TAVISTOCK Community FC kicked off the start of their pitch improvement project on Saturday thanks to a grant from the Premier League and the FA Facilities Fund, delivered by the Football Foundation.

Geoffrey Cox, MP for Torridge and West Devon, was among those celebrating the boost for the community club, which promotes football for all ages and abilities.

The £25,065 grant has enabled the club to purchase ground main-tenance equipment, which they will use to improve the facilities at their Crowndale Road sports hub. The site includes seven grass pitches, a training area and a changing pavilion, which also received Football Foundation funding in 2009.

Chairman of TCFC Andy Mitchell told Times Sport: ‘We are very pleased to have this grant. It is a huge benefit to help the committee members and team managers look after and maintain the pitches.

‘It will also help us save money on having to pay contractors to do the job, money which will then go back into the club itself, as volunteers will be able to do the work instead.

‘The equipment we have is cracking and we are very grateful. It will help us maintain the pitches to a high standard as they are some of the best around.

‘As a town we are fortunate to have such wonderful facilities on our doorstep for both our young people and adults to use.’

Tavistock Comm-unity FC, in partnership with Tavistock AFC, currently runs 17 teams ranging from under 7 to adult level and expects to introduce five brand new sides thanks to the improvement project. This will include two new female sides, taking the total number of teams to 23 – all of which will benefit from the upgraded playing surfaces.

The club will also offer support to maintain the facilities of other local clubs, as well as Tavistock College. Plymouth Argyle FC’s Academy, which plays its fixtures at Tavistock Community FC’s hub, will also benefit from the project.

Since 2000, the Football Foundation Funding Partners’ investment has provided 220 grants worth £10.3-million towards grassroots sports projects worth over £19.5m across the whole of Devon.

Founded in 2000, the Football Foundation is the largest sports charity in the UK funded by the Premier League, The FA and Government, via Sport England.