Exercising more is the most common New Year’s resolution*, and the UK Government is giving hundreds of thousands more people across the UK the ability to keep their resolution and get

active by delivering high-quality grassroots sport facilities.

From Ayrshire to Aberdeenshire, 40 projects are to receive funding that will go towards facilities such as changing rooms and pavilions, state of the art 3G artificial grass pitches and brand new floodlights. Work is already underway on 30 of these projects, with the remaining 10 to commence shortly.

The projects being announced today will benefit from £6 million from the UK Government in 2023/24, with £5.4 million also already allocated from next year’s overall budget. 

Since 2021, the UK Government has already delivered 40 projects across Scotland through £4 million of funding, with at least 50 per cent of investment to be spent in the most deprived  and inactive local authorities.

UK Government Sports Minister Stuart Andrew said:

Sport and physical activity is 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 access to high-quality sports facilities, which is why we are delivering 40 new projects in Scotland. 

The UK Government and Scottish FA have already delivered another 40 projects backed by £4 million to give local communities the high quality facilities they need.” 

To mark the announcement, UK Government Minister for Scotland and Exports Malcolm Offord visited Glasgow Girls and Women FC at their base in Springboig in the East End of Glasgow.

Formed in 2008, the club has gone from just 13 under-13s girls, to six youth sides from under-eights to under-18s and a senior women’s team who play in the 2nd league of the Scottish Women’s Premier League.

The club is receiving £620,000 from this latest round of UK Government funding to support their new state of the art 3G artificial grass pitch.  

UK Government Minister for Scotland Malcolm Offord said:

It was amazing to see the work done by the coaches, the SFA and the charity trustees at Glasgow Girls and Women FC. We are so proud to support facilities like these. 

The achievements of Scotland’s men’s and women’s football teams are in no small part down to the dedication of those at grassroots level. Providing high-quality facilities the length and breadth of Scotland that are accessible to all is vital. 

These 40 projects will nurture the talent of the future, encouraging everyone in the community to have fun, be active and embrace all the benefits that brings for physical and mental health.

Scottish FA President Mike Mulraney said: 

One of the priorities for the Scottish FA is ensuring that local communities across the nation have access to facilities, so it is wonderful to see the UK Government’s commitment to investing in our national game through the Scottish FA’s Grassroots Pitch & Facilities Fund.

This investment will provide opportunities for a number of fantastic community clubs across the country such as Glasgow Girls and Women FC and will play an important role in further developing the vitally important role that these clubs offer within their local areas.

It is vitally important for the nation that we continue to make our national game accessible to all and we are extremely grateful to the UK Government for helping us to do so through this investment.

This funding in Scotland will deliver 20 artificial grass pitch projects, four grass pitch projects and nine changing facility projects, as well as floodlights and goalposts. Some of these projects have been awarded funding over a two year period. 

Some of the facilities in Scotland to benefit from this year’s round of investment include:

Glasgow Girls FC in Scotland has received over £620,000 for a brand new artificial grass pitch.

East Kilbride United has also received £400,000 for a brand new artificial grass pitch.

Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Football Trust has received £510,000 for a new changing pavilion.

Newtongrange Star Football and Social Club in Dalkeith has received over £25,000 for solar panels.

Glasgow City Council has received £45,000 for new floodlights at Knightswood Secondary School.

A full list of the facilities to benefit in Scotland was published (live 27/01) today.

Since 2021, the UK Government has delivered new facilities or improvements at almost 2,400 sites across the UK, aiming to get 120,000 more people active, through its £325 million programme. This investment is supporting grassroots clubs up and down the country, including women’s and girls teams.

The UK Government’s multi-sport grassroots facilities programme is investing in areas that are most in need of new or renovated facilities. Through the programme more high quality facilities are being made available for people to play football, rugby and other grassroots sports.

The UK Government recently published its new sport strategy to get 2.5 million more adults and one million more young people meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s guidance of 150 minutes per week for adults, and 60 minutes per day for young people by 2030. 

To help reach this target, the projects being confirmed today are part of the Government’s unprecedented investment of over £400 million in grassroots facilities, including park tennis courts and swimming pools.