A grant has enabled Ivybridge Community College to begin work on the new 3G Pitch, high-quality new fencing, new storage containers and a new spectator area.  The work will greatly improve the quality and aesthetics of the existing surface.  The pitch will be used by Ivybridge Community College students and teams alongside external and community organisations.

Multi-agency collaboration and funding

The facility is the result of a collaboration between Ivybridge Community College and many other agencies. 

Funding has been sourced from Westcountry Schools Trust, Ivybridge Community College, Sport England, the Premier League and The Football Association (FA).  Support and S106 funding has also been acquired from South Hams District Council, supported by Ivybridge Town Council Councillors, who see the redeveloped pitch as a significant investment for the town and for the community.

Helen Reddy, Director of Sport at Ivybridge Community College, said: “This is great news and a huge step towards maintaining the highest of sporting standards at Ivybridge Community College.  The 3G Pitch will be a fantastic facility, giving opportunities to all our students, and the local community, regardless of whether they are using the pitch for PE lessons, enrichment or general leisure activities”.

Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “It is great news for Ivybridge that Ivybridge Community College has started refurbishment works at their 3G Pitch”.

“This is the latest example of investment from our partners, the Premier League, The Football Association, the Government and Sport England, improving grassroots facilities across the country.  This funding is enabling more people to enjoy the benefits of playing regular sport.”

About the Football Foundation

The Government’s Football Foundation is the largest sports charity in the UK.  It champions and supports fair access to quality Football facilities for everyone, regardless of gender, race, disability or place.

The Foundation receives money from the Premier League, The Football Association and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), through Sport England.  This is matched with partnership funding and awarded as grants to create outstanding grassroots facilities that enable better games and attract more players, helping to transform communities.

Since 2000, it has awarded more than 17,600 grants to improve facilities worth more than £710m – including 942 artificial grass pitches, 6,426 natural grass pitches and 1,200 changing facilities.  This has attracted an additional £940m of partnership funding – totalling over £1.6bn investment in grassroots football so far.

The Premier League, The Football Association, DCMS and Sport England have come together through the Football Foundation to create the National Football Facilities Strategy (NFFS) that will guide work over the next ten years to transform many more local facilities.  Local Football Facility Plans (LFFP) are being created to identify priority projects where demand is greatest, and the impact will be strongest and help stimulate the action required to deliver them.

Visit footballfoundation.org.uk for more information on the Foundation.

Please visit the gallery for images of the Artificial Grass Pitch upgrade progression.