Following a £600,000 cash injection from Barclays and the Football Foundation, the site benefits from an artificial grass pitch with fencing and floodlighting. The site, immediately adjacent to Villa Park stadium, provides a range of activities for the local community, including football and hockey.
Since the announcement of the scheme in September 2004, Barclays Spaces for Sports has opened more than 120 sites and awarded more than 2,600 coaching packs to local communities up and down the country, giving over 330,000 disadvantaged people the opportunity to benefit from sport. In all, £2million has been invested so far in the Midlands region.
With the backing of Aston Villa FC the site is part of a £30million investment from the Barclays Spaces for Sports initiative to create sustainable sports facilities across the UK. The project will receive a further £45,000 from Barclays to ensure the sustainability of the site plus kit and equipment worth £5,000. It is the first stage in a £10.5million re-development of Aston Park, with further funding from a variety of sources including Birmingham City Council and Aston Pride New Deal for Communities.
Barclays Spaces for Sports, a partnership between Barclays, the Football Foundation and Groundwork, will create further sports sites for local communities and continues to provide kit and equipment for groups across the UK.
