THE Lottery Awards for All programme has delivered early Christmas lolly to Forest projects ranging from £5,000 for Ruardean Hill Play Area to a humble £550 for a time capsule for Parkend.

A delighted Ann Kent, secretary of Parkend Residents' Society, said the award would allow them to pay the bills for the time capsule which has already been installed in a corner of the village playing field.

"It is under a cairn of Forest stone with a plaque which was unveiled by our eldest couple, Mr and Mrs Harry Hook, on November 5 – a pretty wet and miserable day as it turned out," she said.

"We decided to make it all about Parkend, rather than general millennium material. In it are photos of the village, one of the millennium mugs which went to all the schoolchildren, and letterheads of all the businesses in the area.

"And there's a letter from today's residents to whoever opens it up – it is designed to be unsealed in 100 years."

Ruardean Hill's £5,000 award will pay for safe surfacing in the children's play area.

Other organisations to benefit from an early Christmas present are: Forest of Dean Childminding Association – £1,885 for training equipment and courses; Forest of Dean Athletic Club – £3,333 for equipment, coaching and first aid equipment; Bright Horizons pre-school group – £1,887 for equipment; Bale Appeal Memorial Fund – £4,906 to provide a safe play area; Drybrook Community Centre – £5,000 to increase leisure and sports facilities.

The Awards for All scheme is still running and organisers are calling for more applications, particularly from projects which celebrate local history and heritage.

"To get an application form all you have to do is ring 0845 600 2040," said spokesman Kate Slater.