£3.5 Million Funding Boost for Community Sports Hub

A new Community Sports Hub has secured a generous grant of £3.5 million from the Premier League, The FA, and the government’s Football Foundation. This funding marks a significant step toward enhancing local sports facilities and promoting community engagement in Hailsham, East Sussex.

Construction of the hub is set to begin in the autumn, with an expected completion date in 2026. Wealden District Council has collaborated closely with the Football Foundation, a charity dedicated to improving grassroots sports facilities, to bring this project to fruition.

The new hub will offer a variety of sports and community facilities available for use throughout the year. This funding comes through the Football Foundation’s Hubs Programme, ensuring that the site will be operated on a not-for-profit basis by the charity Leisure United and managed by The National Football Trust. Any surplus income generated from the facility will be reinvested into local grassroots sports initiatives.

Exciting Features of the Hub

The Community Sports Hub will feature two floodlit full-size 3G pitches, four dual-use floodlit netball/tennis courts, and two padel tennis courts. Additional amenities will include a café, meeting spaces, a skate park, a children's play area, and a pathway encircling the site, creating an inclusive environment for the entire community.

Councillor Kelvin Williams expressed enthusiasm about the project, stating, “This award follows many months of collaboration with the Football Foundation, local clubs, and our communities. It strengthens our relationship and underscores the importance of having this type of facility within Wealden.”

Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the foundation’s commitment to transforming grassroots facilities across England.