WIREDGOV

The UK Government, the Football Association of Wales and the Cymru Football Foundation have kicked off the year by announcing 64 projects across Wales will benefit from a share of £4 million.

• 64 projects across Wales receiving a share of £4 million for everything from new and upgraded pitches, to goalposts and floodlights
• Forms latest part of major Government investment in grassroots facilities worth over £400 million, which includes multisport pitches, tennis courts and swimming pools
• Investment supports Government ambition to get 3.5 million more adults and children active by 2030

Exercising more is the most common New Year’s resolution*, and the UK Government is giving hundreds of thousands more people across the UK the ability to keep their resolution and get active by delivering high-quality grassroots facilities.

From Bangor to Carmarthen, 64 projects will receive funding for everything from changing rooms and pavilions, to a state of the art 3G artificial grass pitches and brand new floodlights. Work is already underway on 63 of these projects, with the final one to commence from spring.

The projects announced recently (27 January 2024) will benefit from £4 million from the UK Government in 2023/24, with £300,000 already allocated from next year’s overall budget.

Since 2021, the UK Government has delivered 60 facility projects across Wales through £2.5 million of funding, with at least 50 per cent of investment to be spent in local authorities with high deprivation and low activity levels.

UK Government Sports Minister Stuart Andrew recently said:

Sport and physical activity is vital to our mental health and wellbeing and thousands of people make exercising more their New Year’s resolution each year.

We know that one of the major barriers in getting active is access to high-quality sports facilities, which is why we are delivering 64 new projects across Wales.  

The UK Government, Football Association of Wales and Cymru Football Foundation have already delivered 60 projects backed by almost £4 million to give local communities the high quality facilities they need.

To mark the announcement, Wales Office Minister Fay Jones visited Darren Park in Ferndale. 

Wales Office Minister Fay Jones recently said:

The UK Government is continuing to invest significantly in grassroots facilities, helping clubs and groups to access the health and social benefits that sport brings.

People the length and breadth of Wales will have a better environment to exercise and enjoy sport as a result of this funding. I am delighted that the UK Government, the Football Association of Wales and the Cymru Football Foundation have teamed up to invest in projects that will benefit communities for many years to come.

Aled Lewis, Head of Facility Investment and Operations at the Cymru Football Foundation recently said:

This vital funding will allow the Cymru Football Foundation to invest and support so many across Wales as we deliver the Football Association of Wales’s commitment to provide outstanding football facilities that enrich communities. 

Thank you to the UK Government for their continued support as we continue to provide inspirational fit-for-future facilities across the country.

This funding in Wales will deliver 21 grass pitch projects, a new artificial grass pitch and 10 changing rooms, as well as floodlights and goalposts. Some of these projects have been awarded funding over a two year period. 

Some of the facilities in Wales to benefit from this year’s round of investment include:

• Narberth AFC in Pembrokeshire has received almost £220,000 for a new grass pitch
• Ponthir Sports and Community Club has received £345,000 for a changing room upgrade
• Pontarddulais Town FC has received almost £19,000 for new portable floodlights and maintenance equipment
• AFC Glais has received almost £8,500 for new goalposts
• Cyngor Gwynedd has received £300,000 towards a new artificial grass pitch at Arfon Leisure Centre

A full list of the facilities in Wales was published recently.

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

The Government’s multi-sport grassroots facilities programme is investing in areas that are most in need of new or renovated facilities. Through the programme more high quality facilities are being made available for people to play football, rugby and other grassroots sports.

The UK 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 per week for adults, and 60 minutes per day for young people by 2030. 

To help reach this target, the projects confirmed recently are part of the Government’s unprecedented investment of over £400 million in grassroots facilities, including park tennis courts and swimming pools.

Notes to Editors:

• In Wales £3.9 million is being invested in projects covering 2023/24, with £300,000 from the 2024/25 budget also announced recently.
• Details on how to get facilities investment in your area can be found at the Football Foundation for England, the SFA for Scotland, the CFF for Wales, and IFA for Northern Ireland.
• As part of its activity drive, the Government recently joined forces with former sports stars, health professionals and fitness experts, to establish the National Physical Activity Taskforce to help an additional 3.5 million adults and children get physically active by 2030 as part of a new sport strategy for England.
• *Forbes Advisor conducted a survey of 2,000 British Adults which are UK nationally representative (on the basis of age/gender/region). The survey was commissioned by Forbes Advisor and conducted by market research company Opinium between 14 November 2023 – 17 November 2023.