Accrington Stanley Community Trust have been awarded a £5000 Pitch Preparation Fund grant from the Premier League, The FA and the Government’s Football Foundation.
The Pitch Preparation Fund was set up in support of the game, which is currently facing unprecedented challenges because of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Fund is providing grants to clubs that have lost out on normal revenue streams during this difficult period.
The funding will enable Accrington Stanley Community Trust, to prepare their football pitches at the Stanley Sports Hub so that they are match-fit for when it is safe to play football again, following Government advice.
The grant can be used to help pay for the cost of materials, work such as verti-draining, chain harrowing, rolling, over-seeding, fertilising, weed-killing, and routine preparatory work such as grass cutting and the setting out and line-marking of pitches.
Clubs and other organisations are also being given access to the Football Foundation Groundskeeping Community. This is a free online resource the Foundation developed with The FA and the Grounds Management Association, containing advice and guidance. Anyone in Hyndburn can sign up at https://thefa.hivelearning.com/groundskeeping.
Martin Fearon, CEO at Accrington Stanley Community Trust , said: “We are delighted to receive this funding from the Football Foundation which will be used on improving the grass pitches at the Stanley Sports Hub. After securing £20,000 last month for new goalposts, a storage container and a ball stop net, this new grant will allow us to focus on improving the grass surfaces which are in desperate need of some investment.”
Robert Sullivan, Interim Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “This is a vital grant to help Accrington Stanley Community Trust get their pitches match-fit.
“The Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation exists to help provide quality infrastructure at the lower-levels of the game. Pitch Preparation Fund grants like this one are giving a helping hand to clubs across the country to get their playing surfaces ready for when the game is allowed to begin again following government advice.”
The Football Foundation is a charity funded by the Premier League, The FA and the Government, through Sport England.
