A GENEROUS local estate agent who rallied the community to help rebuild the play equipment in Droitwich’s Lido Park last summer, has been nominated for a national award as a result of the campaign.

Matt Nicol, managing director of Nicol & Co estate agents in Droitwich, has been shortlisted from 20,000 suggestions to reach a place in the final three for the Community Crowdfunder of the Year award at the JustGiving Awards 2015 for his efforts.

Last summer Matt helped to raise more than £16,000 in just two weeks after vandals set fire to play equipment in Lido Park, destroying 70 per cent of it.

The crowdfunding meant that the equipment could be replaced quickly, and before the end of the school summer holidays when it traditionally receives its most use.

He said: “I was probably one of the first people to see the photos the morning after it happened, and it really wound me up when I saw it. It was just frustrating. I was out training and thinking ‘I’ve got to do something what can I do?’”

Just Giving only allows people to raise money for registered charities, so Matt,who has two small children of his own, set up his campaign in the site’s crowdfunding section with the site’s upper fundraising limit of £5,000.

“It very quickly overtook that. We got up to £16,000. I wasn’t surprised, because I know the community are really fantastic, but, but it was a good result, the speed of it surprised me, it snowballed a little bit. Because I’d set up the page, I was getting an email every time a donation went on, and it was massive really really quickly.

“I’m not sure if it was timing, it came at the start of the summer holidays, or just some frustration about smaller incidents, or because it was such a significant piece of equipment, but it captured the imagination.”

The JustGiving Award is determined by votes from members of the public, and people need to vote for Matt before the voting deadline of August 31 at about.justgiving.com/content/justgiving-awards-2015.