FORTH Valley Sensory Centre will be able to completely refurbish and rebuild its garden following a £12,000 funding win through the Tesco Bags of Help initiative.

The scheme sees community groups and projects in each region awarded grants of £12,000, £10,000 and £8,000 – all raised from the 5p bag charge. Greenspace Scotland is working with Groundwork and Tesco to support Scottish communities.

Customers voted in Tesco stores across Falkirk for their favourite project with the sensory garden scooping the top funding award.

The result will mean it gets a complete overhaul with new attractions, seating and a memorial for centre users who have passed away.

The garden will remain open to the general public so it can be enjoyed by the wider community.

Lynne Frail, fundraising coordinator at Forth Valley Sensory Centre said: “We can’t thank the people who voted for us enough. This will make a massive difference to a great public space and mean that after 10 years, the sensory garden is given a much-needed makeover.

“We will be consulting with our centre users and others to make sure all the changes maximise accessibility and at the same time, deliver the best value for money.

“Included in the plan will be a memorial space for centre users who are no longer with us. We want the garden to be a place where children can play but also a space where people can enjoy quiet reflection if needed.”

Votes were cast between October 31 and November 13. Grants were awarded based on the total number of votes provided. It is anticipated work will begin on the Sensory Garden in early 2017 and it will be fully reopened by the early summer.

Tony McElroy, Tesco’s head of communications in Scotland, said: “Bags of Help has been a fantastic success. We have been overwhelmed by the response of our customers and it’s been great to give people a say on how the money will be spent in their community.

“We can’t wait to see the projects come to life.”