The project aims to restore the park to its former glory as a First World War memorial park and be one of the district’s finest assets.

Development funding of £117,000 has been awarded to help Wyndham Park Forum and SKDC progress their plans to apply for a full grant at a later date to earn total funding of £875,900.

The grant will enable both the forum and council to investigate the park’s heritage and decide which features and buildings could be refurbished if the second round application funding is awarded.

This will include consultation events, recruiting new staff, including volunteers, to work with the community on what changes they want, complete building surveys and prepare the technical documents for the 2015 application.

SKDC’s portfolio holder for leisure, arts and culture Cllr Bob Adams said: “This is fantastic news for Wyndham Park, Grantham and South Kesteven. The park already has green flag status but in time if the second application is successful we hope to make it among in the best parks in the region. This success in securing the HLF development grant represents a giant and exciting step towards refurbishment of buildings and facilities. Timely too, in that the park was built in memory of local people who fought during the First World War. We thank the members of the forum for their hard work in securing the first round of funding and look forward to working with them again to prepare for the second application.”

Explaining the importance of the HLF/BIG support, Vanessa Harbar, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund East Midlands, said: “Eighteen years of Lottery investment in our public parks has enabled green spaces across the UK to continue to be wonderful open spaces for local communities. This investment will help restore Wyndham Park and ensure its important memorial status is understood by future generations.”

Note to editors

• * Initial support means the project meets our criteria for funding and we believe it has potential to deliver high-quality benefits and value for Lottery money. The application was in competition with other supportable projects, so the decision is an endorsement of outline proposals. Having been awarded a first-round pass, the project now has up to two years to submit fully developed proposals to compete for a firm award.

• The Parks for People programme uses Lottery funds to support the regeneration, conservation and increased enjoyment of public parks. The programme aims to improve the local environment and put parks firmly back at the heart of community life.

Further Information

For media enquiries email the SKDC communications team at pr@southkesteven.gov.uk, phone 01476 406 498 or 406 440.