Chester FC and community celebrate 'fantastic' sports hub

The Chester FC Community Trust celebrated the opening of the new state-of-the-art sports hub with a special event on Friday, 24 June.

The project was made possible thanks to a £1m investment from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation, together with partnership funding from the Westminster Foundation, Cheshire West & Chester Council, Avenue Services, Ursula Keyes Trust and the Community Trust.

The Duke of Westminster officially opened the sports hub, which comprises a full-size floodlit 3G artificial grass pitch and a new clubhouse featuring changing rooms, kitchen, office and community room.

The Duke, whose Westminster Foundation made a £520,000 grant towards the King George V Sports Hub, was joined by Community Trust staff and trustees, partners and funders for the opening, during which children from eight Chester primary schools took part in a girls’ football tournament on the new 3G pitch.

Also in attendance were Blacon ward councillors Carol Gahan and Shelia Little, City of Chester MP Chris Matheson, and Chester FC first team manager Calum McIntyre and club captain George Glendon.

The sports hub is available for the community to hire and will be used by partner clubs and leagues, including Saughall Colts, Upton JFC, Chester FC Women, Cheshire Girls Football League and Chester & Wirral Football League, for training and matches, helping grow participation in football.

The Community Trust is now based at the site and will deliver sport, education, health and inclusion activities for the community, including mental health and wellbeing football, disability football, walking football, toddler sessions, exercise groups and training courses.

Construction of the facility, which has been