Refurbished Corby 3G artificial turf pitch open for business after £90,000 makeover
Corby footballers can now enjoy newly surfaced facilities following a £90,000 refurbishment.
The pitch at West Glebe Park has been converted to 3G Astroturf using funding by North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) and The Football Foundation.
Funding was sought after the previous surface was found to be ‘poor’ leading the council to consider opportunities for external funding to support improving its condition.
The project met the required criteria for the Football Foundation - Small Sided Facility Improvement Grant and was awarded up to £25,000 towards the total project costs – the remaining £65,000 allocated from the leisure pot of the capital small works budget.
Opening the facility Julie Cardwell, head of service for leisure at NNC, said: “It’s a fantastic improvement to our community’s sporting facilities.
"This project has been a true team effort, and I’d like to express our heartfelt thanks to the Football Foundation and North Northamptonshire Council, whose generous funding made this vision a reality. We are incredibly grateful for their support.”
The project was completed by specialist sports surfacing contractors Dura-Sport Ltd. The works included installation of a new shock absorbing performance layer, Tiger Turf Championship 50 FIFA Quality 3G grass and new timber kick boards.
Cllr Brian Benneyworth, NNC’s executive member for health and leisure, said: “The Astroturf was in desperate need of resurfacing having been patch repaired over several years.
“Overall, this is a project to encourage and increase active participation in activity and provide new opportunities to support health and rehabilitation as the facility develops its community programme, particularly around walking sports and young people’s activity.
“The council would like to thank the Football Foundation for its support and contribution to the project. We would also like to thank Dura-Sport for completing a fantastic job, as the pitch quality is amazing.”
The Astroturf can be booked by the community including casual groups, pay and play for both adults and juniors, junior and adult block bookings for both male and female teams, walking football options, plus school competitions.
Chris Stevenson, director of Dura-Sport Limited, added: “It’s been a pleasure working with the Leisure team at North Northamptonshire Council on this project. The installation went extremely well and was completed on time and within budget. I am sure the users will enjoy the new upgraded facility.”