- The Conservative Government has set out a clear plan to get 3.5 million more people across the country active by 2030, including one million young people.
- It’s important that people of all ages have access to high-quality sports facilities to stay active and healthy, both mentally and physically, and sports facilities play an important role in the local community.
- Hitchin & Harpenden is set to benefit from £1,022,899.15 in funding, after the Conservative Government announced that more than 1,100 grassroots sports projects are to benefit from £93 million of funding, including new pitches, changing rooms, and floodlights.
Bim Afolami MP has welcomed the news that Hitchin & Harpenden will benefit from £1,022,899.15 in new funding as a result of the Conservative Government’s long-term investment in grassroots sports.
Exercising more is the most common New Year’s resolution. That is why the Conservative Government is helping hundreds of thousands of people across the country stick to their resolution by delivering high-quality grassroots sports facilities.
From Belfast to Bracknell, over 1,100 projects are receiving funding towards facilities such as changing rooms, pavilions, state of the art 3G football turf, goalposts, and floodlights, improving access to sport and physical activity for local communities.
Importantly, the Conservative Government’s multi-sport grassroots fund is investing in areas that are most in need, with at least 50 per cent spent in the most deprived and inactive local authorities.
As part of this investment, local communities across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will benefit from an unprecedented £12 million in 2023-24, delivering in partnership with the Scottish FA, the Irish FA, Cymru Football Foundation and Football Association of Wales. A further £9 million is also being committed across these regions for projects to be delivered through 2024-25.
This builds on historic investment in grassroots sport. Since 2021, the Conservative Government has helped deliver new facilities or improvements at almost 2,400 sites across the UK, getting more than 120,000 people active.
The Conservative Government is sticking to its plan to improve the mental and physical health of the nation and provide high-quality sports facilities across the country, ensuring a brighter future for this generation and generations to come.
Commenting, Bim Afolami MP said:
“Having the right grassroots sport facilities available is crucial in making sport and exercise accessible to everyone across our communities.
“That is why I welcome the news that the Conservative Government are helping people across Hitchin, Harpenden and the villages get active by investing over £1m into our grassroots sports facilities. This vital funding will help to deliver for people in Harpenden, Wheathampstead, Breachwood Green and Holwell.
“The Conservative Government is sticking to its plan to make sure everyone can access the facilities they need to live an active and healthy lifestyle, ensuring a brighter future for all.”
Sports Minister Stuart Andrew said:
“Sport and physical activity are vital to our mental health and wellbeing, and each year thousands of people make a New Year's resolution to exercise more.
“We know that one of the major barriers in getting active is having access to high-quality sports facilities, which is why we are upgrading 1,100 more pitches, backed by investing £93 million.
“This Government has delivered thousands of new projects across the UK with the aim of getting over 120,000 more people to get active, helping us to make big strides towards meeting our ambitious target of 3.5 million more people active by 2030.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- The Conservative Government is investing £93 million this year to more than 1,100 multi-sport grassroots sports projects across the UK. This investment of £93 million into the Conservative Government’s Multi-Sports Grassroots Fund will deliver new pitches, changing rooms, goalposts, and floodlights (DCMS, Press Release, 27 January 2024).
- The Conservative Government’s multi-sport grassroots fund invests in areas that are most in need of new or renovated facilities. The Multi-sports Grassroots Fund is investing in areas that are most in need of new or renovated facilities, with at least 50 per cent spent in the most deprived and inactive local authorities to ensure across the country can access high-quality grassroots sports facilities (DCMS, Press Release, 27 January 2024).
- The Conservative Government is investing an unprecedented £12 million in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2023-24. Local communities across Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are set to benefit from an unprecedented £12 million investment in their multi-sport grassroots facilities, with a further £9 million being committed across these regions in 2024-25 (DCMS, Press Release, 27 January 2024).
- The Conservative Government is committed to getting 3.5 million more adults and children active by 2030 so they can enjoy a healthier lifestyle, both mentally and physically. The Conservative Government wants to help build a healthier nation by tackling high levels of inactivity and by making sure that the sport and physical activity sector thrives for future generations (DCMS, Policy Paper, 30 August 2023, link).
- The Conservative Government is investing over £320 million between 2021 and 2025 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme to level up sport facilities across the whole of the UK. This programme provides funding to make essential facility improvements so that communities have a high-quality pitch to play on, and is a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to levelling up all corners of the United Kingdom (DCMS, Collection, 23 January 2024, link).
