Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the long-term sustainability of grassroots football clubs.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, which is why we are investing £85 million into new and upgraded grassroots facilities through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme this financial year. Projects funded through the programme include new and upgraded artificial grass pitches, pitch maintenance equipment and floodlights, supporting football clubs across the country to increase access to sport. Details of future funding allocations as part of our £400 million package of facilities investment through to 2030 will be confirmed in due course.

Our programme delivery partner in England, the Football Foundation, plans their investment pipeline using Local Football Facility Plans (LFFPs), which are developed in partnership with local authorities so as to understand the needs of each community. The LFFP for Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard can be found here: Central Bedfordshire Executive Summary.