Pool Academy has received £16,000 from the Football Foundation to invest in new grounds maintenance machinery
Eva Caddy, Sennen Stacey, Maisie Doble and Grace Knuckey are students at Pool Academy (Image: Pool Academy)
One Cornish school is set to improve its football facilities after receiving a grant from the Football Foundation.
Pool Academy received £16,000 from the foundation to buy new grounds maintenance machinery. School bosses said the investment will help to increase football opportunities for students.
Mark Fuller and Tom Ford, PE leads at the school, in Pool, Cornwall, said the cash will help them turn the school's two football pitches into state of the art playing surfaces.
The funding will go towards three specialist pieces of machinery, used to keep football pitches looking professional, and for additional weed-killing, fertilising, seeding and drainage works. The machinery is now on order.
Mr Fuller said: "This is brilliant for the school and its students. We have had numerous successes in football in the past few years, including becoming county champions.
"Having two pitches upgraded for football will be great for our students to train on and play their County and National Cup fixtures on."
Mr Ford added: "With the work the school has been doing to improve football over the last few years, this grant now gives us the opportunity to push on and develop further and make the future even more exciting."
Mr Ford and Mr Fuller worked with Kevin Murphy, premises manager, and Dean Grant, groundsman, on the application.
Mr Grant said: "Having this machinery and work done will be hugely beneficial for the school to maintain the excellent grounds that the school already has."
The Football Foundation is the UK's largest sports charity and exists to improve the experience of playing football for everyone, by championing fair access to quality facilities.
Robert Sullivan, interim chief executive of the Football Foundation, said: "We know the huge benefits playing regular football can have on individuals' physical and mental well-being.
"That's why we're committed to transforming the face of grassroots football facilities in this country. It's therefore very welcome news to hear that this funding will support Pool Academy."
To view the original article click here
