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READING FC BACKS £600,000 SPACE FOR SPORT

Reading Football Club Chairman John Madejski along with players Steve Sidwell and Graeme Murty welcomed the announcement of a £600,000 grant from Barclays and the Football Foundation for development of the South Reading Sports Centre in Whitley, Reading.

Thanks to the unique funding package, part of the £30million Barclays Spaces for Sports initiative to create sustainable sports facilities across the UK, the site will benefit from a new fitness suite and refurbished sports hall, changing rooms and dance studio.

The funding will help enable a complete overhaul of the site which has suffered significant deterioration, both in terms of its state of repair and usage over the past five years. In addition to the £600,000 grant, the centre will also receive kit and equipment worth £5,000 and a £45,000 development fund from Barclays to ensure its sustainability.