£18,334 awarded to Wiltshire FA to improve the quality of grass football pitches at Green Lane Playing Fields in Devizes

Wiltshire FA has been awarded a grant of £18,334 from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation, to enhance grass pitch maintenance works. 

The £18,334 six-year tapered grant, part of the Foundation’s Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund, will help Wiltshire FA to improve the quality of the grass pitches at Green Lane Playing Fields.

The investment was provided following the completion of a pitch inspection using the Football Foundation’s specially developed app, PitchPower, which is a mobile tool used for assessing the quality of grass football pitches. Wiltshire FA will now be able to use the grant to complete the maintenance work identified in their PitchPower Assessment Report, which includes applying fertiliser, aeration, seeding and other maintenance practices.

These grants are key to the Foundation’s aim to help create 5,000 more quality pitches before the end of 2024, in line with the FA’s Grassroots Strategy. Alongside its PitchPower assessment tool, the Football Foundation has also created an online groundskeeping community called The Hive to provide expert support and advice to clubs. Anyone in Wiltshire can find out more and sign up at https://footballfoundation.org.uk/grass-pitch-improvement 

Mark Young, Football Development Manager at Wiltshire FA said, “This grant will help us to improve our grass pitches at Green Lane. The funds will allow us to deliver an enhanced maintenance programme, helping us ensure we offer a good playing surface for matches and less cancelled fixtures for teams.”

Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “This grant award to Wiltshire FA towards enhanced grass pitch maintenance works at Green Lane Playing Fields is vital for the local community in Wiltshire as they get back to playing football. Our Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund is supporting clubs across the country, helping them enhance and sustain their pitches to improve access to good quality facilities for grassroots players.”

“This is part of our wider ambition to get more people involved in football, regardless of their background, age or ability. By unlocking the power of pitches, we can help transform the lives of players and strengthen communities through the nation’s favourite game.”

The Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund provides eligible clubs and leagues with a tapered six-year grant to help them sustain pitches already at a 'good' level or higher and enhance pitches that are either considered 'poor' or 'basic'.

The grant comes as part of an investment of more than £16m that has been made available to help clubs prepare for the restart of grassroots football following the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Football Foundation is the UK’s largest sports charity and exists to improve the experience of playing football for everyone, by championing fair access to quality facilities.