A pre-school that wants to encourage children to play outside and become green-fingered is the latest organisation to enter the Evening Post's Building Healthy Comm- unities competition.

St Nicholas pre-school is run from the St Nicholas church hall in Church Road, Whitchurch.

A registered charity, it caters for 120 children, aged nine months to four years, every day of the week.

Until recently the children and teachers had to use an outside toilet. But after a huge fundraising effort and lots of hard work the facilities have been moved inside.

Now the pre-school is hoping to have its small garden revamped to give the children somewhere nice to play.

Lisa Tait, 38, is the school's administration secretary and also mum of eight-year-old Abigail and three-year-old Jack – who is in the first year of the pre-school.

Mrs Tait, of Badger's Holt, Whitchurch, said: "Major building work was done over Christmas, but it has left our small outside play area in need of refurbishment.

"It is a small garden and wasn't very good anyway.

"It is quite enclosed and only gets a little sunlight, and when it gets wet the children can't go outside.

"With the building work they had to dig half of it up to lay sewage pipes. It is now half garden and half mud.

"What we would like is to lay artificial turf in the garden so no matter what time of year it is the children can go out and get some fresh air."

Mrs Tait said the garden makeover would also give them a chance to get youngsters involved in gardening and growing their own vegetables.

She said: "A couple of weeks ago the children were studying Jack And The Beanstalk and every child grew a bean.

"We would like a vegetable garden so that we can carry that on.

"They also went to the garden centre the other week and brought back a vegetable plant each. We would like to be able to plant them so the children can see them grow.

"If you grow something you are more inclined to remember what it is, and it is fun to eat a vegetable you have grown yourself.

"A vegetable garden would encourage youngsters to be aware of where their fruit and vegetables come from."

"The staff have also given up so much time for the pre- school, and they would really deserve this after all their hard work."

The Evening Post's Building Healthy Communities competition, sponsored by Leadbitter, gives community groups and schools the chance to win a share of £16,000 for improvements.

Leadbitter regional director Rob Bradley said: "It is so important for children to be able to play outside in a safe environment, but also to learn about the world around them and how things work.

"This new outdoor play area and vegetable garden combines both of those things, and will be a wonderful facility for youngsters at St Nicholas pre-school.

"We wish them the best of luck with their entry."

The competition is being run in two stages.

The first, which runs until August, will be for everyone from community groups to sports clubs, while the second, running in January next year, will be for schools of all ages.

There are three prizes for each of the two competitions, worth £5,000, £2,000 and £1,000.

The project must involve activities promoting healthy living and any building work must be able to be carried out in one day.

The deadline for entries is May 31.