Crewe are pitch perfect

CREWE United Football Club officially launched their new sports pitch, Crewe Sports Zone, at their Glenavy base on Tuesday March 5.

The Mid Ulster League club has added to their impressive facilities at Crewe Park in a project that has cost £80,000. A second grass sports pitch has been installed along with floodlighting.

Funding to allow the club to provide the new community sports facility has been funded jointly by the Alpha Programme and Biffa Award. As part of the project the local community will benefit from using the facilities for community groups and the club will be holding coaching days for young people over the summer months including the establishment of a youth academy programme at Crewe.

Welcoming the announcement, chairman of Crewe United, Tom McKenna said, “It has taken a long time to arrive at this stage but finally the project is complete. Without the funding secured from the Alpha Programme and Biffa Award we would not have been able to complete the project and provide this facility to users. Lisburn City Council have also been a great support in respect of the project as we continue to support community and charity work in Lisburn and indeed nationally.”

The Alpha Programme, managed by Groundwork Northern Ireland, recycles landfill tax credits from the Mullaghglass landfill site in South Antrim and invests in environmental projects within a ten-mile radius of the site. Lyle Andrews from the Alpha Programme steering group, said, “It is a real pleasure to see the launch of the Crewe Sports Zone and I’m delighted that the Alpha Programme funding can be invested so positively in a project like this. I’ve no doubt this amenity will not just be an asset to Crewe United, but also the whole community in Glenavy.”

Already, over £1million has been disbursed to local communities through the Alpha Programme, with grants of up to £30,000 available to projects which benefit the local environment. Councillor Thomas Beckett commented at the launch, “As Chairman of the Council’s Leisure Services Committee, may I congratulate Crewe United FC on the official opening of Crewe Sports Zone. The official opening marks another milestone in the history of this famous Mid Ulster League club from Lisburn, which celebrated its 50th anniversary two years ago and over the years has been an important club for local soccer in the Lisburn area. It is a testament to their long history of community and charity work that funders have sought to back this latest project. It is a great facility to open in this the year when Lisburn holds the title of European City of Sport and I am sure Crewe will contribute to this is a positive way.”

Also attending the officially launch event was Lisburn Mayor, Alderman William Leathem who helped launch a series of charity events to be held by Crewe to support the Mayor’s chosen charity, Stepping Stones.

To find out more about the Alpha Programme, contact Mel Waddell at Groundwork NI on 028 90749494.

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