SOUTHAMPTON youngsters are celebrating an £18,000 National Lottery grant to upgrade their favourite play area.

Weston Adventure Playground, a charity based at the Kingsclere Avenue site, will use the money to design a two-storey building on stilts over a revamped playground.

Chairman John Martin said the lottery board had invited them to apply for two more grants in the future to help with the £500,000 project.

He said: "This is a big step in the right direction and everything looks very positive now we have overcome the first hurdle.

"Children from all over Weston and Woolston come here to play at what they call the Venny and it is a very popular and much-needed location in the area.

"They deserve to have this kind of facility where they can let themselves go and have fun."

Mr Martin said the current single-storey building's roof was leaking.

He said the new building would have disabled access and part of the site would be flattened to let youngsters play ball games.

"What we will do now is complete a design study of the proposed building and site works at the playground and then re-apply for more money.

"The new playground will be a covered area underneath the building which will be built on stilts on the hill.

"It is a futuristic design that fits in well with the surrounding woodland.

"Hopefully, within a year to 18 months the work will be underway."

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