Youngsters in Pool-in-Wharfedale are throwing their weight behind a £160,000 campaign to improve sports facilities in the village.

Children who play football, cricket and tennis in the village are aiming to work with a development group set up to raise money for the ambitious project.

They hope to distribute leaflets, talk to residents and petition for Redrow money to be designated to their project.

They may even help to present the bid to the Parish Council for the money.

There is £37,000 on offer from the Redrow housing company to go towards village amenities and the development group hopes that £20,000 could be allocated to the overhaul of sports facilities in Pool.

Groups submit their ideas to the Parish Council on what the Redrow money will be spent on and villagers will have a chance to vote on where the cash should go.

The development group has already prepared a bid to the Football Foundation for funding and co-ordinator Paul Challenor said he hopes that villagers will back them in their application for Redrow money.

"The village desperately needs modern changing facilities because of the size the village is getting to and also the fact that more and more girls are becoming involved.

"We also need to bring ourselves up to date with the Disability Act regulations.

"The facilities are inadequate both at senior level and junior level and the Redrow money would make a huge difference to our cause."

He added that the main point of the facilities would be to benefit the children in the village to maintain the future of sport in Pool.

He said: "We are quite hopeful that villagers will back us but I know that the children want to feel that they are doing their bit.

"They are all keen to work hard and have come up with lots of ideas of how to tell the village what is going on.

"While the new facilities will help the adults, there are so many children that use the sports facilities that it would be fantastic for them if we could get funding as soon as possible."

Mr Challenor said that if the group did not receive part of the Redrow money, it would be a blow, but it would not stop their bid.

"We would double our efforts to get money elsewhere, but I am determined that we shall make this project work, even if we have to scale down our plans slightly.

"The Recreation Ground Mana-gement Committee is extremely committed to assisting us in obtaining the facilities."

Chris Leggatt, who runs the village tennis club, said: "The facilities are much needed to complete the look of the village when visitors come.

"Last week there was a match and the visitors commented what a magnificent setting the match was in.

"The only problem was the state of the changing rooms.

"They are far from adequate so this bid will enable us to have the changing facilities to match the playing facilities we have."

The aim of the overhaul is to improve and create new riverside pitches, refurbish existing changing rooms and build a new sports pavilion.

The proposed pavilion consists of four separate changing rooms with separate showers, referee/umpire rooms and disabled access.

There are a growing number of females taking up sport in the village and the changing rooms don't facilitate that. The present accommodation is now too small, outdated and not in keeping with requirements of the various leagues in terms of offering separate facilities.