Council to provide over £371,000 funding for two community sports facilities in Glasgow

Published: 26 February 2024

This funding for both will come from developer contributions under the Outdoor Sport ENV2 / IPG category - which supports the provision of enhanced quality or quantity of outdoor sports facilities for use by the entire community. 

The council will provide £72,665 capital and revenue funding to Park Villa Community Sports Hub in Govan, to support the replacement and maintenance of synthetic grass surfaces on two pitches (one full-size 3G and a 7-a-side 2G). The overall capital funding package for this project will also feature further contributions from the Scottish FA/the UK Government's Department of Culture, Media and Sport and Glasgow City Council.

£298,597 in this funding will also be awarded for the replacement and ongoing maintenance of synthetic grass surfaces on the full-size 3G (which will be FIFA standard) and three 5-a-side sized pitches Barlia Sports Complex in Castlemilk.

Both of these facilities - although at different stages of the process - are being run by community-led organisations through the People Make Glasgow Communities programme, which allows individuals, community groups and third sector organisations the opportunity to express interest in having a greater involvement in the management of public assets.

Councillor Kenny McLean, City Convener for Development and Land Use at Glasgow City Council, said: "This funding, coming from contributions from developers building in the city, will allow significant improvements to be made on the pitches at both of these facilities. The work which will take place in Castlemilk and Govan will benefit local communities and all those the pitches."

John Harkins, Charity Manager at Castlemilk Community Football Trust (which runs the Barlia Sports Complex) said: "We are thrilled to announce this game-changing investment. This is a hugely exciting project for Castlemilk Community Football Trust, our members, teams and the whole Castlemilk community. The Council and SFA's commitment and confidence in our vision is a testimony to all the hard work done so far in resurrecting Barlia from a near derelict facility that lay closed and abandoned for nearly two years. Since taking over the management of the facility in February 2022 we have hosted nearly 600 full matches, providing a home pitch to 86 different teams and thousands of midweek training sessions for 26 Castlemilk and Southside teams. In addition, we have delivered nearly 50 free football camps for local children during school holidays and allow free pitch access to children, young people and families, when the pitches aren't in use by teams. And even opened our doors to the community on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day and every public holiday. We are extremely grateful to our funding partners for their commitment to the redevelopment of the pitches, which is only the first stage of our ambitious plans for the facility at Barlia".

Martin Currie, Park Villa Community Sports Hub Manager (which runs Park Villa Community Sport Hub) said, "We are delighted to announce this investment will enhance our already successful Community Sports Hub. The investment from Glasgow City Council and the Scottish FA will help to redevelop our current 2G and 3G pitches into 5G playing areas together with 12 state of the art LED floodlights. Our main pitch will stay the same and offer full 11-a-side with three 7-a-side and our smaller pitch being able to offer a 9-a-side, and also two 5-a-side, pitches. This will benefit not only all of our groups and teams, but the whole community. Since taking over the management of the facility in 2022 we have worked hard to provide a safe and enjoyable space for the community and with this investment we will be able to continue to develop our Community Sports Hub."