Gateshead Redheugh 1957 FC celebrate new equipment

Football Foundationin Football

Gateshead Redheugh 1957 FC kicked off their pitch improvement project during a Newcastle United Foundation holiday camp yesterday (Tuesday 10 April), following the arrival of their state-of-the-art ground maintenance equipment. The project was made possible thanks to a grant from the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund, which is delivered by the Football Foundation.

The investment enabled Gateshead Redheugh 1957 FC to purchase pitch maintenance equipment, including a brand new tractor and mower system, which will help to improve the quality of the club's four grass pitches. It is expected that fewer fixture and training cancellations will occur as a result, and overall use of the pitches will receive a boost thanks to the playing surface improvement project.

This will benefit the club's 24 teams, ranging from Under-7 to senior level, in addition to other users. These include Newcastle United Foundation, who deliver a selection of community outreach sessions at Gateshead Redheugh 1957 FC's ground, as well as Dunston UTS FC and Saltwell FC.

Players are also able to take advantage of a third generation (3G) artificial grass pitch (AGP), which was refurbished in 2014 thanks to a £456,911 grant from the Premier League, The FA and the Government via Sport England. The three organisations also invested £102,000, through the Football Foundation, for a new changing pavilion at the site, which was officially opened by Alan Pardew back in 2012.

The club were awarded a £23,403 grant from the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund towards the new equipment. Gateshead Redheugh 1957 FC worked alongside the Football Foundation and the Durham FA to compile a five-year Football Development Plan, which is a vision of how sport will be played on site with an emphasis on increasing participation.

Thanks to the improved surfaces, and the increase in playing capacity expected on-site as a result, Gateshead Redheugh 1957 FC hope to introduce ten brand new teams - taking their total to 34. Of these, four will be girls' sides at the Under-10 to Under-14 levels.


You can read the full article from the Football Foundation HERE

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