TEENAGE volunteers have given a playground a fresh lick of paint as part of their National Citizen Service.

The group, aged 16 and 17, were assisted by Magna Housing who were quick to provide the paint, brushes and three pairs of helping hands.

Plottingham playground, in Bridport, received the makeover as part of the teenagers’ two week NCS course that combines team-building, residential trips and a week of volunteering.

Gabe Allen, one of the volunteers, led the decision to improve the playground at Plottingham Field. He said: “I’ve lived in Bridport all of my life and I’ve seen this park deteriorate in recent years.

“I wanted to do something about it and thought it would be great for us to repaint the equipment and make it feel welcoming again.

“There are lots of families in this area and I hope the much-needed improvements encourage more people to use the playground.”

Gabe added: “Volunteering is an amazing thing to do to help communities, whether it’s the community you live in or not. I’ve found it really rewarding and encourage everyone to do it. Thank you to NCS, Bridport Town Council and Magna Housing for helping us to achieve this.”

Simon Rigby, Perry Harrison and Darren Pilkington from Magna Housing provided support over the two days it took to complete the revamp.

Simon, a painter and decorator at Magna, said: “It’s been great working with these young adults this week.

Their energy and enthusiasm to improve the playground is great to see. We’ve taught them some basic painting skills, including how to prep properly before you start painting, and given some tips on best ways to clean up paint brushes afterwards too.

“We’ve seen some great work and there’s potential for some promising painters and decorators in the making!”

Llywelyn Rendall Davies, Assistant Team Leader at NCS, said: “Many people have shared their excitement of it being refreshed and have said they’re looking forward to bringing their children or grandchildren to the playground next time. It was great to hear and has given the group a real sense of pride in what they’ve done for the community.”