MORE than 1,100 grassroots sport projects, including many in Devon, will benefit from £93 million of funding as part of the continued drive to get more people active, the Government announced on January 26.

Research shows exercising more was the UK’s most common New Year’s resolution for 2024, and the Government is helping hundreds of thousands more people across the UK keep their resolution and get active by delivering high-quality grassroots sport facilities.

From Belfast to Bracknell, more than 1,100 projects are receiving funding that will go towards facilities such as changing rooms, pavilions, state of the art 3G artificial grass pitches, goalposts and floodlights, improving access to sport and physical activity for local communities.

As part of an £81 million investment, 900 projects in England are already benefiting from funding from the Government and its Football Foundation partners the Premier League and The FA, with many more to follow. 

This will deliver over 60 artificial grass pitch projects, over 130 grass pitch projects and 35 changing facility projects, as well as floodlights and goalposts.

The allocation sees a number of awards in Devon including a £25,000 grant towards the £47,000 total cost for changing facilities at Devon FA HQ at Newton Abbot, £1,385 towards the total cost of £1,847 of goalposts for Thorverton FC, £1,238 towards the total of £1,650 goalposts at Tavistock Specials FC, £1,080 towards the total cost of £2,335 of new goalposts for Hatherleigh Youth FC, £448 towards the total cost of £650 for new goalposts at Inter Plymouth FC, £1,440 towards the cost of £2,535 of new goalposts at Whimple FC, £868 towards the total cost of £1,158 for goalposts for Cullompton Rangers FC, £1,425 towards the cost of £1,900 for new goalposts at Ilsington Villa FC, £1,080 towards the total cost of £2,270 towards new goalposts for Chulmleigh Youth FC, £936 towards the total cost of £1,249 towards goalposts at Buckfastleigh Rangers FC.

A full list of the facilities to benefit was published at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/multi-sport-grassroots-facilities-programme-projects-2023-to-2024 .

The Government’s Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme is investing in areas that are most in need of new or renovated facilities, with at least 50 per cent of the investment to be spent in the most deprived local authorities with high levels of inactivity. Through the programme more high quality facilities are being made available for people to play football, rugby and other grassroots sports.

Since 2021, the Government, along with its partners, have helped deliver new facilities or improvements at almost 2,400 sites across the UK aiming to get at least 120,000 more people active, through the £325 million programme. This investment is supporting grassroots clubs up and down the country, including women’s and girls teams.

It also follows the Government and The FA announcing an additional £30 million to build 30 new state of the art 3G pitches and facilities to prioritise women’s and girls’ teams across England, following the Lionesses success at UEFA EURO 2022, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

The Government recently published its new sport strategy to get 2.5 million more adults and one million more young people meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s guidance of 150 minutes of exercise per week for adults, and 60 minutes per day for young people by 2030. 

To help reach this target, the funding announced is part of the Government’s unprecedented investment of over £400 million in grassroots facilities, including park tennis courts and swimming pools."