Greenbank awarded funding to revamp football facilities

We’re delighted to have been awarded a grant from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation, to refurbish the sports hall at Greenbank Sports Academy. We worked with the Football Foundation and the Liverpool County FA to secure a £20,789 grant towards the project.

Greenbank Sports Academy supports the development of football with a specific focus on disability football, particularly wheelchair football. They also offer a diverse Inclusive Sport & Activity Programme as well as other recreational opportunities to people in the Liverpool City Region. The double sports hall with sprung wooden floor has not been refurbished for over 5 years.

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.

Grassroots indoor football matches and training cannot take place at the moment due to the COVID-19 outbreak and will only restart when it is safe to do so following government advice but this funding is great news for local football in the meantime.

Mary Beaumont, our Chief Executive said:

“Greenbank are so thankful to the Football Foundation for this funding and ongoing support of the Liverpool FA. This funding is vital to ensure that we can continue to offer these services to those who need it most. We will be able to open our doors to people knowing that we are able to ensure the safety of all users of the facility after having to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Anthony Smith, Football Development Manager (Facilities & Investment) at Liverpool County FA, said:

“Liverpool County FA are delighted to see Greenbank Sports Academy receive a Football Foundation grant to upgrade their facilities. Greenbank Sports Academy is a key hub for Disability Football on Merseyside and we look forward to continuing our work with the centre to grow Disability football even further.”

Robert Sullivan, Interim Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said:

“We know the huge benefits playing regular football can have on individuals’ physical and mental well-being. That’s why we’re committed to transforming the face of grassroots football facilities in this country. It’s therefore very welcome news to hear that this funding will support Greenbank in supporting people to achieve their potential through inclusive sport and leisure activities for their local community.

“Working with our partners – the Premier League, The FA, government and Sport England – we will be investing in over £1bn worth of local facilities across the country over the next decade. We believe we can transform lives and strengthen communities by unlocking the power of pitches and this is another project that brings us closer to that ultimate goal.”