Capital City Academy received £366,368 from the Football Foundation to resurface their third generation (3G) artificial grass pitch (AGP). Unveiled this January, the upgraded facility provided Capital City Academy, Brent Council Sports Department, the London Football League and ABC Coaching with a state-of-the-art playing surface to help encourage more young people in the area to play football.
The Football Foundation, the country’s largest sports charity, is funded with exchequer investment from Sport England, the Premier League and The FA.
As well as launching the new season, the Premier League also announced a £10.5 million investment in a three year programme of support for primary school sport that will be delivered across the country.
It will see the Premier League and other professional clubs provide community coaches to deliver fun, high-quality, and age appropriate PE and sport sessions in schools. They will also provide a pathway into competitive football for those that want them.
Sport England Director of Sport Phil Smith, who attended the launch, said: “As one of our funding partners for the Football Foundation and Premier League 4 Sport, I welcome the Premier League’s additional investing in grassroots sport.
“The great facilities at Capital City Academy show that by working towards a common goal of creating more opportunities to play sport, we can help more young people create a lifelong sporting habit.”
Richard Scudamore, Premier League Chief Executive said: “The high-quality football put on by Premier League clubs, and the popularity that it generates, allows us to invest in and support community sports facilities, school sport, and a variety of sports participation projects.
“Investing in the primary school sector, where everything begins, is a perfect fit with our overarching strategy of aiming to get more young people playing sport."
Capital City Academy’s 3G pitch is used by 23 local primary schools and clubs in the area, and acts as a local hub for community sport.