Campaigners are nearing a victory in their bid to transform an ailing park in Chesham – but footballers say the adjacent playing fields are “an embarrassment”.

In two years, the Botley Playing Fields Association (BPFA) has raised £57,000 of their £62,000 target to upgrade playground equipment at the council recreation ground.

The current playground, which is over 40 years old, has already begun to be removed and BPFA say they hope to have new equipment installed by spring 2016.

Jacqui Rice, Chair of Botley Playing Fields Association, said: “Most of the playground was deemed unsafe or unfit for purpose, so a group of us decided to get together to do something about it.

“We have done lots of fund raising, the community have been really generous and the result will be a playground for the community to use to make Chesham a better place to live.”

While the association is celebrating a victory at the playground, former Chesham United youth team coach Mark Pegg raised the issue of the poor standard of the park’s pitches to Chesham Town Council this month.

Dr Pegg said: “The facilities are poor, they have declined over the years and now are not much good for anything let alone sport.

“At the moment the football pitches are an embarrassment. There are three playing fields in the area and none of them are in good shape.

“When we are on tour we see communities much smaller than Chesham with much better facilities – it is disappointing.

“We have to do something. The pitches do not meet any standards. They are impossible to play on between December and February which is a large part of the football season.

“It is a long term plan. The council are under tremendous financial stress.”

The council has matched funded £20,000 towards the playground project, with the Paradigm Foundation giving £10,000 and Awards for All £9,754, alongside a number of other large donations.

Town Mayor Peter Hudson acknowledged the problem and said the council will have a better idea of whether or not they can support the project when their budget is outlined in January.

Cllr Hudson said: “I know there is a need for an Astroturf in the Chesham area and we would love to bring the pitches up to standard.”