One of the best grass roots projects in Hertfordshire will be given the green light this week as Barbara Follett, MP for Stevenage, formally presents junior footballers and officials of Knebworth Parish Council with a Football Foundation grant for £234,838. 

The cash boost will allow Knebworth Parish Council to start construction on a state of the art pavilion, housing six changing rooms, alongside social areas and spectator facilities. 

The project will kick off on Friday 18 June as Ms Follett joins players and members of the council at 9.30am at the Recreation Ground, off Watton Road, Knebworth, SG3 6AH. 

The new pavilion will replace a dilapidated 1920’s building, which has been subject to repeated vandalism and has been considerably damaged in a recent arson attack. The facilities are set to become a new home for local teams Knebworth Youth FC, Knebworth Old Boy’s FC and Knebworth FC as well as a base for coaching schemes in the village and surrounding communities. For the first time, women and girls will also be offered opportunities to play the national game and disabled players will also be encouraged to use the site. 

The Foundation is dedicated to revitalising the grass roots of the game, constructing modern football facilities, developing football as a force for social cohesion and as a vehicle for education in communities throughout the country. Funded by the Premier League, the Football Association and the Government, the Football Foundation is the nation's largest sports charity with over £200m already invested into the heart of football.

Libbi Smith, Chairman of the Recreation Grounds Committee said: 
“Knebworth Parish Council is delighted with the Football Foundation grant, which will significantly contribute to providing a considerably upgraded facility for the community. The new pavilion will offer opportunities for all, and we look forward to starting construction in the very near future”.

For Further Information Please Contact Simon Taylor on 
020 7 534 4280