Grassroot sports facilities in the South receive major funding boost
Over £700,000 has been granted to Chichester City Youth FC and Rossmore Leisure Centre in Poole
Grassroots sports facilities across the south have received a major funding boost with two new artificial grass pitches worth over £700,000 to be installed.
The government's announced groups and clubs across the county will get a share of 93 million pounds.
Sports Minister Stuart Andrew announced the funding during a visit to Oaklands Park in Chichester, where over £700,000 from the Government, The Premier League and The FA’s Football Foundation will help Chichester City Youth FC (CCYFC) use the expanded capacity on their new pitch to support even more teams.
With the new funding, Chichester City FC and CCYFC will also build on their strong women and girls offering by increasing the number of teams within five years of completion of the new pitch.
Rossmore Leisure Centre in Poole will also get a new artificial grass pitch and will be granted £726,086
Five other projects in the south are set to benefit and will receive the following funding:
- QK Southampton Football Club - £22,750
- Burridge AFC, Fareham - £2,783
- Netley Royals FC, Eastleigh - £1,577
- AFC Hiltingbury, Eastleigh - £626
- Purbrook Youth Football Club, Havant - £645
Sports Minister Stuart Andrew said: “Sport and physical activity are vital to our mental health and wellbeing, and each year thousands of people make a New Year's resolution to exercise more.
“We know one of the major barriers to getting active is having access to high-quality sports facilities, which is why we are investing in 1,100 more projects, backed by £93 million.
“This government has delivered thousands of new projects across the UK with the aim of getting over 120,000 more people to get active, helping us to make big strides towards meeting our ambitious target of 3.5 million more people active by 2030.”
As part of an £81 million investment, 900 projects in England are already benefiting from funding from the Government and its Football Foundation partners the Premier League and The FA, with many more to follow.
This will deliver over 60 artificial grass pitch projects, over 130 grass pitch projects and 35 changing facility projects, as well as floodlights and goalposts.