Newark and Sherwood District Council back improvements to Walesby Lane Sports Ground in Ollerton

This investment will be used by the football club to improve the outdated facilities at its ground to accommodate increased active participation in sport and leisure activities. The football club has worked extremely hard over the past 18 months to increase usage of the site, and now have over 10 teams including teams and training opportunities for girls’ football.

The improvements will help to secure this valuable community asset for future generations and to meet future demand.

This funding will allow initial improvements at the site to proceed which will help the club to ensure the site remains safe to use as a community asset and enable them to secure further much needed external grant funding from the Football Foundation’s grass pitch improvement scheme.

This funding is very much in line with several District Council objectives, including to improve health and wellbeing for residents, to celebrate and invigorate community spirit, pride of place and a sense of belonging as well as protecting and enhancing the district’s natural environment and green space.

Liam Kent, Chair of Ollerton Town FC said, “I am delighted that we have managed to secure what is the single biggest piece of funding our club has ever received. Ollerton as a town, and a club, is long overdue this size of investment. The whole club is working tirelessly to create a safe accommodating space for people of any age and gender to come and play football and I’d like to thank the District Council for being constant supporters of what we are trying to achieve.”

Councillor Susan Crosby, Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing & Leisure at Newark and Sherwood District Council, added, “It’s so important that all our residents have access to safe and good quality sporting facilities. As the needs of our various communities change, so must our sport and leisure provision. One example of this is the growth of women’s football, it’s only right that a club such as Ollerton FC is given the support it needs to adapt to this and other changes. We want to be sure that the site is not just suitable now but will continue to be well into the future.”