Posted on 18th Jan
The YMCA Community and Activity Village in Newark is moving forward.
It has been awarded £250,000 by the Football Foundation and has also unveiled new plans to incorporate family-friendly elements to the cycle track plan.
The Football Foundation grant will “open doors for developing educational programmes and creating opportunities through football, to engage young people from a diverse range of backgrounds across the region.”
The sports hub hopes to “energise schools, community members, local clubs and other organisations in Newark and Sherwood to learn new skills by exploring the benefits of outdoor exercise.”
The grant has been awarded as part of the Football Foundation’s National Football Facilities Strategy to revolutionise grassroot football facilities in the local area and unlock the power of football to transform lives.
“We are deeply grateful for the Football Foundation and our funders for empowering us to build life-shaping education facilities that will support young people to belong, contribute and thrive in their communities,” said Todd Cauthorn, executive director at YMCA Newark and Sherwood.
“Football is a beloved community pastime that brings with it numerous health benefits, ranging from improved physical fitness to positive mental health nurtured though team-building and socialising. This funding to support our ambitious YMCA Village project will go a long way to helping safeguard this grassroot sport for future generations to come.”
Other funding includes just over £4,500 support from the Football Stadia Improvement Fund, which YMCA has already accessed to build a stand for the use and benefit of any of the clubs that use the village, such as Newark Town Football Club as it aims to move up the football ladder.
YMCA Newark and Sherwood has also unveiled a new community-focused design plan for the charity’s Community and Activity Village cycle track.
It said: “New additions to the design include a pump track and Bikeability elements into the southern loop of the cycle track that are geared towards encouraging families and community members to get into cycling in a safe, user-friendly space.
Todd added: “By crafting a model that features both a competitive track and caters for widening participation to encourage non-cyclists to engage with cycling, this design speaks to the needs of a wide range of community members and local clubs alike.
“The wider aspirations of the cycle track have not changed and, as a not-for-profit charity, we continue to work hard to secure the funding needed to make our vision of building a full 750-metre cycle track a reality.”
