Accrington Stanley Community Trust has secured a grant from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation to further enhance the quality of grass pitches at Stanley Sports Hub.
The funding, awarded through the Football Foundation’s Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund, has helped purchase over £20,000 worth of new pitch maintenance machinery, including tractor attachments such as a deep slitter, seeder, multi-tool turf grooming kit and fertiliser spreader.
The investment follows the Trust’s recent acquisition of a £34,000 compact tractor, which will work alongside the new equipment to maintain the £4m Stanley Sports Hub.
The machinery will support the Trust in carrying out maintenance works recommended by experts from the Grounds Management Association (GMA), following a detailed inspection through PitchPower, the Football Foundation’s free online pitch assessment tool.
Martin Fearon, CEO of Accrington Stanley Community Trust, said:
“We’re delighted to have received this grant from the Football Foundation which will allow us to maintain the grass pitches at Stanley Sports Hub to a high standard. The new machinery will give us the tools to provide even better playing surfaces for grassroots teams who play at our facility.”
Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, added:
“This Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund grant award to Accrington Stanley Community Trust will be vital for the local community in Hyndburn. Together with our Funding Partners – The Premier League, The FA and Government – the Football Foundation is on a mission to deliver 20,000 ‘good’ quality grass pitches by 2030.
Better quality pitches mean fewer postponements and more opportunities to play, helping to unlock the power of pitches and get more people involved in sport, regardless of their background, age or ability.”
Anyone responsible for maintaining grass pitches can access free advice and inspections by visiting the Football Foundation’s PitchPower platform.
To find out more, visit: footballfoundation.org.uk/power-up-your-grass-pitch