A COMMUNITY appeal to create a skate park in Swanage has won a cash boost totalling £25,000.

The Y-Axis Skategroup has landed a grant from the government's Living Spaces scheme which supports projects in open spaces.

The money will provide six more pieces of equipment at the skate park, launched last summer at King George's Field off Victoria Avenue.

Organisers hope to have a mini half pipe installed in time for the summer holidays.

Fund-raisers have had to wait months to hear the result of their grant application. In the meantime support for their efforts has come from a wide variety of sources.

Swanage Middle School pupil Connor Parker, 10, helped raise £68 by doing a sponsored skate - skating non-stop for an hour.

He said: "I like doing sponsors and I thought I would do one for the skatepark. It's good but it would be better if there were more ramps."

Lorna Haines who raised £5,000 for the appeal by running the London marathon last year thanked everyone for their support.

She said: "It's so exciting - it will allow a lot more equipment quicker than we anticipated."

She also says thanks to everyone who supported a fund-raising trip to Ringwood Brewery which raised £163 towards the appeal.

Living Spaces is a £30million government grant scheme which is allows community groups across England to improve and create a whole range of spaces, from play areas, local parks to city farms, ponds and village greens.