Children at Ferndale Primary School now have a new all-weather facility to play football, thanks to help from The Albion Foundation.
The school gained a grant of £145,480 from the Football Foundation for the facility, with funding support from the Premier League and The FA.
The 3G surface was officially opened by Albion Women Head Coach, Louis Sowe, and defender, Anna Wilcox.
After the pitch was unveiled, schoolchildren took part in a mini skills session in front of school governors, politicians and members of the Foundation.
The Albion Foundation assisted in the school's bid, something that was crucial to the success of the proposal according to Headteacher, Ruth Gillett.
“We couldn’t have done it without them. They helped us with a very original bid, both the writing of it and submitting an expression of interest to be a key partner,” said Ruth.
“We’re absolutely thrilled that the children have got this facility, it resonates with Ferndale’s values of teamwork, honesty, equality and respect and we’re really proud to be able to open it up to the community,” Ruth added.
The school's new addition was praised by Councillor Richard McVittie for Newton Ward.
“It’s a great addition to the school’s setup, it will allow the children to do a lot more during their PE sessions so it’s a great addition to any facility,” said Richard.
“The Albion Foundation is a pinnacle within the local area, they do such great work and this will add to the work that they can do,” he said.
The pitch will allow the Foundation to continue to enhance the community work that they currently do, said Senior Disability Development Officer at the charity, Paul Hunt.
“To have another facility like this will have a huge impact on our delivery to young people,” said Paul.