England’s Football Foundation welcomes new funding for grassroots facilities

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The Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation have welcomed the news that a further £205m (over $371m) of government funding will be made available to invest in community sports facilities across England for the next three years.

The investment, which was announced by the Chancellor during a Comprehensive Spending Review, will be used by the Football Foundation to target communities up and down the UK who will benefit most from access to better sports facilities.

These regions reflect the priority areas set out by the Government in its ‘Levelling Up Agenda’ – 70 percent of Football Foundation funding will be going to category 1 and 2 areas identified by the Government across England.

This new funding will provide welcome support to the grassroots football community as the nation begins to rebuild from Covid-19.

The Football Foundation is the UK’s largest sports charity and exists to deliver outstanding grassroots football facilities, which means better games and more players – helping transform communities where demand is greatest and impact will be strongest. Since it was formed 21 years ago, the Foundation and its partners have unlocked £1.8bn ($3.2bn) of investment in grassroots football.

Football Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Robert Sullivan:

“This investment is welcome news for all those involved in grassroots football across the country. We know that playing on good quality facilities helps people get fitter, improves mental wellbeing, grows confidence and builds stronger relationships. This is all essential for individuals and communities as we emerge out of the Covid-19 crisis,” he said.

“With the government, Premier League and The FA’s investment, we have made plenty of progress in the last two decades, but there is still lots of work to do to ensure all communities across England get the standard of local sports facilities they need and deserve. This new funding will unlock the power of even more pitches to help transform people’s lives.”

The FA Chief Executive Mark Bullingham:

“This investment into grassroots football pitches and multi-sport facilities is fantastic news for communities throughout the country. It will help the nation get active as we emerge from the impact of Covid,” he said.

“This is an important part of the Government’s £550m commitment to transform our grassroots football infrastructure, which will have a massive social and economic impact.”

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Football Victoria marks World Autism Understanding Month with Expanded Inclusion Program

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Image Credit: Football Victoria

Football Victoria has marked World Autism Understanding Month with a series of practical inclusion initiatives delivered in partnership with Aspect, reinforcing the governing body’s commitment to making football accessible for autistic participants across all levels of the game.

The partnership, now in its second year, has moved beyond awareness into structural change. Environmental assessments have been completed across multiple programs and match days, including at Collingwood City FC and the All-Abilities League match day at Northcote City FC. Each assessment identifies accessibility barriers and provides concrete inclusion principles integrated into the physical and operational realities of football environments.

Ahead of the 2025 Football For All Gala Day, Aspect conducted an environmental assessment of The Home of the Matildas, informing the development of a Visual Story designed to help participants with autism understand the venue and event before arriving. The same approach has been applied to FV’s GO Camps program, giving participants and families the information they need to engage with confidence.

Aspect has also delivered multiple education sessions for coaches throughout the partnership, with a dedicated session for referees held on April 20, the first of its kind, extending autism understanding across match officials and into all parts of the game day experience.

Football Victoria has also joined the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Initiative, with training and education to be rolled out across the organisation in the coming months, strengthening its capacity to recognise and support participants with non-visible disabilities.

The initiatives reflect a recognition that access to sport is not guaranteed by an open registration form. For many participants with autism and their families, the barriers are environmental, informational and social; and removing them requires sustained investment in education, assessment and design.

UEFA reaffirm partnership with Oceania Football Confederation

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Image credit: UEFA.com

Last week, UEFA signed a Memoriam of Understanding (MoU) with Oceania’s football governing body to continue its commitment  to football in Oceania.

 

United through football

While being two governing bodies separated by distance, the MoU stands as a symbol of unity and collaboration which supports mutual growth.

The agreement will run until 2031, displaying both parties’ commitment to long-term development through football.

“Europe and Oceania are connected by a shared belief in the importance of investing in people as the foundation of football’s future,” said UEFA President, Aleksander Čeferin, via press release.

“This Memorandum of Understanding brings together UEFA’s experience in elite development and education with OFC’s clear focus on nurturing young talent and strengthening football leadership.”

Furthermore, OFC President, Lambert Maltock, also expressed his confidence in the agreement to support players and pathways alike.

“Our partnership with UEFA reflects a shared commitment to developing the game at every level – from grassroots to elite,” said Maltock.

“By investing in our people and working collaboratively, we are building a more connected, capable and globally competitive football ecosystem for Oceania.”

 

What the agreement promises

Continuing UEFA’s recent MoUs with CAF (Africa), Concacaf (North, Central America and the Caribbean) and CONMEBOL (South America), the partnership will seek to address several key aspects. These include:

  • Youth football opportunities – supporting OFC’s annual boy’s and girl’s U15 tournaments.
  • Knowledge exchange – reciprocal observer programmes at club finals and national team tournaments.
  • Football development – delivered through the UEFA Together programme.
  • Coach education – sharing of technical expertise and learning activities.
  • Refereeing – opportunities to referee youth tournaments, courses and technical programmes.

Moreover, the agreement outlines a commitment to ensuring football remains a tolerant and inclusive sport, capable of uniting communities and empowering individuals.

Therefore, the MoU between UEFA and the OFC is symbolic of aligned values, principles and vision for the future of football in both regions.

 

Final thoughts

An alliance of this nature – especially in these uncertain times for global cooperation – is vital.

Football has the power to unite like nothing else.

So governing bodies must recognise the value of connecting across cultures, countries and continents, not only for what it can do for football, but how it can promote fundamental values within the sport as a whole.

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