PARENTS of children at a small Teignbridge primary school have launched a fund-raising campaign to raise £20,000 to tackle flooding in the playground.

The outside space at Hennock Community Primary School has been out of bounds since Christmas for its 60 plus children.

The garden area is swamped with water and the old surface is crumbling which leaves the children covered in black, rubber residue.

Now the school’s PTFA has started a Crowdfund bid to raise money to create a playground ‘fit for the future’.

A spokesman said: ‘With your support, we can create a playground that is fit for the future: resilient to wetter weather, kinder to the environment, richer in nature and better for children’s play, learning and wellbeing.

‘Our vision is to create a safe, inclusive, nature-rich and climate-resilient playground that supports outdoor learning, wellbeing and exploratory play all year round.

‘We want a space where children can test ideas, take safe risks, build, dig, investigate and imagine — not just “use equipment”.

‘We want to fix the drainage and turn this muddy mess into an inspiring nature-rich playground but we can’t do it without the village.

‘A thriving village needs a thriving school.

'It’s the heart of our community. By supporting this, you are protecting the investment we all have in Hennock and keeping our village a desirable, vibrant place to live.’

As well as donations, volunteers are also needed to lend a hand.

Currently the playground surface is deteriorating and messy, leaving children covered in black residue from old tyres; and parts of the area regularly flood in wet weather.

For whole of the last half-term, the area this project is focused on, which is the only green space in the playground, has been out of bounds to children due to flooding and mud.

If funds are raised, the aim is to ‘deliver practical, long-lasting improvements with a strong focus on drainage, sustainability, inclusion and nature connection.

The plans include flood resilience and drainage work to reduce standing water and keep the playground usable through wetter periods.

Permeable, sustainable surfacing using wood chip and recycled rubber mulch will improve safety, cleanliness and accessibility.

They also want to include a covered outdoor area or shelter, to help pupils access outdoor play and learning in rain, high winds or strong sun.

Other elements in the plans include ‘exploratory play features’ such as tunnels; reduce the environmental impact and create a warmer, more nature-connected play environment; planting to turn the playground into a living classroom and protect and enhance loved features such as the willow arch.

The appeal says: ‘We also want to build on what already works.

‘Our aim is to keep and protect these special natural elements, while making the wider space more usable, inclusive and resilient.

‘As a small rural school, we don’t have access to the kinds of capital budgets that would make a project like this straightforward.

‘Yet the playground is central to daily school life, improving it will benefit pupils immediately — and help strengthen the long-term resilience of our school as a vital village hub.’

Community planting and seasonal care sessions with families and local residents are also planned.

To donate go to https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/hennock