Campaigners are celebrating after the will of the people helped them to bag more funding for a major restoration project.

Saltdean Lido campaigners have been presented with a cheque for £50,000 which they won following a public vote on Monday's People's Millions competition.

The community interest company won in a head-head public vote against a Reading wildlife charity and will use the £50,000 to renovate a paddling pool which has been filled with stones for the past 17 years.

But in a word of caution, campaigners said that was still a long way to go before they had hit their top fundraising target of £10 million to renovate the entire site.

Bridget Fishleigh, one of the directors of the Saltdean Lido CIC, said: “Thank you to everyone who voted by phone and to all the volunteers who were out in the rain over the weekend and on Monday drumming up support.

“Of course, £50,000 is a fabulous amount to win and, when added to the £440,000 we recently secured from the Social Investment Bank, means that both the paddling pool and the main pool will be open next summer.”

The campaigners thanked The Argus, WASP printers in Peacehaven, and local MP Simon Kirby who backed the bid in the ITV and the Big Lottery Fund competition.