Blog - New 3G pitch in Cottenham awarded funding to honour Lionesses
Cottenham Village College have been awarded a £646,000 grant from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation to build a new 3G pitch and refurbish changing facilities, to help turbocharge women’s and girls’ football in Cottenham, Cambridgeshire.
The new pitch at CVC will be one of at least 30 set to benefit from The Lionesses Futures Fund – a £30 million cash injection from the Government and The FA delivered by the Football Foundation. The pitches celebrate the Lionesses roaring to victory at the 2022 UEFA EUROs and their achievement of making the final at FIFA World Cup 2023 and will help meet the growing demand for women’s and girls’ football.
Since the Lionesses lifted the trophy in 2022, 68,000 more girls are playing football compared to before the tournament. However, too often, badly lit pitches, unsuitable changing facilities and late-night kick-off times put women and girls off taking to the pitch.
Each Lionesses Futures Fund site will prioritise access for women and girls through reserved peak-time slots and welcoming changing facilities to create a best-in-class experience.
Cottenham Village College’s grant application was successful as the newly refurbished pitch and changing facilities will be used by the school, local clubs and the whole community.
The whole project is costing around £1million, with other funds provided by Astrea Academy Trust and the local Cottenham community.
Zoe Andrews, Principal at CVC said:
“I am thrilled that Cottenham Village College has been awarded a grant to enhance our sports facilities, providing significant benefits for both our students and the wider local community.
“This funding will allow us to develop a state-of-the-art playing surface and modernised changing facilities, creating a more inclusive and high-quality environment for training and competition. I eagerly anticipate seeing our pupils in action on the new pitch, making the most of these fantastic improvements.”
Katie Critchely, Football Development Manager at Cambridgeshire Football Association said:
“We are delighted that Cottenham Village College will receive this Football Foundation grant to extend the existing 7v7 3G pitch, to a full size 3G FTP. This project will have a significant impact on local football development. The new pitch will create more opportunities for players of all ages and support the growth of grassroots football in the community. The project was highlighted as a Lioness Futures Fund project, which is made available to facilities with women’s and girls’ football provision at their core. The growth of the female game in Cottenham has been incredible and we look forward to seeing future Lionesses using the new pitch! We are immensely grateful to the Football Foundation for this generous support. Well done to all involved!”
Robert Sullivan, CEO of the Football Foundation, said:
“The Lionesses Futures Fund builds on the Football Foundation’s biggest ever commitment to providing equal access to grassroots facilities for women and girls.
“Over 8,500 women’s and girls’ football teams were playing at sites that have benefitted from Football Foundation funding last season, whether that be for new goalposts, improved grass pitches or brand-new changing pavilions and 3G pitches.
“Thanks to the funding from the Premier League, The FA and Government, we’re delivering 30 pitches like this across the country to support the growing demand for football we’ve seen following the Lionesses’ inspirational success.”
To find out more about the Lionesses Futures Fund, visit the Foundation’s website.
