Garden is a Lottery winner

TIM FLETCHER

A SENSORY garden project at a village primary school has emerged triumphant in its bid for National Lottery cash.

The garden at Hilton Primary School saw off the challenge of another South Derbyshire project - the Community Against Recession (CAR) scheme at the Old Post Centre, in High Street, Newhall.

Both ventures were competing for votes as part of the People's Millions scheme, which allows the public to vote for the projects they think are most deserving of the cash.

The school's head teacher, James Hilton, said the £39,940 cash would allow the sensory garden - for the use of students and the community - to be completed within 12 months.

He said: "Obviously we're delighted and hugely grateful to everybody who telephoned in and gave us their support. The lottery money will enable us to expand the project and speed it on its way to completion.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to really create something special in the community - something which will benefit not only the children in the school but the whole community of Hilton.

"We have had fantastic support, from businesses like Toyota and JCB to our parents, who have been going out encouraging people to vote for us. We were up against very tough competition and our commiserations go to the Old Post Centre project."

The Newhall-based community centre, based in a converted former pub, had hoped to win £33,280 to provide extra services for people suffering debt and unemployment, young people and the elderly, but financial director David Mansfield said he was being 'gracious in defeat'.

He said: "We're disappointed but we felt that we did everything that we could and at the end of the day at least one project in South Derbyshire has won through.

"The most important thing to say is this won't affect the running of the centre at all as the money we were bidding for was for additional projects."

A glimmer of hope remains for the centre, as the runner-up from four projects in the Central Television area with most votes will also get its grant. The top runner-up was due to be announced today.