IT has been a hard-fought, three-year fund-raising battle but now Puddletown is celebrating after netting a much-needed cash boost for new sports facilities.

Work on a brand new pavilion for the village will now be able to kick off thanks to a grant of £72,000 from the Football Foundation.

The cash windfall will ensure that the village's old clubhouse, built in 1964, will be torn down to make way for a new state-of-the-art sports pavilion.

This will house two changing rooms, match officials' facilities, a clubroom and fully inclusive spectator facilities.

The aim is that the new pavilion will complement the existing football and cricket pitches to ensure the long-term future of the sports in the area.

Among the plans associated with the scheme are to use a proportion of the money to develop the village into a local centre for mini soccer and junior football.

There are even plans to host women's and girls' football and disabled games for the first time.

For those who prefer to slog it out at the crease rather than pelt up and down a football pitch, the facilities will pave the way for plenty of new activities at the village cricket club.

The community project will also aim to encourage local schools to use the sports pavilion for games lessons and after-school coaching.

Puddletown Parish Council chairman Chris Leonard said he was delighted the village had received the funding, which will enable work to start on the project in September.

"This project has had tremendous support from local people and organisations - particularly the Crossways Area Environment Association and West Dorset District Council," he said.

"But without the Football Foundation's grant we would really have struggled to raise the necessary cash."

He added: "The new pavilion will be a huge asset to our sports clubs and the wider community. We hope building will start in September."

Peter Lee, the Football Foundation's chief executive, said: "The Puddletown project is delivering much-needed community-orientated facilities and our wholehearted congratulations go to the parish council for the inclusive nature of this project."