SOUDLEY and Blakeney Community Gateway project has managed to win almost £50,000 of funding from The People's Millions TV programme funded by the Big Lottery Fund, to reopen a disused footpath that links the two villages.

Broadcast on ITV's West Country News last week, the project had to go 'head to head' with another worthy cause from the region, against a project from Frome in Somerset, with the winner being decided by public votes.

Backed by Two Rivers Housing, the Soudley and Blakeney gateway project had to pitch their idea to the TV audience, and garner enough votes for their cause to win. Viewers had 15 hours in which to register their votes.

Dawn Austwick, chief executive of the Big Lottery Fund said: "This is a brilliant result for the people of Soudley and Blakeney and shows what groups can achieve when they have the support of the community behind them."

Jane Cordier, community projects co-ordinator for Two Rivers Housing who was an instigator of the bid said: "It wasn't easy – we all put in a lot of hours getting support from the whole of Gloucestershire. We were in shops, streets and train stations handing out flyers and on the radio, trying to get our project heard.

"The town we were up against, Frome, is a lot bigger than our two little villages, so we knew we had our work cut out, but in the end the hard work paid off. We would like to thank everyone who voted for us across the Forest and the whole of Gloucestershire. We could not have done it if it wasn't for the support we received."

Rose Peaty, a member of the community, and who also contributed to the effort in getting their bid to win, commented: "It's absolutely fantastic that we won the grant. We can now get the project underway.

"It will make such a difference to our two small communities, and this pathway will benefit so many people – from young school children to local business owners and ramblers. We just can't wait to get started."

The footpath between the two villages is said to have been in existence for centuries, but in recent years some sections have become impassable due to earth falls, and undergrowth becoming overgrowth. The project organisers have a year in which to make the necessary repairs to the trackway, and reopen it.