Grants boost sports facilities
All areas: Youth and community clubs get ‘vital’ fund
Grassroots sport in and around the Royal Borough has received a ‘vital’ boost with clubs receiving a share of £93 million in Government funding.
Among the recipients include Maidenhead United FC Community Trust, Holyport Football Club and Taplow United Football Club, which together got more than £6,000.
One of the largest beneficiaries was a near £750,000 grant for Sonning based Berkshire County Sports Club, put towards a new artificial pitch.
Football Foundation, a charity supporting youth sport facilities, worked with the Government to distribute the financing – used to prop up new goal posts and pitch improvements.
A £598 grant was given to Holyport Football Club towards the cost of new goals on a pitch for its under 11 side at Summerleaze Park.
Football club secretary Richard Tyrell said: “The funding is a massive help for the club, we want to keep the subs [membership fees] as low as we can so having that extra money – we just needed to cover the additional revenue.
“If we didn’t get the grant, we would’ve had to increase subs or find some other sources of funding – we don’t want to pass that cost on to the juniors.”
Richard said the youth setup at Holyport had grown to support five junior teams in the last three years – previously it only had senior outfits.
About 150 to 200 players are on the club’s books and, with demand for community football growing, there are plans to increase the youth setup further.
The club has also kickstarted free football sessions for young players, run by members of the first team in their spare time.
“We’re really grateful for the Football Foundation support and the support we get locally to grow the team organically,” added Richard.
Across the border in Buckinghamshire, Hedsor Social Club in Bourne End received £959 for new goalposts and Taplow United Football Club received a £1,261 grant, for posts which would otherwise have set it back £1,854.
Chairman Paul Holt said: “What they’re doing [Football Foundation] is vital for grassroots football.”
“The old goal posts on pitch two, which had to be replaced, were about 15 to 18 years old and were just worn out.
“What you’ve got to remember is we’ve got five pitches and those old goals were just over £2,500 originally.”
Paul added that, as costs for essential ground maintenance – such as fertiliser and grass seed – had increased up to 40 per cent since the coronavirus pandemic, the Football Foundation grant had been even more welcome.
The club will celebrate it’s 100-year anniversary at the end of this year’s season and has played at its home in Pope’s Field since 1955.
Today, around 120 players use its facilities – many of them young people – and Paul discussed the importance of continued support for them.
“We’re looking after kids mental and physical health, so they’ve got an outlet,” he said. “When they’re fit and healthy, they will study better at school – we saw in lockdown, kids struggled because they were locked in.
“Grassroots sport gives them an opportunity to get out and express themselves.”