A PRESTWICH primary school has won a public vote to receive a community fund.

St Mary’s Primary School, in Rectory Lane, has been awarded a share of the Parklife Community Fund, set up by the organisers of the Parklife music festival, held annually in Heaton Park.

The school has received £1,000 which will go towards developing an outdoor classroom and redeveloping the school’s outdoor space for pupils to enjoy.

Claire Almond, from the school’s board of governors, said: “We are absolutely delighted and thrilled to bits to have been awarded the funding.

“It really means a lot to the school, we can now start and go ahead with the outdoor school room plans.

“The children, who have been involved in the designs from day one are so pleased.”

Mrs Almond, who also has two children at the school, said the new outdoor area will enhance pupil’s creativity and integration.

The school’s plans include a mud kitchen, bug hotel, bird feeding station, mark making learning resources, moveable stumps for seating and climbing, log piles to be used as natural habitat piles and a den area.

A special meeting was held on Monday at the Longfield Suite in Prestwich, where 14 organisations, including St Mary’s, gave a three-minute pitch for why they should receive the cash.

Prestwich residents at the meeting voted for which project they thought would benefit the community, and the top five or six applicants will receive the funding.

Mrs Almond added: "We would like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to those who voted for St Mary’s.

"The level of support from members of St Mary’s Church, parents, and the community was overwhelming."

The Parklife Community Fund was set up by event organisers and is made up of a small percentage of ticket sales from the 2016 event.

Ben Turner, community impact manager at Parklife, said: "Parklife is delighted that local groups and residents are benefitting from the community fund.

"It’s a great example of how working in partnership can bring real benefit to local neighbourhoods.

"The community fund is a long-term commitment from Parklife and the fund will be available annually in addition to other charitable donations made by the event to the Super Josh Brain Tumour Charity."