A new artificial sports pitch part-funded by housebuilder Vistry Group has been unveiled at Fyfield Sports Academy in Ongar.
The company paid £114,000 towards the cost of installing the all-weather pitch as part of the planning agreement for its Livingstone Gardens development, which was built under its Bovis Homes brand next door.
The work was carried out by contractor Soft Surfaces, a leading provider of synthetic grass sports pitches.
Fyfield Sports Academy, off Fyfield Road in Shelley, is a community-based facility offering artificial pitch hire and private coaching sessions for players of all ages. The academy is also a Football Association registered wildcat centre providing non-competitive football for girls who have never played before and for those who want to play against girls of their own age.
As well as part-funding the new pitch, Vistry has paid for 20 footballs and 20 branded water bottles, at a cost of £335, to be used by teams which hire the facility.
Tommy Brinkman, Director at Fyfield Sports Academy, said: “It is great to have this brand- new all-weather pitch which is much more versatile and durable than grass and can be used by players throughout the year.
image006.jpg“Thanks to the funding from Vistry and our own investment, we are able to provide this fabulous new facility which will benefit the local community and allow children to take part in sport, learn about teamwork and make new friends.
“We have a number of local teams signed up to use the facilities, including Ongar Juniors FC, Michael Richardson Football Academy (MRFA), and She Can Play Panthers, and I am sure all of them will benefit from the footballs and water bottles that Vistry have kindly donated.”
Verity McMahon, regional managing director at Vistry Central Home Counties, said: “We are very happy to have been able to fulfil our commitment to help fund the provision of a new sports pitch for the local community in Ongar. It’s fantastic to see the new pitch in situ at the academy and to hear that youngsters are already making good use of the surface.
“While part-funding a new pitch was part of the planning agreement for our Livingstone Gardens development, we thought it would be nice to continue our relationship by donating some footballs to support the training sessions which take place at the complex.”
Vistry incorporates Linden Homes, Bovis Homes and Countryside Homes.
