The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Big Lottery Fund (BIG) has announced that 11 UK parks are to receive a share of £19m towards restoration and refurbishment schemes.

More than £11m worth of confirmed funding has been allocated to seven parks by the HLF, while £7.8m of joint HLF/BIG funding has been awarded to a further four locations.

Bentley Park in Doncaster (HLF) and Worth Park in Crawley (HLF/BIG) received a £2.4m grant, which was the largest share of the latest funding announcement.

Meanwhile, Manchester's Alexandra Park has been awarded a joint £2.2m grant for a major revamp of the Victorian amenity, which will include the restoration of historic features.

Other confirmed HLF grant recipients included Forty Hill Park, London (£1.7m); Cyfarthfa Park in Merthyr Tydfil (£1.96m); and Grosvenor Park in Chester (£2.3m).

Wolverhampton's East Park (£981,900); Pettencrieff Park in Fife (£708,900); and Haddo Country Park near Aberdeen (£1.075m) also received grants from the HLF.

The remaining joint HLF/BIG funding recipients were The Level in Brighton (£2.2m) and West Park in Goole (£996,200).

HLF chief executive Carole Souter said: "Our parks are invaluable to people's well being and an integral part of local communities."

Image: Forty Hill Park, London - David Tothill

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