Four firms have secured work on a new five-year framework with UK sports charity, the Football Foundation.

Industry consultancy Gleeds and specialist sporting architecture firm LK2, along with Couch Perry Wilkes and engineers BSP Consulting, have been appointed to provide services which will improve hundreds of community sports facilities in northern England.

The scope of works will vary dependent on individual project requirements. Features will include design, supply and installation of modular buildings to provide new changing room and clubhouse facilities. The programme is part of a wider Government strategy to 2021 to improve ‘grassroots’ sporting facilities to encourage more community involvement.

Gleeds Director, Anthony Cork, said: "We are delighted to take a place on this framework with LK2. Football is the national game and the biggest team sport in England. The Football Foundation has already overseen investment of over £1 billion in improving facilities since 2000, and Sport England has invested more than £70 million into sports facilities over the past four years.

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"The sports sector is a key focus for Gleeds, and we are rapidly growing our expertise in this area so we are pleased to be part of an ongoing programme of works which will improve community sporting facilities across the north."

Dale Lui, Managing Director of LK2, said: "We were keen to support Gleeds with this framework bid acting as a sub-consultant on the framework. Our firms have huge combined expertise in the sporting facilities sector. Together we will provide design and construction consultancy support and help improve large numbers of facilities in the north of England."

Nilesh Mistry, director at Couch Perry Wilkes, said: "We are very proud to join our peers LK2, Gleeds and BSP on this framework, which is an outstanding example of industry-wide collaboration and will no doubt deliver some truly excellent projects. Grassroots football is one of the key cornerstones of our national sport and improving the facilities local clubs have access to will go a long way to enrich the lives of aspiring sportsmen and sportswomen across the UK."

Paul Elphick, director at BSP Consulting, added: "BSP has wide experience of working on a range of football pitch and leisure centre sites, and we are proud to be involved in this framework to play a part in boosting the nation’s sporting and community facilities."

Image: Rectory Park, Ealing – the FA, the Football Foundation and the Premier League-funded project.

(LM/MH)