Government’s Community Sports Facilities Investment Welcomed By Football Foundation
The Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation has welcomed today’s announcement in the Budget that the Government will invest an additional £25million into community football facilities this coming year.
The investment will transform the landscape of grassroots football facilities across the UK following the devastating impact of coronavirus pandemic has had over the last year.
CEO Robert Sullivan, commented: “This is an announcement of huge significance that will help to transform the quality of sports facilities in the UK.
“As we recover from the COVID-19 health crisis we need community football now more than ever. Football has the power to transform lives and we must ensure people have access to great places to play.
“We need more floodlit artificial pitches so people can play in all-weather, any time of day. We need better quality grass pitches, so fewer games are cancelled during the winter months. We need the changing rooms, sports pavilions and community hubs that improve our experience of playing football, are accessible and welcoming to all, and act as a place where people come together. “
The Football Foundation is in the early stages of a ten year strategy to work with local authorities and local communities to deliver Local Football Facilities Plans. Collectively these Plans set out a pipeline of the key facilities every community needs right across the country and they are published on its website here.
While the majority of the facilities funded are for football, 40% of the Foundation’s work is focused on delivering multi-sport spaces to allow communities to play more than just football.
Sullivan added: “This new Government funding, alongside the investment of the Premier League and The FA, will help accelerate the delivery of the local football facilities plans that we have developed for every community in England and will ensure we build on the 17,600 grassroots football facility projects worth over £1.6 billion we have delivered over the past 20 years.”
