Hundreds of soccer fans are set to benefit from fresh investment into local football facilities. Amber Valley Borough Council has been awarded a grant from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation, to help build a new community clubhouse, including changing rooms on the Charles Hill playing fields, in Loscoe.
This grant will enable Amber Valley Borough Council to build a new clubhouse with team and officials’ changing rooms. It will ensure that Heanor Juniors, Loscoe AFC and several other local youth teams with more than 380 young players have the chance to play football each week and grow participation in football even further.
Players will be able to change for matches in fantastic new facilities which will represent a significant improvement on the temporary portable cabin they have had to use for several seasons with no heating, poor lighting and cold water for washing hands after matches.
Amber Valley Borough Council worked with the Football Foundation and the Derbyshire County FA to secure a £250,000 grant towards the project. Following site establishment, building work will start in April and the new facility will be ready for use around the end of November.
Cllr Trevor Ainsworth, Cabinet Member for the Environment at Amber Valley Borough Council, said: "The borough council has tried for many years to secure the funding to build new facilities on Charles Hill following the demolition of the dilapidated old building built in the 1960s. The grant from the Football Foundation represents a significant contribution towards the total build cost of £1.6million. The new facilities have been carefully designed with changing rooms, a large community space which will be used for club activities and by other organisations and will be fully accessible for people with disabilities and limited mobility. I am particularly keen to see the growth of women and girls’ football following England Lionesses recent achievements and the new facilities including two catering areas serving hot and cold drinks and food will mean that the large community events previously held on the playing fields can return. We will strive to make Charles Hill once again the heart of the Loscoe community and surrounding areas".
Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: "This grant award towards developing Charles Hill in Loscoe is great news for the local community.
"It will support people’s ability to play our national game locally and therefore help unlock football’s many benefits to physical and mental wellbeing. That’s why we’re committed to transforming the face of grassroots football facilities in this country. It’s therefore very welcome news to hear that this funding will support Amber Valley Borough Council and the local youth football teams who will be based in the new clubhouse in developing a brand-new facility for their local community.
"The Football Foundation is working closely with our partners – the Premier League, The FA and Government – to support facility development projects like this across the country over the next decade to transform our grassroots game and unlock the power of pitches."
Contact the team directly on 01773 570222 or email enquiry@ambervalley.gov.uk
