- 43 sites receive a share of £1.2 million as part of the
Government’s ongoing investment in multi-sport facilities in
collaboration with the Cymru Football Foundation
- UK Government reaffirms commitment to improving access to
high quality facilities and and increasing participation in
grassroots sports in Wales
- Ongoing UK-wide £300 million capital investment continues to
build capacity in underserved areas and underrepresented groups
People playing grassroots sports in Wales will directly benefit
from the latest £1.2 million investment in high quality
multi-sport facilities from the UK Government, in partnership
with the Cymru Football Foundation and the Football Association
of Wales.
As part of the Government’s 2022/23 commitment, more grassroots
participants in Wales will see their facilities improved,
increasing the availability and access to high quality facilities
for football, hockey and other grassroots sports. Forty three
sites have been selected for funding across Wales as part of the
2022/23 funding allocation.
A key priority for the Government is to level up access to
community sports facilities in all parts of the UK, to help as
many people as possible to get involved in sport and to deliver
all of the mental and physical health benefits associated with
active and healthy lifestyles.
The latest investment is part of the Government’s ongoing £300
million multi-year investment into grassroots multi-sport pitches
across the UK by 2025 - more than £13m of this will be invested
in Wales.
Culture Secretary said:
We are committed to levelling up access to sport which is so
important for the nation’s physical and mental health.
Today we are delivering 43 new and improved grassroots sports
facilities across Wales to continue to support, sustain and grow
community and grassroots sport - so that physical activity is
accessible to all, no matter a person’s background or location.
We will continue to work with the Football Association Wales to
nurture the talent of the future whilst making sure local
communities have the sporting facilities that they need.
A central aim of the programme is to level up access to community
sports facilities and invest in some of the most deprived areas
in the UK, to give as many people as possible the opportunity to
take part in sport. In order to achieve this, and to deliver
access that every community needs, at least 50% of investment
will be spent in underprivileged areas.
Secretary of State for Wales David TC Davies said:
The UK Government is continuing to invest significantly in
grassroots facilities, helping clubs and groups to deliver the
huge health and social benefits that sport brings.
I am delighted that this funding is being distributed to
communities across the length and breadth of Wales, allowing
future generations of sportspeople to develop their skills.
Working with the Football Association of Wales and others, we
want to make sure the fantastic success that Welsh sport has
recently enjoyed continues for many years to come.
Some of the facilities to benefit from the 2022/23 round of
investment in Wales include:
- Darran Park in Ferndale has received more than £170,000 to
upgrade their 3G pitch;
- Essity Stadium in Flint has received more than £40,000 for
floodlights;
- Tredegar Recreational Sports Ground in Park Hill has received
more than £18,000 for floodlights, storage, goalposts and
shelter;
- Underhill Park in Mumbles, Swansea has received £190,000 for
a new artificial grass pitch;
- Evans Bevans Playing Fields in Port Talbot has received more
than £27,000 for grass pitch upgrades.
A full list of the facilities to benefit from 2022/23 investment
in Wales can be found here.
40% per cent of the funding will be used to support multi-sport
facilities, ensuring a wide range of sports are supported and
helping to deliver benefits beyond football. The programme has a
particular focus on increasing participation among
under-represented groups such as women and girls, and those with
a disability.
Noel Mooney, Chief Executive Officer, the Football Association of
Wales said:
At the Football Association of Wales, we are focussed on driving
up the standard of grassroots football facilities across Cymru
and to supporting football clubs to be community hubs bringing
social, health and economic benefits to the areas they
serve. The investment in new facilities through the Cymru
Football Foundation, which has been made possible through the
funding from DCMS, is a prime example of this work.
The UK Government, in partnership with the Cymru Football
Foundation and Football Association Wales, continues to build on
its £1.3 million investment in 2021/22, with a further £1.2
million confirmed today and a total of 60 sites in Wales having
benefitted to date.
Throughout the lifecycle of the grassroots multi-sport facilities
investment programme which will run to 2025, Wales will receive
more than £13 million in total to help nurture the talent of the
future.
