The grant has enabled Dorset FA to replace their previous natural grass pitch, prone to waterlogging, with a brand new surface at their County Ground home.
And the Poole-based facility will be used all-year-round by a wide range of local grassroots clubs. AFC Bournemouth Community Trust will also use the facility to deliver school holiday coaching camps.
Glenn was in Dorset on Friday evening to help open the County FA's new pitch in Poole
The opening comes on the eve of the roll out of the Parklife Programme – The FA’s ground-breaking plan to revitalise grassroots football across English towns and cities which will see multi-pitch community football hubs emerge across the country.
The FA alongside the DCMS, the Premier League and local partners will be investing £200m to construct more AGPs around the country – with the first two hubs becoming fully operational in Sheffield in October.
This is on top of The FA’s commitment to continue its £12m annual investment in grassroots facilities projects through The Football Foundation’s Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund - of which Dorset is the latest recipient.
"This excellent new facility is testimony to The FA’s commitment, through the Football Foundation to improving the volume and quality of facilities at the grassroots level of our national game. It is a facility for the entire community to benefit from," said Glenn, who was joined at the launch event by the Dorset FA’s President Spencer Miles and CEO Sue Hough to officially open the pitch.
Sue Hough added: "This new pitch is absolutely fantastic for Dorset’s football community. It is a world away from the natural grass pitch we had here previously, which simply could not sustain a seven day a week day and night provision."
Since it was launched in 2000, the Foundation has awarded around 14,000 grants worth more than £560m towards improving grassroots sport, which it has used to attract additional partnership funding of over £780m – over £1.3bn of investment into the grassroots game. This has included 144 grants worth £3m in Dorset alone.
