NINE community multi-sports mini pitches are to be developed in neighbourhoods across Leicester thanks to a £1.8 million funding award.
The city council has successfully bid for nine grants – totalling £1,858,066 – from the Football Foundation’s national PlayZones Programme.
PlayZones are safe, inclusive and accessible outdoor facilities that aim to bring communities together through recreational football and other sports.
The cash will be used to create four new outdoor mini pitches and refurbish five existing ball courts at sites across the city.
The locations for the four new PlayZones will be Elston Fields, in the Saffron area; Hamilton Park; Mowmacre and Sharmon Crescent Play Park, in Braunstone Frith.
Existing ball courts will be refurbished at Atlas Close, in Highfields; Armadale Drive, in Netherhall; Cossington recreation Ground, in Belgrave; Eyres Monsell; and Spinney Hill Park.
All nine of the new PlayZones will be able to be booked for free using The ClubSpark online system, and will have timed floodlighting and secure gates, to help manage access.
Following installation, the new PlayZones will all offer a programme of structured activities led by professional sports clubs and local community groups.
Cllr Vi Dempster, assistant city mayor for health and culture, said: “This new funding from the Football Foundation will help us to deliver valuable improvements to nine local communities.
“Each of the areas have been selected due to a lack of high-quality sports facilities in the community which can create a barrier to physical activity.
“The new PlayZones will help address that, offering safe and secure ball courts where the community can meet for recreational football and other activities, and enjoy a programme of events and training delivered by local sports clubs and other organisations.”
All the new PlayZones are being designed following consultation with the local community.
The Eyres Monsell PlayZone will be the first to be completed and is due to open to the public later this summer.
Using investment from the Premier League, the FA and the Government through Sport England, the Football Foundation’s PlayZones Programme aims to engage with local communities across the country to create outstanding sports and activity spaces and tackle inequalities in participation.