£102m promised to fund Grassroots football
New grassroots football funding could see new investments brought to the South West.
A partnership by the Premier League, the FA and the Government has pledged £102m in funding over three years to develop or refurbish football facilities across the country.
The investments will be delivered by the Football Foundation to community sports groups including some in the South West.
Since its foundation in 2000 the Football Foundation has given grants worth £39.3m to 504 projects in the South West alone.
Among the projects supported are 45 artificial grass pitches, 93 changing rooms and grants given to over 200 properly drained pitches.
The money was announced by the newly-appointed Minister for Sport and Equalities, Helen Grant MP, Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Scudamore, The FA’s General Secretary, Alex Horne, Football Foundation Chief Executive, Paul Thorogood and Charles Johnston, Sport England Director of Property.
Helen Grant MP, Minister for Sport and Equalities, said: “This partnership between the Premier League, the FA, Sport England and Government shows what can be achieved when the public and private sectors work together to help strengthen our national game at the grassroots.
“The investment of £102 million into facilities, delivered by the Football Foundation, will encourage many people to get into sport in some of the most deprived areas of the country. Sport has a unique power to change lives for the better and this will make a positive impact in many local communities.”
The money has been made available as Premier League and The FA Facilities funding programme.
Alex Horne, The FA’s General Secretary, said: “The funding that The FA has invested through the Football Foundation has dramatically improved local football facilities up and down the country and is a key part of The FA’s four-year National Game Strategy, a £200 million investment into the grassroots game.
“These enhanced facilities increase opportunities for young people to become involved in football, whether as players or coaches, and it is this work which feeds into helping to produce the next generation of English football talent.
“Our announcement really is an excellent example of how much can be achieved when football’s governing bodies work in partnership with Government to deliver a highly efficient investment programme into facilities across the country.”
