£1m grant to give Stadia 3G pitch at Wisbech St Mary – Cambs News

Almost £1 million has been awarded to Wisbech St Mary’s Sports and Community Center to create a new 3G pitch for the stadium. The money will come through a £978,583 grant from the Premier League, the FA and the Government Football Foundation.

The pitch will provide additional opportunities for women and girls and disabled participants to play football and Wisbech St Mary Football Club will also be able to create an inclusive community football hub in Fenland.

The improved facilities will help preserve the grass pitches that are heavily used by 22 teams.

The site will be used by Wisbech St Mary Football Club, Wisbech St Mary C of E Academy, local community groups and Cambridgeshire FA.

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This project was also supported by a further £156,000 from Wisbech St Mary Community Centre, Wisbech St Mary Football Club and The Hudson Trust.

Paul Albutt, Administrator, Wisbech St Mary Sports & Community Center said: “We currently run 22 football teams for children and adults.

“This grant will allow us to expand our football offering to more people of all ages in our local community, including disability and walking football.

“We will also be able to offer casual play sessions for all. We are looking to introduce a full time football scholarship program in collaboration with a local partner.

He added: “These are certainly exciting times for Wisbech St Mary and we thank the Premier League, the FA and the Government Football Foundation and Cambridgeshire FA for showing their confidence in our project.”

Katie Critchley, Football Development Manager at Cambridgeshire FA, said: “It is fantastic news that Wisbech St Mary Sports & Community have successfully secured Football Foundation funding for a Stadia 3G pitch..

“This investment will not only improve the playing experience for local teams and community groups, but will also underline their commitment to grassroots football.

“The new ground will serve as a catalyst for growth and community activities, ensuring that everyone who would like to play football has the opportunity to do so. We are incredibly excited for everyone involved and excited to see this facility come to life”

Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “The Football Foundation is working closely with our partners – the Premier League, the FA and the Government – ​​to transform the quality of grassroots facilities in England by delivering projects like this across the country.

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“Good quality playgrounds have a transformative impact on physical and mental health and play an important role in bringing people together and strengthening local communities.

“This award to Wisbech St Mary Sports & Community Center for the development of a new pitch is fantastic news for the local community and will help give more people access to a great place to play.”

About the Football Foundation

The Football Foundation is the Premier League, FA and Government’s charity delivering outstanding local facilities, more and better places to play, transforming lives and communities where it’s needed most.

The Foundation’s aim is to unlock the power of pitches, ensuring that everyone has a great place to play, regardless of gender, race, disability or place.

Since its establishment in 2000, the Foundation has invested more than £1 billion to improve basic facilities across the country – including 1,100 3G football pitches, 12,000 grass pitches and 1,400 changing rooms. This has attracted an additional £1.3bn of funding from the partnership – totaling over £2bn of investment in grassroots football to date.

In partnership with local authorities, the County FA and other community stakeholders, the Foundation has created Local Football Plans for every local authority in England. These plans act as a model for delivering the improvements to grassroots football facilities that every community needs and deserves across the country.

Visit https://footballfoundation.org.uk/ for more information about the foundation.