Stanton Ilkeston FC Facility Development 2018

Football Funding Helps Derbyshire Club

Derbyshire FA
Stanton Ilkeston FC will be able to build new pitches and upgrade their facilities after securing a grant.

Community sport in Ilkeston is set for a boost, with local grassroots club Stanton Ilkeston FC securing a grant from the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund. The investment will support the club in constructing a brand new changing pavilion and developing two new pitches.

Stanton Ilkeston FC's existing changing provision will be replaced with a state-of-the-art new facility, whilst an area of wasteland on-site will be redeveloped to create two brand new pitches.

The grant will enable the club to replace their current changing provision, a dilapidated shipping container, with a state-of-the-art facility. The new pavilion will include: two team changing rooms; two officials’ changing rooms; a kitchen; a clubroom, and spectator toilets.

In addition, Stanton Ilkeston FC will use the funding to develop currently unused wasteland on-site, to develop a new 9v9 pitch and 5v5 pitch. The brand new playing surfaces, in addition to their existing full-size grass pitch and the new pavilion, will enable the club to provide a home base for all players – something that is not currently possible, with the club playing at a number of different local venues.

It is expected that the project will not only help Stanton Ilkeston FC to provide a base for its 20 existing teams, but also grow to 34 teams over the next five years. The club play in the Long Eaton Sunday League Premier Division and are a major provider of junior football for the area.

Stanton Ilkeston FC worked with the Football Foundation and the Derbyshire FA to secure a £499,628 grant from the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund towards the project. Sport England have also awarded £64,460 to the project, through their Protected Playing Fields scheme.

By providing more high-quality facilities, coupled with coaching at the appropriate age group, the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund aims to improve the experience for regular players as well as attracting new players to the game. Many of the new state-of-the-art facilities will serve to strengthen the connection between professional football clubs and their local communities, particularly in the most deprived areas of the country, through the professional clubs’ community trusts’ outreach work.

The Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund is funded by the Premier League, The FA, and the Government, via Sport England. It is delivered by the Football Foundation, the country’s largest sports charity. Since it was launched in 2000, the Foundation has awarded over 17,000 grants worth more than £615m towards improving grassroots sport, which it has used to attract additional partnership funding of £817m – over £1.4bn of investment into the grassroots game.

Rob Kirk, Club President and John Andrews, Club Chairman, said: “We are delighted that the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund are providing the support for our community project. Both they and the Club are working in partnership to improve grassroots sport in the area.”

Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “Since 2000, the Football Foundation has awarded 224 grants worth £9.1m across Derbyshire towards grassroots sports projects worth £17.6m and it is great to hear that Stanton Ilkeston FC will be the latest beneficiary.

“Funding from the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund, delivered by the Foundation, will support the club in developing a changing pavilion and new pitches for the local community. Made possible by investment from the Premier League, The FA and the Government, via Sport England, the Fund is supporting the grassroots game by improving access to high-quality football facilities across the country.”

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