Brooks congratulates Great Notley Park on securing a Football Foundation grant

Today, Brooks Newmark MP congratulated Great Notley Park on the award of a £110,147 grant from the Football Foundation. Today, Brooks Newmark MP congratulated Great Notley Park on the award of a £110,147 grant from the Football Foundation.

The grant will provide one third of the funds needed to build an Artificial Grass Pitch and Multi-Use Games Area at Great Notley Park, with the remaining two-thirds of funding provided by key partners.

The Country Park is set in over 100 acres of land and provides excellent recreational and sport activities for all ages to use and enjoy. However, with a greater number of youth football players, there has been a growing demand for a larger games area. The bid for funding from the Football Foundation was originally submitted in December 2008 and, once completed, it is hoped the extra sports pitches will encourage fitness and healthy living, and will substantially increase the amount of facilities available locally.

The objectives of the facilities are:

• To encourage and create opportunities for all players to participate in competitive football using skills they have learned in training sessions, and improving communication, team building and respect for others;
• To help to develop new coaches and to help clubs achieve the Football Association Charter Mark Accreditation Scheme through locally run football educational coach development courses and courses for clubs to develop their volunteers to assist in achieving Club Sx and Charter;
• To provide all year round football training within the catchment area;
• To meet growing demand in the Great Notley area for formal sports facilities that will complement the existing facilities;
• To raise the profile and reputation of the Country Park.

Brooks says, "I am delighted this excellent project has managed to secure Football Foundation funding. Sports and recreational areas are incredibly important not only to improve our health, but also our whole quality of life. With these new facilities on so many people's doorsteps, hopefully they will both cater for existing demand, and will also encourage many more to get up and start exercising all year round.

I know the Football Foundation offers a whole variety of sports grants for the benefit of local communities and I would urge anyone interested to look at the opportunities on their website at www.footballfoundation.org.uk.