CHILDREN at a rural playgroup can benefit from a new piece of play equipment thanks to a real community effort.

Donations from the local area and money from Worcestershire county councillor Alwyn Davies’s divisional fund have allowed Broadwas Bumblebees Pre-School, near Worcester, to purchase a new climbing frame.

The £1,600 comes after the previous prized outdoor toy was stolen in May last year.

Pre-school volunteer Natasha Jones, who has two children at Bumblebees, said: “The new climbing frame means they have another piece of equipment for their outdoor play and children can learn about risk taking while in a supervised and safe environment. It also adds to their daily exercise.”

She added: “All I have heard since the last one was stolen is, ‘when is the new one coming?’ They are all really pleased and went out there for an hour when it arrived.”

The eight-foot Little Tykes frame, which had two slides, had been with the group for six years and it was taken from a secure fenced-off area in the grounds of Broadwas Primary School, where the playgroup is based.

It was the second time the group was hit by thieves in a short space of time, after thieves stole £200 raised to buy bark for the outside area from the office two months earlier.