College secures funding for building programme

Eggbuckland Community College – a specialist sports college in Plymouth – has secured £822,000 in funding from the Football Foundation and Plymouth Council to redevelop its sports hall and outdoor pitches.

The revamped facilities will include new changing rooms for players and officials, with treatment and seminar rooms. Outside, the natural turf pitches will have a new drainage system installed.

A sizable sum will also be invested in expanding and developing links with community groups and clubs which use the facilities.

One of the project's aims is to establish the first community football club in Devon, with additional boys' and girls' teams hoping to be added to the existing local team, Activate FC.

Graham Pearson, director of PE and sport at Eggbuckland college, said: "Activate, our community activity programme, sees nearly 1,000 users come in every week.

"The new facilities being provided will complement the skills, efforts and enthusiasm of all those that work and play sport at the college."