THE Government is working alongside its Football Foundation partners, the Premier League and The FA, to invest £64 million in thousands of grassroots sports facilities to get more people playing sport on quality pitches and local clubs in the Crediton area.

Funding will pay for new fencing for Crediton Youth Football Club, dugouts at AFC Morchard Bishop, goalposts for Bradninch Youth FC, goalposts, portable floodlights and fencing at Newton St Cyres FC and changing rooms and wc's at Cheriton Fitzpaine AFC.

In West Devon, South Zeal United will receive new goalposts.

Today, Saturday, May 20, EUROs-winning Lioness Ella Toone, a goal scorer for the victorious England team at the UEFA Women’s Euros 2022, unveiled a 3G pitch as part of a £6.3 million redevelopment of the William Fosters Hub facility in Wigan that will open to the public later this summer.

The Government is investing the money to build and upgrade 1,600 grassroots sports sites this year to level up access to high quality sports facilities.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: "We are committed to levelling up access to sport which is so important for the nation’s physical and mental health.

"Today (Saturday, May 20) we are delivering more than 1,600 new and improved grassroots sports facilities across the country to continue to support, sustain and grow community and grassroots sport - so that physical activity is accessible to all, no matter a person’s background or location.

"We are continuing to celebrate the success of the Lionesses - with the ‘Ella Toone Pitch’ enabling the generation of women and girls inspired by them to get active and involved."

Facilities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will benefit from £3.8 million being invested by the Government in partnership with the FAs in each home nation.

The Ella Toone Pitch is the second of 23 Football Foundation-funded pitches that will be named after each of the Lionesses to honour their UEFA Women’s EUROs victory last summer and inspire the next generation of women and girls to get involved in the beautiful game.

Some 40 per cent of the funding will be used to support multi-sport facilities, ensuring a wide range of sports are supported and helping to deliver benefits beyond football. The programme has a particular focus on increasing participation among underrepresented groups such as women and girls, and those with a disability.

Details on how to get facilities investment in your area can be found at the Football Foundation for England (https://footballfoundation.org.uk/looking-for-funding ), the SFA for Scotland, the CFF for Wales, and IFA for Northern Ireland.