Last updated 10:24, Friday, 15 August 2008

THE new football season has kicked off with spectacular success for Tynedale.

Strong foundations: Vic Howey, from North Country Leisure Tynedale, and Terry Graham from Hexham Football Club, hold the bumper Football Foundation cheque, surrounded by footballers from the club and representatives of the organisations that backed the project.

For Hexham Football Club and Tynedale Council are celebrating following the award of a £463,815 grant by the Football Foundation, the UK’s largest sports charity.

The cash bonanza will allow Tynedale Council to push ahead with its £810,000 plans to turn Dukeshouse Wood on the outskirts of town into one of the district’s premier junior football venues.

The scheme will see the council develop two new natural turf football pitches, a practice pitch and a changing pavilion at the former outdoor pursuits centre.

The scheme will specifically cater for children from the under eight age group up to the under 16s.

Work is expected to start next month, with the new facilities available for the 2009/10 season.

By autumn next year, the football facilities at Dukeshouse Wood will cater for upwards of 220 young footballers, increasing to over 250 by 2012, comprising players of all ages and abilities drawn from Hexham and the surrounding areas.

It fulfils a long-established need for football facilities in the Hexham area, although Tynedale is sub-letting the pitches from leisure operator Kingswood, which runs adventure holidays on the rest of the former school site.

The project was seen to fruition by Tynedale through a strong partnership with Hexham Football Club, North Country Leisure Tynedale and the Northumberland FA.

The new facility will enable a comprehensive coaching, training and competitive football programme to be offered through the junior section of Hexham Football Club.

Club spokesman Jon Armstrong said: “We are particularly delighted to receive this news. 

“The commitment of Tynedale Council, North Country Leisure, the Northumberland FA and local councillors should not go unrecognised. 

“All the people who have worked hard behind the scenes on this project will be rewarded by the fact that they have helped secure a fit-for-purpose football facility for junior and youth football serving the local community for the foreseeable future.

“The players and parents of all current Hexham FC team members should take pride in the fact that their own fund-raising efforts have contributed to the enablement of this vision.

“It's been a tough slog, but well worth it; the real work starts soon.”

Tynedale has agreed to contribute £200,000 to the scheme from its own resources, and has allocated a further £123,517 from its housing developers’ fund for sport.

Around £20,000 was raised by the football club, and further funds came from Northumberland County Council through its members’ local improvement scheme. The total project cost is around £810,000.

Portfolio holder for tourism, leisure and culture at Tynedale Council, Coun. Mrs Fiona Hunter, said: “The Football Foundation funding will now enable a much-needed new facility to go ahead, providing increased opportunities for the local community to participate in sport, as well as encouraging health and fitness.

“ It will also benefit children from outside the area through its proximity to the Kingswood outdoor activity centre.”

Another key figure in ensuring the success of the scheme was the president of the Northumberland FA, Prudhoe’s Alan Wright.

He said: “We work hard as a county football association to get better facilities for clubs and are delighted to see further opportunities for young players coming to the west division.”

Chief executive of the Football Foundation, Paul Thorogood, added: “We warmly congratulate the club and Northumberland FA for their hard work and dedication in securing this award.

“Sport is playing a central role in helping people to stay fit, strengthen communities and promote responsibility amongst young people.

“I am delighted that Football Foundation investment is opening up access to sport in Hexham and encourage other organisations in the region to apply to Kingswood, who are responsible for the overall management of the site.”

Development manager from Kingswood, Mervyn Turner, said: “ Co-locating the junior football pitches next to our newly refurbished Dukeshouse Wood centre will ensure the pitches are of the benefit of the whole community for many years to come.”