Local people in the Sible Hedingham area are getting ready to celebrate the opening of a new £500,000 football pitch. Former England international Sir Trevor Booking will officially open the 3G artificial grass playing surface at 7.00 pm on Tuesday 16th March at Hedingham School and Sixth Form, Yeldham Road, Sible Hedingham CO9 3QH. This is a new date following the postponement of the launch in January 2010 due to snow.
The scheme provides a floodlit Under-16 artificial pitch, which can be used as two or three smaller pitches or for training. In addition improvement works to the school’s field will make it available for community use giving access to three further pitches including a full size pitch. This facility will be a community resource as well as during curriculum time by the school and its feeder primaries.
At the opening event Sir Trevor and the school’s invited guests will be able see a showcase of events by some of the young people who will benefit from this facility, including:
· Sixth Form Students undertaking the CSLA qualification coaching of pupils from some of the school’s feeder primary schools
· An exhibition by one of the school’s girls football teams. The school has had great success this year with the girls Under-14s reaching the last 16 of the Essex Cup
· A display by one of the school’s very successful boys teams.
The Football Foundation provided a grant of £164,726 towards the pitch. Funded by the Premier League, The Football Association and Government, the Football Foundation is the country’s largest sports charity with a £40m budget going straight into the heart of football.
A further £50,000 has been awarded by The Football Association as part of their capital allocation within Whole Sport Plan agreed with Sport England. This specific aspect of funding has been awarded to support the sustainability of community clubs and create more opportunities to participate in sport within a high quality environment.
In addition to this funding, the school is very appreciative of the grants and support it has received from: Essex County Council Legacy Fund (grant of £125,000), Friends of Hedingham School, Sible Hedingham Parish Council, Hedinghams United Football Club, NACRO and Essex County Football Association.
Sir Trevor Brooking said: “I am delighted to be officially opening the excellent new 3G playing surface at Hedingham School.
“It is vital that young children have facilities where they can be safe and enjoy fun, quality coaching. For many youngsters, playing football can teach them life skills like communication and teamwork, but for a very talented few, facilities such as these may be where the next generation of players will develop their skills.
“The staff at the school deserve huge credit for securing the Football Foundation grant and the partnership funding which has enabled this project to become a reality.”
John Panayi, Headteacher at Hedingham School, said: “The school is delighted with this new facility which is already benefiting our students, students from our feeder primary schools and the wider community. This type of facility will have a significantly positive impact within a rural location.”
2010 sees the Football Foundation reach its tenth anniversary. This opening is one of the first major landmark events to celebrate the first ten years of the Foundation’s history, since it was launched by Tony Blair and then England Manager Kevin Keegan in July 2000. The Foundation has since supported more than 7,600 grassroots projects worth £875m with money provided by the Premier League, The FA and Government.
Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation said: “We are delighted that pupils at Hedingham School, as well as the local community, will have access to these fantastic new facilities. We commend the school and the Essex County FA for their hard work in making this happen.”
“Sport is playing a central role in helping people to stay fit, strengthen communities and promote responsibility amongst young people. This is the latest example of thousands of projects across the country that the Football Foundation is supporting with money provided by our funding partners the Premier League, The FA and Government.”
ENDS
