Work will begin this week on the next phase of Leicester's £11.2 million football investment project.

New College, home to local club Allexton and New Parks Football Club, is the second of 11 sites in the city to be transformed as part of the project.

The £1.5 Million scheme at New College will include a six-block changing room with ancillary facilities, floodlighting to one existing pitch and a third generation synthetic pitch with fencing and flood lighting.

The build programme will take around 28 weeks to complete.

Maurice Allen, Chair of Allexton and New Parks FC said: "We are very pleased that our contribution to local football and to providing positive activities for local youngsters has been recognised by our involvement in this project and that work is now underway.


"It is fantastic that we and New College will benefit from the provision of these outstanding facilities and we would like to thank all of those who have helped bring the project to fruition. We look forward to everything being ready in time for next season."

The £11.2 million investment includes the biggest single grant ever made by the Football Foundation – the country's largest sports charity, funded with £40m a year from the Premier League, The FA and Government.

As announced in March, the charity awarded £5 million to the Leicester project.

Further contributions came from Leicester City Council, NHS Leicester City, Sport England, local partner clubs and the UEFA Jubilee Fund.

All the sites will benefit from improved playing surfaces or better changing facilities, offering new resources and new opportunities for the wider community to get involved in sport.

Each site will have its own development plan, with challenging targets for participation, playing standards and coaching.

The programme as a whole will be completed by August 2010.

(CD/BMcC)