A GROUNDBREAKING ceremony has been held to mark the start of work to revamp a community’s park.

The Memorial Park at South Moor, near Stanley, is getting a major facelift that will see the creation of a picnic area, a multi-use games area and a skate park.

There will also be new wildlife habitats to support the area’s flora and fauna and improvements to the area’s footpaths so that the park will be more accessible to as many people as possible.

The park, which is a valuable local heritage site, is the focus of a long running project aiming to benefit the whole community of South Moor.

The project is being led by the South Moor Partnership and is being facilitated by Groundwork North East and supported by Durham County Council.

Paul Irwin, outdoor facilities manager at Durham County Council said: "This is exactly the sort of scheme we are particularly keen to support.

"It’s a fantastic example of how agencies and community groups can achieve great things by working together.

"I am sure everyone will thoroughly enjoy the new look park when it is completed."

The scheme has received funding from Durham County Council and has also received grants from the Big Lottery Fund through the Community Spaces Programme which is administered by Groundwork UK and County Durham Environmental Trust (CDENT)under the Government’s Landfill Communities Fund.

Darren McMahon, of the South Moor Partnership, said: "We are very pleased to see this project start, it has taken us several years of hard work to reach this point and we are looking forward to seeing it finished for the local community to enjoy."

John Wearmouth, chairman of CDENT said: "Members of the South Moor Partnership are to be congratulated on their vision and persistence in bringing this scheme to the point where work on the ground can now begin."