An ambitious project to renew the play area in a public park is ready to go after a big boost from a local travel agent.

The Friends of The Erme Primary School have received a £5,000 donation from the Hays Travel Foundation. The cash means the friends now have enough to start work as soon as a contractor can be found.

The tarmac area in Victoria Park, Ivybridge is in a poor state of repair, bad news for children from the primary who rely on it as a vital outdoor area for sport and play. The area in the town council-owned park is also open to the public.

The plan is to provide new hard and safety surfaces covering at least 240sq meters, play markings, robust, accessible and stimulating play equipment, and goals for football, netball and basketball.

Friends chairman Kay Winstone said the new area would enable children to play at all times of the year, in most weather conditions, and allow for organised and casual play. Thanks to Hays Travel, the group is now reviewing quotes and looking to schedule the works as soon as possible.

Mrs Winstone said: "We are so excited with such a large donation from Hays Travel and are pushing hard to allow works to start soon. We cannot thank them enough.”

The group was originally told it would have to raise £26,000 for the work, although getting rid of some planned fencing from the scheme brought the cost down. It has spent more than a year fundraising hard for the project, running events including a Mini Strictly dance competition, and seeking funding from sources including Tesco and Aviva.