IMPRESSIVE ticket sales and a community grant enabled a South Lakeland amateur dramatics group to invest thousands of pounds in new lighting.

Ambleside Players secured £750 from the Lakes Neighbourhood Forum and put the funds towards the cost of six new lamps, along with profits made from past productions.

Member Paul Shingler, who was behind the successful grant bid, said the total cost came to just under £ 6,000.

"A couple of years ago we were almost on our uppers, and had no base.

Since then we have been settled at the Kelsick Centre, in Ambleside, and put on two plays a year.

We expect to sell out every night and that's pushing 400 seats each performance.

We are now making a profit."

He said: "The lighting we were using has been travelling with us for 30 years and was getting a bit long in the tooth and was not really strong enough - we had a nice warm, dull glow to all our plays."

After improving seating and sound arrangements in recent years, members thought lighting should be the next priority.

Mr Shingler, whose wife Judith directed the Players' latest production, I Thought I Heard a Rustling, added: "It's part of a community effort as well - we hope the centre will allow us to leave the lighting up so other groups will be able to use the lighting - with our permission and tuition."