Grassroots Sports Projects

Monday 29th January 2024 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stuart Andrew)]

We know that active people are fitter, happier and healthier, which is why we have set out our ambitious “Get Active Strategy” to get over 3.5 million people more active by 2030, including 1 million young people. Delivering on this strengthens our communities, makes us healthier—both physically and mentally—and creates a more prosperous society.



To achieve this, it is vital that everyone, regardless of their background or location, has access to world-class sports facilities. That is why we continue to support, sustain and grow community and grassroots sport with this historic level of investment.



As part of this commitment, His Majesty’s Government are delivering historic investment to improve and upgrade multi-sport pitches and facilities across the whole UK. Our investment of over £320 million between 2021 and 2025 will help to level up grassroots facilities, target those communities most in need, and increase participation in sport among under-represented groups—for example, women and girls, and people from ethnic minority backgrounds. In fact, any project in England receiving a grant of over £25,000 must provide an equal access usage plan for women and girls. At least 50% of this funding is going directly to the most deprived areas across the UK, and over 40% of projects are also supporting a sport other than football in order to spread the benefits as widely as possible.



Since 2021, over £200 million has been invested in over 1,800 projects up and down the country, improving the natural and artificial grass pitches on offer to communities and upgrading floodlights, goalposts, changing rooms and toilet facilities. These are all delivered in partnership with the Football Foundation in England and the Football Association in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Combined with funding from the FA and the Premier League in England, our investment is delivering real change in the communities that need it most across the UK—from Fermanagh to Rhondda, and from Grimsby to Motherwell.



On Saturday we announced the sites that have received a share of £93 million in 2023-24 so far—over 1,100 projects delivering vital improvements to grassroots facilities and increasing opportunities to play for under-represented groups. A full list of the projects can be found on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/multi-sport-grassroots-facilities-programme-projects-2023-to-2024 and have been placed in the Library of the House.



With a further Government investment of over £120 million to come next year, including £25 million towards the £30 million Lionesses Futures Fund to get girls playing, we will continue to build on this historic investment. We are committed to inspiring future generations of sporting talent, increasing participation in physical activity, and levelling up facilities across the UK.

[HCWS217]