Hitchin’s Member of Parliament Bim Afolami MP visited The Priory School in Hitchin to meet with senior figures at Hitchin Belles F.C. and discuss local grassroots football.
The Member of Parliament hailed the “remarkable progress” being made locally, with Government investment announced over the last few months set to deliver a new artificial football pitch, new tennis facilities and more improvements to local grassroots sporting facilities in his constituency.
Hitchin Belles F.C. received more than £1,500 from a recent Government grant for new goalposts, building on more than £500,000 of Government investment in new grassroots sports facilities at The Priory School in 2021/22. That funding helped to deliver a new artificial playing surface at the school and Mr Afolami was able to see the impact that that has already had in widening access to sport locally.
Bim Afolami MP said,
“Hitchin, Harpenden and the villages have benefitted from more than £1.5m of Government investment in local grassroots sport since 2021 – that’s remarkable progress in our plan to improve local sports facilities. This vital funding is helping to open up access to sport for people right across our communities.
“It was fantastic to see first-hand the new pitches at The Priory School and the results of that Government funding in action. Hitchin Belles F.C. are a fantastic community club – I’m told the largest girls’ and women’s’ football club in England – and I will continue to do all that I can alongside colleagues in Government to support them to deliver their plans to continue growing and improving their facilities.”
NOTE TO EDITORS
Hitchin Belles launched in 1999 and are an England Football Accredited club with a 2-star rating which indicates they have a full player pathway from 4-year-olds to adults. The club are one of only 21 clubs in the county that offer a full girls player pathway and Belles are the largest all female football club in the country. They currently have 30 teams with over 400 players each week benefiting from the facility at the Priory.
The club’s main growth has been over the last 5 years. Previously they were housed all over North Herts as the club fought for facility slots against long standing boys/men’s teams. The Priory partnership has been instrumental in the growth, allowing more girls to experience football.
Phase one saw the school and club secure funding for a state of the art all weather football pitch and grass pitch maintenance for 10 pitches.
