AN adventure sports firm based at a York village is upcycling old equipment to help underprivileged children in India.

Rat Race, of Shipton-by-Beningbrough, is taking left-over equipment from an event and is transforming it into a new playground.

In 2016, the company hosted an event in Brisbane, Australia, and was left with £25,000 worth of gear, which has been held in shipping containers ever since.

Rather than transporting it back to Britain, Rat Race founder, Jim Mee, decided to ship the equipment - including cargo nets, tyres and scaffolding - to Malur, in Karnataka Province in India.

The company has now teamed up with UK-based plant, tools and equipment hire firm GAP Group, which helps Rat Race set up its events and is making a financial contribution to the project.

Playground Ideas, an Australian charity, which aims to improve children’s lives through play, is also involved. It has built 39 playgrounds in India already this year.

Staff from Rat Race, GAP and Playground Ideas are going to India in October to build the play area, which incorporates a jungle gym with tunnels, bridges, zip-wires and a climbing wall.

Even the shipping container, which left Brisbane in July, will be put to good use, forming the centrepiece of the play park.

Jim Mee, said: “It seemed a waste to scrap this gear and dispose of it in an un-environmentally sound way, so we set to work finding a new use for it.”

Rat Race and GAP are now hoping to find an extra £5,000 investment from well-wishers.

Jim said: “In order for it to really deliver the wow factor, there are a few special additions we wish to make. We would like to purchase a zip wire, some special climbing holds, a safety net for a bailey bridge, aluminium poles for a fireman’s pole descent and other unique items.”

To donate visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/project-playground/