Women’s and girls football in North Wales will benefit from more than £450,000 of grassroots grants

Seven North Wales projects – four of them in the Wrexham area – will share more than £450,000 of funding to improve grassroots sports facilities – and women’s and girls football are big winners!

A total of 17 schemes across the whole of Wales will split a total £1.3 million of UK government money to create and improve pitches, changing rooms and pavilions. The north will get about a third of the cash.

The opening round of Welsh wonga forms part of a £25 million UK-wide investment in grassroots facilities during this financial year, out of a total of £230 million set to be invested to help to build or upgrade up to 8,000 quality pitches across the UK over the next four years.

The funding will also support the construction or refurbishment of clubhouses, changing facilities and community buildings.

Projects have been chosen for their ability to deliver improved facilities in deprived areas, support multi-sport use and increase participation among currently under-represented groups, including women, girls and disabled players.

The successful North Wales applicants are….

Penycae Football Club

Grant – £20,534 (club also providing £1,000 of its own funds)
Project – Essential ground maintenance to improve standard and durability of the pitch. This will help the club re-establish a girls’ team and provide space for the local primary school.

Ysgol-y-Grango – secondary school based in Rhosllanerchrugog, Wrexham

Grant – £57,413 (£100,000 each being provided by Wrexham County Borough Council and Sport Wales)
Project – Funding has been offered to upgrade the pitch at the Ysgol y Grango School Club Hub to a 3G surface. This will serve the school and club, becoming a hub facility for the community and bring an unused sand-based pitch back into use as an artificial grass pitch for 7 community clubs.

Treborth Playing Fields – Bangor

Grant – £33,117 (with an added £18,628 supplied by Bangor University)
Project – Funding to upgrade the pavilion and changing facilities at Treborth playing fields, so they are fit for all and provide equal access for female participants and allow them to expand their female sporting offer. It will allow them to host multiple bookings and events at the same time, for football, rugby and athletics.

Brickfield Rangers – Wrexham

Grant – £10,800 (plus £1,200 from the club and via voluntary labour value)
Project – Provide a secure module building with toilets, showers and a changing area for the girls’ teams to use on training and match days. Currently there is no changing or female-only toilet facility, which is a key barrier to the increase of female players which a key aim of the club.

Ysgol Rhosnesni High School – Wrexham

Grant – £142,149 (Wrexham County Borough Council and Sport Wales will provide £100,000 each)
Project – To install a 3G pitch at Rhosnesni High School, along with floodlights so it can expand its provision, in particular for women and girls. The pitch is also used by the school in the day during term time, helping students engage in physical activity.

Ysgol Bryn Elian – Old Colwyn, Colwyn Bay

Grant – £180,750 (plus £50,000 being contributed from school funds)
Project – Convert an old sand-based pitch at the Ysgol Bryn Elian grassroots facility into a new 3G surface, allowing it to be used all year round. Replacement of the floodlights will allow expansion of provision and cater to increasing demand for facilities locally, including from girls’ football and disability sports.

Dolgellau Athletic Amateur Football Club – Gwynedd, north-west Wales

Grant – £17,320 (club will also provide £5,000 from its own funds)
Project – The funding offer will go towards essential pitch maintenance equipment that will allow football users, as well as the cricket club who use the field, to benefit from a higher quality pitch and to support the establishment of a women’s team.