The Football Foundation is the largest sports charity in the UK and is funded by the Premier League, The FA and Government (via Sport England).
The charity supports the development of new and refurbished football and sports facilities in local communities - improving quality and experience - and aiming to sustain or increase participation amongst children and adults, regardless of background age, or ability.
The facilities the Football Foundation issues grants for, include:
- Grass pitches drainage/improvements
- Pavilions, clubhouses and changing rooms
- 3G Football Turf Pitches (FTPs) and multi-use games areas
- Fixed floodlights for artificial pitches.
The Premier League was a founding partner of the Football Foundation in 2000. Since then it has supported over 17,100 grassroots sports projects with grants worth £684m. Combined with partnership funding, investment into community football projects across the country now exceed £1.5bn in total worth. To date this has seen the development of:
- 829 artificial grass (Astroturf) pitches.
- 3,160 natural grass pitches.
- 1,091 changing facilities.
- 182 multi-use games areas.
The facilities do not just help to increase sports participation. Some of the new facilities are used to strengthen the bond between professional football clubs and their local communities, particularly in the most deprived areas of the country - with the aim of becoming hubs for football club community organisations’ outreach work.
With floodlights and improved surfaces better able to withstand the effect of inclement weather - matches, coaching sessions and other sporting activity can continue more often throughout the winter months. Together with the other funding partners, the Premier League has renewed its commitment to the Football Foundation, as they aim to accelerate the development of more pitches across the country.
