Accrington Stanley Secures £100,000 Grant for Community Project

The Accrington Stanley Community Trust has received a substantial £100,000 grant from the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund, a significant investment in the club’s community projects.

The funding will be utilized to finance a new small-sided 3G pitch at the Stanley Sports Hub facility, which already serves numerous local grassroots clubs, sports groups, and organizations. The venue was also a training site for the UK and Ireland’s successful bid to host the 2028 European Championships.

Accrington Stanley is the first EFL club to receive the maximum grant of £100,000 in the latest round of funding. A total of £284,000 was allocated to seven clubs, including Rotherham United, Stevenage, Walsall, Crawley Town, Watford, and Notts County.

The Accrington Stanley Community Trust has received a grant of £100,00 from the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund

The new 3G pitch is expected to increase participation in football, catering to diverse groups, including disabled individuals and community sessions for over 50s. The project’s construction has already begun and is anticipated to be completed soon.

Jeff Stelling, talkSPORT Breakfast Show host and Sky Bet ambassador, praised the initiative, stating, “This round of funding will play a crucial role in keeping communities across England and Wales active for years to come. The breadth of different programs that the CCOs offer is impressive, and these new grants will be put to great use serving the whole community.”

Andy Holt, Accrington Stanley chairman, expressed his gratitude, saying, “Community is key for every football club, and this £100,000 grant from the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund is absolutely massive for the Hyndburn community. The new 3G pitch at the Stanley Sports Hub will mean more groups of every age and ability can use the excellent facilities that the Accrington Stanley Community Trust provide.”

The trust will use the funding to finance a new 3G pitch at their Stanley Sports Hub facility

The Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund was launched when Sky Bet extended its title partnership with the EFL last year, committing to invest £6 million over six years. The fund aims to support football community projects across England and Wales.

Other clubs receiving funding include Stevenage, which will use the grant to purchase a branded vehicle to transport their StreetStadia portable pitch to local communities, and Walsall, which will utilize the funding to deliver the ‘Back On Your Feet’ program, addressing unemployment and the skills gap in the Walsall community.

Debbie Cook, director of EFL in the Community, emphasized the significance of the fund, saying, “Our Clubs are at the heart of our communities across England and Wales and are serving distinct and diverse local areas. The Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund is enabling and strengthening the role of our network to change people’s lives in EFL communities.”

The fund will continue to support the commitment to and significant impact that facility upgrades and the delivery of new and existing programs can create in communities across the country.