People living in Newcastle upon Tyne are set to benefit from fresh investment into local football facilities thanks to a £4,250 grant from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation.
Urban Green Newcastle – the charity that cares for Newcastle’s parks and allotments – has been successful in securing additional funding to install new football posts in Paddy Freeman’s Park.
The £4,250 grant from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation, along with a £2,500 donation from Heaton Stannington FC and the Friends of Paddy Freeman’s Park, will enable the charity to replace the goal posts at Castle Farm and Paddy Freeman’s Park football pitches.
The latest round of funding follows the £67,840 awarded to the charity earlier this year from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation to update and improve the football pitches in Walker Park and Paddy Freeman’s Park.
The removed goal posts will be recycled and reused at Harbottle Park, where the existing posts have been damaged by vandalism.
In addition to the funding for the goal posts, Urban Green Newcastle also secured a new 24-hour access Defibrillator through the Premier League defibrillator fund, which has been installed at the Castle Farm changing rooms.
Malcolm McKenna, Sports and Activities Officer at Urban Green Newcastle said: “The investment the Premier League, The FA, and the Football Foundation have made in some of our park football pitches is making a real difference to local clubs and the wider community.
“With better facilities on offer, we’re seeing more interest in using the football pitches, which is great news for the city’s parks, and for the game of football.
“This latest round of improvements to the football pitches at Paddy Freeman’s Park wouldn’t have been possible without the generous donation from Heaton Stannington FC and the Friends of Paddy Freeman’s Park. I’d like to thank them on behalf of everyone at Urban Green Newcastle and the local community in Heaton.”
Lee Hogg, committee member for the Friends of Paddy Freeman’s Park, said: “The new, improved football goal posts and lifesaving defibrillator will be very welcome additions to our park. Not only improving the look and use, but also the safety of the park and its many users.”
Neil Drummond, Head of Junior Football at Heaton Stannington FC said: “The grant has allowed Heaton Stan to go into partnership with Urban Green Newcastle and ensure our newly formed boys and girls teams have a home within the local community.
“Without the funding, it would have been impossible to raise the money needed for the goals and we might of had to look elsewhere for a place to play. We are delighted that we were able to make Paddy Freeman’s Park the home of our Juniors.
“We look forward to our teams using these goals and facilities for years to come.”
Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “The Football Foundation is working closely with our partners – the Premier League, The FA and Government – to transform the quality of grassroots facilities in England by delivering projects like this across the country.
“Good quality playing facilities have a transformative impact on physical and mental health and play an important role in bringing people together and strengthening local communities.
“This grant award to Urban Green Newcastle towards developing Paddy Freeman’s Park is fantastic news for the local community and will help give more people access to a great place to play.”
The Football Foundation is the UK’s largest sports charity and exists to improve the experience of playing football for everyone, by championing fair access to quality facilities.
Urban Green Newcastle is an innovative charity that collaborates with the people of Newcastle upon Tyne, local businesses, and partners to create safe, welcoming and well-maintained parks and allotments that benefit all communities across the city.
Urban Green Newcastle is committed to protecting and improving the environment and creating a sustainable future for Newcastle’s green spaces.
For more information about Urban Green Newcastle, visit urbangreennewcastle.org.