Grassroots football facilities across Scotland will benefit from an initial £2 million of UK government funding to improve grassroots football facilities, as part of a major commitment to levelling up access to physical activity across the nation.
- Beneficiaries of an initial £2 million direct investment in grassroots football facilities across Scotland this year announced
- Spartans is one of 18 projects to benefit from first tranche of £230 million investment in football facilities across the UK to level up access to quality sport provision
- Improvements to be made in partnership with the Scottish Football Association
SPARTANS Community Football Academy is one of eighteen projects across Scotland to receive funding to create and improve pitches, changing rooms and pavilions, so that more local communities can access high-quality facilities.
Projects have been chosen for their ability to deliver improved facilities in deprived areas, support multi-sport use and increase participation among currently under-represented groups, including women, girls and disabled players.
As well as North Edinburgh social enterprise Spartans Community Football Academy, other examples include:
- Drumchapel United in Glasgow – a community club powered by volunteer coaches, which keeps the local community active at all ages from nursery to walking to football, who will use this £150,000 grant to regenerate their pitch;
- Kilwinning Community Football Academy in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire – who have just signed the community asset transfer of the pitch and pavilion and are using this funding to regenerate the pitch as part of wider plans to improve the site. The pitch will support everything from school PE to mental health programmes for the local community. The £120,000 grant will be combined with the club’s own funds and funding from North Ayrshire Council.
- Buckie Thistle High School where, combined with funding from the council, the renewed 3G pitch will support year round use for the ladies team there.
A full list of funded projects can be found here.
The funding, combined with contributions from clubs and other local partners, will improve the quality of community facilities, bring people together to enjoy playing sport in their local area, regenerate communities and enhance social cohesion.
It forms part of a £25 million UK-wide investment in grassroots facilities during this financial year, out of a total of £230 million set to be invested to help to build or upgrade up to 8,000 quality pitches across the UK over the next four years. The funding will also support the construction or refurbishment of clubhouses, changing facilities and community buildings.
The Scottish Football Association is delivering the programme on behalf of the UK government in Scotland.
UK Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said: “We are committed to improving access to high quality sports facilities for the underprivileged and underrepresented in Scotland.
“From Almswall Park in Kilwinning, to pitches in Buckie and Stenhousemuir, this will ensure more people can enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of sport at top class facilities in their local community.”
Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack said: From the Borders to Moray and from Inverclyde to Dundee, this £2million UK government funding will breathe new life into grassroots football facilities right across Scotland.
“The investment will help communities all over Scotland become winners on and off the pitch by inspiring people from all walks of life to get active and enjoy the physical and mental health benefits that playing the beautiful game can bring.”
Chief Executive Officer of the Scottish Football Association Ian Maxwell said: “Our goal in Scotland is to harness the power of football, with the positive physical and mental wellbeing benefits that football offers being perfect examples of this.
“This funding will open opportunities for increased participation across many different demographics, including boys’ and girls’ football and para-football disciplines, some of which will be in areas that currently suffer from severe deprivation.
The announcement follows a joint ‘Expression of Interest’ submitted to UEFA by the Football Associations of England, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales on Wednesday (23 March).
The governments of the UK, Ireland, Scotland and Wales have confirmed their support for the EOI submission and, given the Northern Ireland Executive is currently not meeting formally, officials there continue to observe the process closely.
Formal discussions on the technical specifications for the tournament are expected to take place with European football’s governing body over the coming weeks, before a final decision is made on submitting a formal bid.
On the prospects of hosting UEFA EURO 2028, Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston added: “This is welcome news from the FAs, and the government remains committed to working closely with them and our partners in the government of Ireland and the Devolved Administrations to bring UEFA’s flagship festival of international football to the UK and Ireland.
“Our unprecedented partnership creates the potential for the best EUROs ever, and we are passionate about bringing another world-leading sporting event here, creating a real celebration of football for people across the UK and Ireland.
“The government continues to demonstrate its commitment to sport and recreation, recently announcing that it is also investing £30 million to refurbish more than 4,500 tennis courts across the UK.”
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