Nearly 1000 community projects across the UK are benefitting from new all-weather pitches, extended playing hours through floodlighting, and modern changing facilities designed to welcome underserved groups like women and girls, in a new boost for grassroots sport facilities by the Government.
The projects across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have been awarded funding through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2025/26, with more beneficiaries to be announced soon.
These new or refurbished facilities will give families low-cost options to stay active on their doorstep, helping when many are facing cost-of-living pressures. It will also open up opportunities to underserved groups like women and girls. At least half of all funding will go directly to the 30% most deprived communities in the UK.
Sports clubs and organisations will also benefit from new goalposts, fencing and new changing pavilions – all of which help make sites more accessible and sustainable for local communities. To ensure broader participation beyond football, at least 40% of funded projects must have a multi-sport offer. This approach will give more people access to a wider variety of sports and activities, such as rugby, cricket, and basketball.
Full details of all the 991 projects funded through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2025/26 at time of writing to date are attached and available on GOV.UK.
Today, the Government has also announced the allocations for the next £85million investment for 2026/27 for grassroots sports facilities, part of a £400 million boost launched by the Government in June 2025. Applications are now open in England, with Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland to follow.
The announcement was made as Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy visited East Kilbride United Community Sports Club, who received £310,000 across 2024-26 for a new artificial pitch and changing pavilion at Kirktonholme. The upgraded facility now hosts women’s and girls’ teams, school PE lessons, and a walking football programme supporting men’s mental health.
It follows the Government launching the ‘Team Up’ campaign yesterday, which has brought some of the UK’s biggest sport stars, sport governing bodies and charities together to tackle male loneliness using the power of sport through a wide range of initiatives across the country. More details are available on the new Team Up website.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, said: “This is sport delivering for the nation. Every pound we invest in grassroots facilities is a pound that takes pressure off our NHS, supports mental and physical health, and opens doors for new community members to benefit from sport - like women and girls who’ve been shut out for too long.
“We’re supporting communities that have made do with run-down pitches and crumbling changing rooms for years. This government is turning that around – building the facilities that get people active, bring communities together, and nurture the next generation of sporting talent.”
Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation said: “High quality sports facilities are vital. This season we’ve been celebrating 25 years of game changing impact in the grassroots game thanks to £1.3bn of funding from our partners the Premier League, The FA and Government since we started work in 2000.”
The funding from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, announced today, alongside that of the Premier League and The FA, ensures the Football Foundation can continue to deliver the football and multi-sport facilities that inspire people to play, get healthy and come together.
Football in England is evolving and we need to ensure the facilities support its growth. Guided by our Local Plans we systematically deliver where need is greatest and impact is strongest, creating inclusive opportunities for generations to come.
The £68.4m will help us support the growth of the women’s and girls’ game, provide the facilities that grassroots organisations need, back our biggest and best clubs and ensure we know about every pitch and how we can best support them.
We are excited about the next year, and look forward to working with our funding partners to continue to provide very community with a great place to play.”
Sport England Chief Executive, Simon Hayes said: “Community sport sits at the heart of our society. It brings people together across the UK, helping them to connect, have fun and live healthier lives. But none of that is possible if there aren’t enough pitches and facilities, designed in the right way and located in the right places. We therefore very much welcome today’s announcement and look forward to working with the Government and our partners to ensure as many people as possible from all over the country have the chance to participate.”
Through new local sports facilities or critical upgrades to outdated facilities, the funding will deliver:
- New 3G grass pitches enabling year-round play regardless of weather
- Upgraded changing pavilions with more appropriate changing facilities for women and girls
- Floodlighting to extend playing hours into evenings and car parking for better accessibility
- New goalposts, fencing and storage facilities to improve safety and access
- Priority use time slots for women and girls teams at funded sites
- Facilities that can host PE and school activities alongside community use
- Sites that support health initiatives and community outreach programmes
The funding is designed to promote health, wellbeing and community cohesion, remove the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups (such as women and girls, people with disabilities, and ethnic minority communities), and support the Government’s Plan for Change by breaking down barriers to opportunity and delivering an NHS fit for the future.
