The development of the full-size floodlit 3G pitch at Amberley Playing Fields is being made possible by a £500,000 grant from the Premier League, the FA, and the Government through its charity the Football Foundation; This will enable the council to provide a first-class playing surface, supporting grassroots football as well as a host of other sports and community activities.
Councillor Sarah Day, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Leisure, attended a turf-cutting ceremony to mark the start of the project.
The new pitch will become a landmark facility for North Tyneside – a modern venue which opens up new opportunities for local people to get involved in sport and maintain a fit and active lifestyle.
The project aligns with many of our key priorities for the borough, such as keeping people healthy and making physical improvements, as well as being part of our regeneration plan for Killingworth. I’d like to thank KYPC’s management and players for their commitment to helping to make the project possible, as well as the Football Foundation and our construction partners SIS Pitches for their support. I can’t wait to see the pitch being used.
Sarah Day
KYPC’s former chairman, Neil Drummond, manages the project on behalf of the club committee.
It was a vision that the club had years ago when games were being cancelled because of poor weather. Most of us live in Killingworth and we want our kids to have somewhere they can go to play sports all year around within walking distance to keep the kids active. We initiated the application in the first instance but none of it would have been possible without the support we have received from the Football Foundation and North Tyneside Council.
Neil Drummond
We are delighted to be working with North Tyneside Council on the Amberley Playing Fields project
Stephen Spaven – SIS Pitches Sales Director
It is envisaged that the facility will be used to host mini soccer leagues and an over 35s league featuring teams from across North Tyneside. The Northumberland FA and Newcastle United Foundation will also have access to the facility and there will be an emphasis on working to develop girls’ and disability football. The pitch will also be available for use by local school and for general hire by the local community.
SIS Pitches is a part of a framework agreement to provide the design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of artificial grass pitches. The agreement is in support of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), Football Association (FA), Sport England, England Hockey and Football Foundation (FF) capital investment programmes.