A village sports facility which hopes to draw in groups and clubs from across north Cumbria is undergoing its second phase of development.

Having successfully secured £160,000 of funding to install a pitch drainage system on the Jubilee playing field in Thursby, the Thursby Sport and Recreation Committee is pressing ahead with plans to add a front porch and further storage at the rear of the existing pavilion.

In due course the committee may also look to redevelop the existing children’s park, as part of an ongoing process to improve facilities in the area.

“The application we’ve put in to improve the pavilion is the second phase of our ongoing development,” Stuart Eastwood, of the committee members, said.

“Our plans to develop the field into a first-class football pitch have been successful and now we’re on to the next stage, which is to add an extension to the existing pavilion.”

If successful, the new storage area at the rear of the existing pavilion will house equipment which will be used to maintain the new pitch.

“Under the terms of the agreement we have in place when the pitch was installed, we have to maintain it ourselves,” Mr Eastwood added.

“We’ve also applied to have the car park resurfaced as well to make sure that the whole area is looking as we want it to.

“The project itself has been supported by Sport England as well as other backers, while the parish council have also used some of their own money to fund it, too.

“They’ve raised around £6,000 through coffee mornings.

“The support we’ve had from people in the local area has been brilliant.”

Richard Johnston, of Active Cumbria, has also been involved in the development.

He said: “It’s been great to see the way in which the area is shaping up.”