People in Hyndburn are set to benefit from fresh investment into local grassroots sports facilities thanks to a £50,000 grant from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation.
The investment will enable Accrington Stanley Community Trust to install a brand-new catering unit at Stanley Sports Hub, replacing the site’s existing ageing snack hut with a larger, modern facility.
The new unit will significantly improve the experience for the thousands of players, families, spectators and visitors who use Stanley Sports Hub throughout the year, while also helping the Trust generate additional sustainable income from the facility.
The existing snack hut was purchased second-hand when Stanley Sports Hub opened in 2019 and has proved extremely popular. The new unit will build on that success by providing a much-improved catering offer for grassroots football and community activity across the site.
The £66,987 project has been supported by a £50,000 Football Foundation grant, with Accrington Stanley Community Trust providing the remaining partnership funding.
Martin Fearon, Chief Executive Officer of Accrington Stanley Community Trust, said:
“We’re delighted to have secured £50,000 from the Football Foundation towards this project.
“Our existing snack hut has been a huge success since Stanley Sports Hub opened, but we’ve outgrown it and the time is right to invest in a much better facility.
“The new unit will improve the experience for the thousands of people who use the Sports Hub while also complementing our new padel courts, where it will provide catering options, a booking point and racket hire facilities.
“This is another significant investment in Stanley Sports Hub as we continue to improve our infrastructure, enhance the experience for our users and develop sustainable income streams that can be reinvested back into our facilities.
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 Accrington Stanley Community Trust towards developing a new catering unit is fantastic news for the local community.”