Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (): Grassroots sport clubs are at
the heart of communities across the UK. As we deliver our Plan
for Change, we will remove barriers to an active lifestyle and
increase opportunity for all, ensuring that wherever people may
live, they can access high quality sports facilities and
experience the joy that sport brings.
On Friday 21 March, Government announced £100 million additional
funding for the UK-wide Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities
Programme. Funding benefits a range of projects such as new and
improved pitches, changing rooms, pavilions, solar panels,
floodlights, goalposts and maintenance machinery so that sites
can provide a more inclusive and sustainable offer throughout the
year. Our continued investment will mean more community clubs and
facilities can get people participating in the sports they love.
The programme delivers funding for Local Authorities, clubs, and
communities across the UK through our delivery partners - the
Cymru Football Foundation in Wales, the FAs in Scotland and
Northern Ireland, and the Football Foundation (a charity set up
by the Government, The FA and the Premier League) in England.
Through this targeted investment, we will support grassroots
facilities to provide priority use for women and girls, and
increased access for under-represented groups so they can get
onto the pitch, get active and develop a lifelong passion for a
new sport. 50% of investment will target the 30% most deprived
areas, providing transformational funding to the areas that need
it most. 40% of funding will also support projects that have a
multi-sport offer meaning that more people can participate in a
wider variety of sports and activities that appeal to them. These
facilities also often provide opportunities for boys and young
men to participate and benefit from wider community facilities,
like mental health support, and the atmosphere of camaraderie
that sport provides.
