During the early part of this summer, The SFP Trust provided financial assistance to Cambusdoon Sports Club to assist them in upgrading their old all-weather playing surface which, after many years of use, had fallen into disrepair and was no longer fit for purpose.
The project to install a new artificial 3G football training-size surface involved the sports club pulling together a funding package of around £180,000 and The SFPT was delighted to be able to assist in making the project a reality.
Whilst the sports club, based in Ayr, is very much a multi-sports club, this project had a focus on supporting the club’s ever growing football section. The football club was first established in 2012 and has already trebled in size to over 110 playing members. It offers football coaching and playing opportunities for boys and girls and it recently commenced a new walking football programme aimed at getting members of the community over the age of 50 active and into this format of the game. The new modern 3G surface will help the club with its aspirations to continue to grow and develop and to reach its targets within the next 2 years of providing football activity for local youngsters up to U18 level and beyond into full amateur level. Five other local clubs including Ayr United Football Academy’s Girls and Women’s section will also be able to access training slots on the new pitch which will further increase the positive impact this project will have on football activity locally.
John Brown, The Scottish FA’s South West Region Manager was hugely supportive of this project and commented “The football section at Cambusdoon Sports Club has grown significantly in the last 4 years and it has already achieved Development Level within our Quality Mark accreditation scheme and in achieving this has met stringent criteria around structure, communication, coaching standards, child wellbeing and much more. For football to grow within the local community this pitch is absolutely vital and I wish the club well in realising its ambitions of further developing the children’s game, youth game, adult game and its girls section”.
“The funding assistance provided by The Scottish Football Partnership Trust was integral to our new 3G pitch going ahead as it allowed us to deliver the project in a timeframe that was critical for our football section to continue to grow and develop. This is a good news story for football in our area and I would like to thank The SFP Trust and The Scottish FA for supporting us throughout this process” – Sam Hornell , Chairman, Cambusdoon Sports Club.
