Picnic area perfected thanks to Bags of Help funding

Summerhill Country Park and Visitors Centre was awarded the top grant funding amount of £4,000 from Tesco’s Bags of Help community grant scheme, which funds projects that bring benefits to local communities.

The new area at Summerhill

The grant money has funded a 50 metres squared viewing platform, picnic table, fresh water plants and a sculpture located on an island at the pond to the western edge of the site.

Claire McDonald, Hartlepool Borough Councils’ Outreach Officer (Summerhill) said: “We’d like to thank Tesco and everyone who voted for us in local Tesco stores for enabling us to complete this fantastic project.

Sculpture in the centre of the pond

“Special thanks must also go to Hartlepool Borough Council’s Assistant Countryside Officer Dave Jackson and the full team of Summerhill and Countryside Volunteers – without their hard work over the past few months, this area could not have been transformed the way it has.

“We do hope that local families will come along and see the area for themselves to enjoy a picnic, play and spend quality time together here.”

Bags of Help is run in partnership with environmental charity Groundwork, and sees grants raised from the sale of carrier bags awarded to thousands of local community projects every year. Since launching in 2015, it’s provided more than £52 million to over 16,000 local community projects.

Funding is available to community groups and charities looking to fund local projects that bring benefits to communities. Anyone can nominate a project and organisations can apply online. To find out more visit www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp.

For more information about Summerhill Country Park and Visitors Centre, call 01429 284584.