A VILLAGE action group is applying for charitable status to enable it to attract grants to upgrade a children's playground.

Residents set up Cowpe Action Group Rural Play when Rossendale Council threatened to close the local park.

One of the founder members, landlady of The Buck Inn, Doreen Williams said: "The aim of our group is to keep Cowpe Park and to develop it with more play equipment for children."

The group took part in Rossendale Carnival when 30 children dressed in rural green and brown colours and have held fund-raising events including a children's sponsored run round the park.

Council plans to close it have now been scrapped, but the group needs funding in order to secure the play area and make it a dog-free zone.

Doreen said: "We held a tombola at the Mayor of Rossendale's fun day and another at the carnival and we are hoping to do the same at Rossendale Valley Motorbike Show.

"We have so far raised more than £3,000 and once we get charitable status we will be applying to other funding bodies to try to get the money we need."

Already local underlay manufacturer Duralay in Haslingden has offered to provide a safe surface for two new sets of swings which Doreen said the council and the action group had agreed to fund.

The group meets at least once a month and anyone interested in joining can contact Doreen at The Buck.