08 Apr 2003 - 30 Sep 2004
Regent's Park to undergo massive facelift
Regent's Park

The largest concentration of football pitches in Central London will undergo a huge revamp, thanks to a £908,343 grant to The Royal Parks from the Football Foundation, the UK's largest sports charity.

The cash bonus will allow The Royal Parks to undertake a massive improvement project for their 13 Regent's Park football pitches, allowing the thousands of players who use the facilities every week the opportunity to finally play on top-quality surfaces. For the first time mini soccer will become an established fixture in the Park with the creation of five new pitches for the capital's under 10's teams. A Saturday morning youth football programme will also be provided and is expected to attract over a dozen new clubs.

The project is part of a larger £5 million programme by The Royal Parks that will see Regent's Park gaining more pitches, a better infrastructure and a brand new pavilion. The forty sports pitches (for football, softball, cricket, rounders, rugby and hockey) currently in Regent's Park are built on bomb rubble from the Blitz, some of which is over 10 feet in depth. After years of heavy use this had led to very uneven surfaces as well as major drainage and maintenance issues.

The pitch improvement project, the largest scheme of its kind ever supported by the Foundation, will allow the 60 plus teams that regularly use Regent's Park the chance to fulfil their fixtures without delays due to waterlogging or vital maintenance. The Park will also be able to expand its role as a focal centre for London football community projects including the Street Football League, established for London's homeless, and both the Arsenal FC and QPR FC community football scheme.

A special emphasis will also be placed on developing women's and girls' football in the Park through the establishment of weekly girls coaching sessions by Queens Park Rangers.

The Football Foundation is dedicated to revitalising the grass roots of the game, constructing modern football facilities, developing football as a force for social cohesion and as a vehicle for education in communities throughout the country. Funded by the FA Premier League, The Football Association, Sport England and the Government, the Football Foundation is the nation's largest sports charity with a �53m budget going straight into the very heart of football.

There are eight Royal Parks in London, cutting a green swathe across London and providing sporting facilities for many local communities. Millions of Londoners and tourists visit the eight Royal Parks for free each year to relax or play. The 5,000 acres of carefully conserved historic Parkland provide unparalleled opportunities for enjoyment, exploration and healthy living in the heart of the capital. The eight Royal Parks are: Bushy Park, Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Regent's Park (with Primrose Hill), Richmond Park and St James's Park.

Peter Lee, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, welcomed this boost for grass roots football in London: "This money will go a long way to ensuring that footballers in the capital, regardless of race, age or ability, will soon have access to the type of modern facilities, they and their communities deserve. The Royal Parks have a proud history in providing sport for Londoners and this latest Foundation grant will leave a legacy for future generations of footballers to enjoy the game."

William Weston, Chief Executive of The Royal Parks, added: "This generous contribution from the Football Foundation has doubled the money we have raised over the last year. Sport in The Royal Parks is good for the players and for their communities too. Our vision for Regent's Park as a top grade, open air sports facility for all the local communities is now one step closer to reality."

Source:
Joint

Further information:
http://www.footballfoundation.org.uk

For more information contact:
Simon Taylor/Royal Parks Press Office, T: +44 (0)20 7534 4280/ +44 (0)20 7298 2128