Campaigners are calling for a playing field at King Edward VI Community College to remain open and free to use.

Friends of Lower Field has launched a campaign to protect the field, also known as Elmhirst Field, which is owned by Education South West, the trust that runs the college.

The trust plans to sell the field as part of a wider disposal of school land. The campaign group is asking Education South West to work with the community to find a way of retaining public access to the site.

It is also encouraging people to gather on the field every Saturday from 11 am to midday until October 24.

Campaigners are inviting people to use the space in different ways, including playing games, flying kites, playing music or simply spending time there.

They are also asking long-standing users to share memories, photographs and evidence of how they have used the field through an online survey.

The campaign follows the introduction of signs and barriers at entrances to land earmarked for sale in July, which the group says prohibited public access.

Anna Ali, from Friends of Lower Field, said the group recognised the need for investment at KEVICC but did not believe the community should lose access to the green space as a result. "People have shared with us the many ways they have used the site, from picnics and casual games to organised sports," she said.

"It s clear that Lower Field is part of the fabric of our community." She added that the group wanted to meet Education South West in good faith before the land was sold to find a way of improving the school while keeping the field open.

KEVICC has responded to concerns over access by introducing an online calendar booking system, allowing organised groups to reserve one-hour slots on the section of grass that will be retained following the sale. Friends of Lower Field welcomed the provision for organised groups but said the booking system did not reflect the way many people use the site.

Lewis Winks, from the group, said: "What so many people value about Lower Field is that it is a space for unstructured enjoyment as well as team sports and clubs."

He said people would not want to book a slot simply to eat lunch, fly a kite or have a kickabout.

"The new calendar booking system is a visual reminder of what is really happening here: a modern enclosure of public space and leisure time," he said.

The group also wants to support prospective community buyers and is asking Education South West to consider a community bid as its preferred option.

It is researching the proposed sale, contacting elected representatives and gathering historical records about the field.

Archival correspondence seen by the campaign group records the school and local people sharing the field in the late 1930s, before it was gifted by the Dartington Hall Estate to Devon County Council.

The land was later transferred to trust ownership.

Previous proposals for the sale and development of the site prompted local campaigns in the 1990s and again in 2022.

In February 2025, the Department for Education approved Education South West's application to dispose of the playing field and other land at KEVICC.