Further investment in clubs' facilities
CLUBS in Suffolk are to benefit from further investment in grassroots facilities.
The four clubs – Beccles Town Youth FC, Maritime FC, Ipswich Phoenix FC and Walsham-le-Willows Youth FC – will receive a combined total of £29,847 from the Football Foundation.
Walsham-le-Willows Youth FC will benefit from a grant of £24,096 towards renovations costing £32,129 of their clubhouse (pictured above in the background) which is run by Walsham-le-Willows Sports Club.
Walsham-le-Willows Sports Club Chairman Mike Powles said: “The money will go towards making the bar area bigger, modernising the interior of the clubhouse and some work on the roof.
“It is fantastic news to receive the grant as it will enable us to bring the clubhouse up to modern-day standards. We hope to get the work done before the season starts.
“It was very easy to apply and I couldn’t believe how quickly our application was approved – it took just two weeks for us to be notified we had been successful.”
The news has come as a welcome boost after burglars broke into locked containers and stole grounds maintenance equipment worth around £6,000 at the village sports club earlier this month.
They cut through padlocked doors on two containers plus a compound and stole mowers, strimmers, leaf blowers, fuel and other equipment.
Meanwhile, Beccles Town Youth FC have been awarded £3,591 towards a total project cost of £4,789 for new fencing.
Maritime FC, who play at Bentley, and Ipswich Phoenix FC, whose home ground is now at Bramford Playing Field, will each receive £1,080 for goalposts costing £1,440.
Suffolk FA Chief Executive Richard Neal said: “We have put a great emphasis on increasing the investment into football facilities across the county, so I’m really pleased the flow of investment into facilities keeps coming, and thank the Football Foundation for their continued appetite to provide funding support to such a wide variety of projects.
“We should not forget the Football Foundation is funded by The FA, Premier League and Government through Sport England, so this is direct investment from those organisations into Suffolk football clubs.
“But this financial support only helps realise the ambitions and ideas of those within clubs who continually plan to develop the experience offered to their members, then generate the partnership funding, then complete the requisite applications.
“Too often, those people behind the scenes do not receive the recognition they deserve but I hope these awards and the realisation of the projects reminds them why they dedicate so much energy to their role.
“We continue to be keen to help more clubs with more funding applications and look forward to continuing to receive projects and plans.”
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