CUSTODIANS of Cradley’s Homer Hill Park are celebrating after securing a £10,000 grant to expand a play area.

The Friends of the Park successfully applied to the National Lottery’s Awards for All for funding to buy a toddler express train and a sputnik roundabout.

The play equipment will boost the area created a couple of years ago on the former bowling green which was not used.

Friends’ secretary Val Bloomer said: “There are not many flat areas in the park and this was ideal, especially as it was close to the two primary schools.”

Families dropping off and collecting children from St Peter’s and Colley Lane frequently stop off at the play area, located close to the Slade Road entrance.

Mrs Bloomer said: “Awards for All is great for small groups - we got funding from them to start it off with swings and a see-saw and the council put some equipment in too.”

The friends’ group have also netted a £5,000 grant from Dudley Council’s Cradley and Wollescote community forum to install a ramp so disabled children can access specialist play equipment.

“There is a flight of steps from the entrance at the top of Homer Hill Road down to the older children’s play area,” said Mrs Bloomer, adding: “The play equipment for disabled children is close by and although there’s a grass bank next to the steps, you can’t even get a pushchair down it when it’s wet.”

The ramp will either be built close to the steps or replace the steps.

Mrs Bloomer said the park is short of paths and friends’ chairman Councillor Richard Body is continuing to lobby the council to create some.

It is hoped the ramp will be installed as soon as possible and that the play equipment will be ready to use by the summer holidays.