England and Southampton legend Matthew Le Tissier last night (Tuesday 13 October) formally opened the new all weather sports pitch at Bucklers Mead Community School. This is the first phase of superb new sports facilities which will, when all completed, represent over £1,000,000 worth of investment by the school for its students and for the Yeovil community.
The facilities have been developed with the help of a £395,123 grant from the Football Foundation and is one of the largest investments in grass roots sport in the South West.
The initial opening is of the 3rd generation floodlit artificial grass football and hockey pitches. And between now and summer 2011 the school plans to develop new high standard community changing facilities, a Community Sports Education Unit, fitness rooms and dance studios. It also plans to improve its cricket pitch, lay new drainage on its existing fields to allow for a range of mini pitches to be laid around the site, extend its five-a-side pitches and build a dome roof and floodlit tennis courts.
The Football Foundation is the country’s largest sports charity, funded with £40m from the Premier League, The FA and Government. £79,024 of the grant awarded to Bucklers Mead by the Foundation will pay for a Football Development Officer who will be on-site, implementing the delivery of sporting activity and community access to the new pitches. The school was also previously successful in applying for free kit and equipment from the Foundation through its Junior Kit Scheme, as well as successfully applying for a Barclays Spaces for Sport coaching pack.
Matthew Le Tissier praised the work of the Football Foundation: “The Football Foundation has been fantastic in supporting grass roots football around the country and have again been fantastic in helping develop this facility at Bucklers Mead Community School.”
Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “It is very satisfying to see such a great new playing surface at Bucklers Mead Community School being opened by such a great former player.
“I would like to pay tribute to the people at the school, as well as the Somerset County FA, who have worked so hard to develop such fantastic facilities, which will benefit, not just pupils at Bucklers Mead, but the whole community.”
ENDS
