ALMOST two years to the day since a rare bug suddenly took the life of their daughter, the Darling family have raised more than £150,000 through a foundation set up in her name.

On April 4 2011, 12-year-old Gable Hall student Karis Darling died after contracting streptococcus A, which can develop into meningitis.

Money raised through the Karis May Darling foundation is about to be ploughed into a three-year regeneration of Corringham park aimed at giving young people in the town a central location to socialise with friends.

As they came to terms with the loss of their daughter, her parents John and Kerri Darling, of Gardner Avenue, Corringham focussed on creating a legacy.

They have since raised £150,000 with the help of family and friends and purchased a £47,000 ready-made building from a yard in Staffordshire which they hope to have sited and open in Corringham park by June, after it has had a £17,000 make-over inside.

Kerri said: "All sorts of things will be going on in the centre. On Friday night it will be a youth club, other times there will be mothers and toddlers there.

"At weekends we want people to think ‘let’s go up to the park this weekend’."

The couple hope the opening of the centre will be the start of a three-year plan to regenerate Corringham park.

The plans include installing new play equipment in the play area, laying a 3G all-weather playing surface, a skate park and a summer walk through garden.

Kerri said: "By the end of this year we would like to have new play equipment in the play area behind where the centre will be.

"Then next year we will be going for the 3G pitch, the skate park and the summer walk through garden.

"It’s a three year plan to regenerate the park. We also have to prove that the temporary centre structure works so that we can build a bigger, permanent structure later.

John added: "We want to give the park back to the community. We feel like it’s been neglected and its in a prime location in the town centre.

"People have been a big support and I think they realise there is a need for this. This is a great community and we’re hoping this will start a great sense of closeness."