Latest round of Improvement Fund focuses on artificial pitches

Grassroots hockey, football and rugby are the major beneficiaries of the latest round of Sport England’s Improvement Fund.

Twelve projects will share a total of £4.3m, with the majority of the grants going towards improving artificial grass pitches.

Ten of the 12 projects will either build new, or replace existing artificial surfaces, improving the quality of the playing pitches. The other projects include building a new boathouse and gymnastics centre. Each project has received between £150,000 and £500,000 from the fund.

Projects receiving grants include Hadley Woods Sports Trust in Barnet, North London, which has been awarded £200,000 to build a new floodlit 3G pitch and changing rooms.

Other projects include Lakes College in West Cumbria, which has been awarded £500,000 to build a new, full size floodlit APG, allowing all-weather use for sport. Elsewhere, Anfield Sport and Community Centre, in partnership with Liverpool FC and its charity, has been awarded £300,000 to build a new, full size floodlit 3G pitch refurbish its existing community centre.

In total, £45m of Lottery funding will be invested through the Improvement Fund into local, medium-size projects.

So far, £37.8m has been invested to overhaul 38 artificial grass pitches and swimming pool changing rooms, and help 28 sports facilities become more environmentally sustainable.