CHILDREN donned hats at the weekend to celebrate the opening of their new play equipment. A Mad Hatters' tea party took place in Mutford, near Beccles, on Saturday (April 17) and local youngsters were invited to enjoy the new facilities secured by enterprising villagers.

CHILDREN donned hats at the weekend to celebrate the opening of their new play equipment.

A Mad Hatters' tea party took place in Mutford, near Beccles, on Saturday (April 17) and local youngsters were invited to enjoy the new facilities secured by enterprising villagers.

Heather Gammon and Peter Bush, who both live in the village, spearheaded the project to replace an aging playground at the back of the village hall in Mill Road.

The project has cost �25,000 and funds from various grants have been painstakingly acquired by Mrs Gammon.

Mr Bush, who is vice-chairman of the village hall committee, and Mrs Gammon, a mother-of-two, decided to spruce up the play area which was made from telegraph poles in the seventies.

They formed a committee in November 2008, which also included villagers Marie Blowers and Kerstin Ward, and began talking to local children to gauge what sort of equipment they would like.

In July last year they held a fete at the village hall to gain more feedback, and then held a Halloween party a few months later where children could pick from a selection of play equipment.

Mrs Gammon said the new facilities were bringing children and families together from across the area.

She said that her two young girls, Georgina, six, and Isabelle, four, enjoy using the new play equipment which includes swings, a sea horse see-saw and a motorbike springer.

'We had estimated we would get 200 children here a month, but every time we come down within an hour I see 12 to 15 children, which is a lot more,' said Mrs Gammon.

Grants for the play equipment came from Awards For All, Maureen Townsend Legacy, Adnams Charity, Suffolk Foundation, Geoffrey Watling Charity, Waveney District Council and Suffolk Environmental Trust. Third party funding came from the district council and local councillor David Ritchie.