PLANS for major improvements to Poole Park have taken another step forward after a £20,000 donation.

A raft of detailed proposals were consulted on earlier this year as part of Borough of Poole’s £2.7m bid for Heritage Lottery Funding (HLF) for improvements for the Victorian park.

Now The Friends of Poole Park has presented the Mayor of Poole, Cllr Xena Dion, with a cheque for £20,777 as part of the match funding required to support the HLF bid.

The money has been raised from the Friends' ‘Back the Bid’ campaign which has been running over the last few years.

Chairman Michael Collins said: “It gives The Friends of Poole Park great pleasure and pride to be able to present a donation of over £20,000 to Martin Whitchurch and the HLF Bid Team.

“Many people have volunteered their time and energy to help in the ‘Back The Bid’ fundraising campaign, but I would like to make special mention of Moira Muir who did much to organise the campaign, but who very sadly passed away in late 2016."

At the end of last year Borough of Poole agreed to award the project up to £206,903 from its residual capital contingency fund. The money is part of a match funding contribution required by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Poole Mayor Cllr Dion said: “On behalf of Borough of Poole, I would like to thank The Friends of Poole Park for their generosity.

"The fantastic amount donated is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the volunteers and their supporters and helps us get that much closer to securing significant investment in one of Poole’s most popular and historic open spaces.”

Under the heritage and landscape banner the idea is “lifting” the existing spaces, with new additions including a sensory garden in the place of the existing go-kart track, and a ‘plant collector’s garden’ at the putting green site. The rose garden is also in line for a facelift.

Steps around the war memorials would be removed to make them wheelchair accessible.

Other proposals include dredging the silted areas of the freshwater lakes and using the material to widen the banks elsewhere, new planting, improved materials for walkways and barriers, refurbishing the fountain and removal of the carp from the freshwater lakes to improve bio-diversity.

Martin Whitchurch, Poole Park Life Project Manager, Borough of Poole, said: “The money will help fund new play equipment ensuring the park continues to be a place for children to enjoy themselves and have fun.

"Poole Park has a special place in many peoples’ hearts and we are really excited about the plans for its future.”

The final application is due to be submitted on Tuesday, February 28 with a decision due in July this year.