The £50,000 project, including play equipment installed by Nottingham-based specialist firm Proludic, forms part of Breckland Council’s successful bid to the Big Lottery Fund.

An official opening ceremony will be held at the recreation ground on Wednesday, August 20, at 3pm, when Town Mayor Shirley Matthews will do the honours.

Swaffham Town Council had to compete with other projects to be included in the scheme, and the recreation ground committee has been working hard behind the scenes to ensure the play area went ahead. The town council put in £5,000 and received £45,000 from the Big Lottery.

Thanking Breckland for its advice and support, the Mayor said: “Swaffham is so lucky to have such a dedicated team of volunteers working on the recreation ground project, guided so enthusiastically by the deputy town clerk.

“Our children are our future and it is important that we stimulate their development through play. The rec is such a special place where they can have fun and feel that this is their part of the town.”

Project lead officer and deputy town clerk Michelle Meyrick, who put together the Swaffham section of the grant application, said: “This new play area is a real boost for Swaffham and especially for the young children in the town.

“The two to eight age range is now well catered for and this is another giant step forward to bring better facilities to the rec.

“The committee has worked very hard and it is good to see their efforts come to fruition. It is just fantastic – I can’t wait to see it all in use and hope that parents will come along with their children to the opening on August 20.”

Committee chairman and former mayor Jerome Stockdale said there were many good young people in the town who deserved the best playing facilities. “This is just part of what we are trying to do to bring the rec up to date,” he said.

The Friends of the Recreation Ground will be organising refreshments and goody bags for children at the opening ceremony. Friends’ secretary Anne Greaves said: “To see all the smiling faces of the little ones will make everything worthwhile.”