One Two Magazine May Edition | Page 20

Football Foundation Ambassador Hayley McQueen poses with students from Woodhouse College along with Principal John Rubenstein ‘‘I’m thrilled that my first engagement as a Football Foundation Ambassador is to unveil such an impressive sports site that will have such a positive impact locally. And it is just one of the £1.3 billion worth of community projects that the Foundation has supported since 2000 with investment from its core funders – the Premier League, The FA, the Government and Sport England “I’m very fortunate to work in the industry I do because it afford me the chance to report on the stars at the top of the game. But we mustn’t forget where it all starts, and where the next generation of young stars will come from – the grassroots. “Thousands of local people are going to enjoy playing sports this facility. Who knows, maybe some of them will go on to make it as professionals and I’ll be reporting on them one day too!” John Rubinstein, Principal of Woodhouse College, said: “We are thrilled to have this brilliant new facility for our students to use, and to have Haley McQueen officially open it for us. GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL ‘‘We are committed to encouraging our young people to be active in sporting activities of all kinds, and sport plays an important part of our enrichment programme. ‘‘So many people at this age across the country stop any kind of physical fitness activity as soon as it ceases to be compulsory, and then years later they are paying expensive fees to join gyms to regain the fitness they lost at 17. We are determined to inspire our students to keep playing the sports they love and to take advantage of the opportunities on offer. This pitch extends those opportunities. ‘‘We are also really pleased to be able to offer this facility to the wider community at weekends and evenings. Community-based football clubs, like The Old Woodhouseians, will certainly appreciate the step up in quality compared with our old pitch. ‘‘We are grateful to the Premier League & The FA facilities Fund for making this a reality.” Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “I am delighted that a grant from the www.grf-football.co.uk Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund has enabled Woodhouse College to upgrade their 3G pitch. This development will provide a real boost to sport in the local area. I must thank our Ambassador, Hayley McQueen, for kindly opening the facility. “Since 2000, the Football Foundation has supported grassroots projects worth more than £1.3bn, investing into areas where the need is greatest and where it will have the biggest impact in terms of getting more people playing football and a wide range of other sports. “With this funding, provided by the Premier League, The FA and the Government, through Sport England, we are helping to improve community sports facilities across the country and thereby the playing experience of those who take part. This latest project in Middlesex is the latest addition to the inventory of modern community sports sites we are developing that cater for the needs of local people who want to play sport purely for the love if it and to stay healthy.” 20