance to support our local journalism - find out more about registering or a digital subscription.

Email newsdesk@salisburyjournal.co.uk with your comments, pictures, letters and news stories.