Construction firm Tarmac has awarded a £50,000 grant to help transform a village green space in the Village of Furness Vale in the Peak District, Derbyshire.

Furness Community Organising Green Spaces (COGS) has been awarded £50,000 from the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund, enabling the charity to achieve its fundraising goal of £200,000 to build a new community pavilion on the village field. Other funders include High Peak Borough Council, Derbyshire County Council, the Football Foundation, Whaley Bridge Town Council and a local resident.

Terry Watson, chair of Furness COGS said: "We are delighted that we're now in a position to provide this facility for our village.   We're very grateful to all our funders and so pleased that Tarmac have stepped in with the final piece of the jigsaw to allow us to begin work."

-- Advertisement --

Work is due to start on the pavilion in July. It will include two changing rooms, disabled access, a community meeting space, toilets and showers, a small kitchen, and space to store sports and other equipment. The original £150,000 raised will cover the cost of building the shell of the pavilion; the final £50,000 from Tarmac will enable the interior fitting out.

David Wilson, Tarmac's Lime Business Development manager added: "It's great that Tarmac has been able to make a donation to complete the fundraising campaign. We look forward to seeing the project progress and the final pavilion once it is open.

"The field and pavilion projects have been the result of much hard work from Furness COGS and the whole community – coming together to enhance the village and give local people their own much needed usable green space to use on their doorstep."

The facility will be open to the whole community and will be used by a range of groups including art, nature and sports clubs.

The pavilion project is the second phase of the green spaces project. The first phase involved raising £180,000 to level, drain and landscape the field which had been gifted to the village by a philanthropic local family. In addition, a football surface, perimeter paths, flower beds, picnic tables and a table tennis table were installed.