Seven years of all work and no play for a village is to soon come to an end, as a new playground project reaches completion.

Eastern Daily Press: How Earsham playground currently looks. Picture: Rachael GuntonHow Earsham playground currently looks. Picture: Rachael Gunton (Image: Rachael Gunton)

For almost a decade, the Earsham Play Field Committee has been fundraising to breathe new life into the village's dilapidated play area.

Now, with the boost of a £41,700 grant, their vision is becoming a reality, as they look to complete their ambitious project.

A zip wire, a spider net and sets of swings are among the new pieces of equipment to be added to the land, off The Street in Earsham, which is the result of seven years of fundraising and campaigning.

Rachael Gunton, chairman of Earsham Playing Field Committee said: 'This project will provide a real boost to the people of Earsham.

'At the moment people go to parks outside of the village, but this will give us a nice meeting place of our own, where children can go and play after school or in the holidays.'

The new project will also see a log frame, slides and a band stand added to the area, which Mrs Gunton said is currently in a sorry state.

She added: 'As a mother of three it will be such a sense of achievement for me and my husband to see the project completed. It will also be nice for our children to be able to go there and say 'my mum and dad helped to do that'.'

The grant has come from funding body WREN, as part of its FCC Community Action Fund.

Ben Walker, WREN grant manager, said: 'We're delighted to be supporting the project and pleased our funding will provide such a fantastic facility for children and young families. We're always happy to consider grant applications for projects that make a difference to local communities and we're looking forward to seeing it take shape.'

Work on the project is scheduled to start on June 12, and it is hoped the park will be completed exactly a month later.

Mrs Gunton added: 'We are delighted we can now give the children of Earsham and surrounding areas a fantastic play park that families will all love and enjoy for years to come.'

Alongside the grant, much of the funds were raised at annual yard sales in the village, with this year's event still scheduled to take place on August 12. However, this year, funds will instead go towards future maintenance of the park.