Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan was present at the club’s Kilsby Lane home to cut the ribbon on the refurbished facility, which now features kitchen and bar facilities, a projector for team briefings and coach education sessions and a lounge area.
And the club, which runs 52 boys and girls teams, will now work closely with the Birmingham FA to deliver a wide range of FA coach education courses at the site, which also hosts 11 grass pitches.
Aston Villa stopper Guzan met delighted youngsters at Rugby Town JFC
In addition to the new clubroom, the club will also extend the existing car park, purchase new pitch maintenance equipment and create two junior real grass pitches with proper drainage systems.
The club worked in partnership with the Birmingham FA to secure the grant from the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund.
"It was an honour to open the excellent new clubroom at Rugby Town JFC," admitted USA international Guzan.
"The investment provided by the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund, which is delivered by the Football Foundation, has enabled the club to offer a stunning facility for local grassroots players to utilise all-year round.
"I’ve seen how essential it is that young players have a safe and secure environment in which to enjoying playing football.
"This new facility will help this impressive club attract more local youngsters to the sport as well as get more coaches qualified, which is vital if we are to give youngsters proper coaching."
Jason Morris, Chairman of Rugby Town Girls & Ladies FC, added: "The Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund grant has enabled us to extend the services we offer to all our members and parents.
"We now have an area that can be used in many different ways at the club. We’ve already booked in FA Level 1 and 2 coaching sessions, along with welfare courses.
"With 112 volunteers we are constantly sending coaches all over the Midlands but we know have a great learning environment of our own to utilise. Additionally, players and coaches now have an area to use for team meetings and parents can relax inside while their children are playing."
The Kilsby Lane site was originally developed in 2004 with a £951,789 grant from the Football Foundation’s Funding Partners. The Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund is now funded by the Premier League, The FA, and the Government, via Sport England.
It is delivered by the Football Foundation, the country’s largest sports charity. Since it was launched in 2000, the Foundation has awarded around 13,000 grants worth more than £513m towards improving grassroots sport, which it has used to attract additional partnership funding of over £730m – over £1.2bn of investment into the grassroots game.
