Building work has officially commenced on a new Football Foundation PlayZone in Southwick.

The new multi-sport pitch is designed to offer football and basketball opportunities to people of all ages and abilities.

The development of the PlayZone has been made possible through a £198,076 grant from the Premier League, The FA, and Government's Football Foundation, alongside £10,000 from the North Sunderland Area Committee and £34,955 from Sunderland City Council's Healthy City Fund.


Once complete, the PlayZone will be one of over 200 similar facilities across the country. It aims to provide an accessible and inclusive space for the local community to engage in sport and physical activity. The investment will not only create new facilities but also refurbish existing ones to offer modern amenities, including smart-access technology and a booking system.

The PlayZone will be managed by the Southwick Neighbourhood Youth Project and will be available for public bookings seven days a week.

Ruth Walker, who operates the Southwick Neighbourhood Youth Project, expressed her excitement about the new development, saying: "This is an exciting development for the area, bringing a former games area back to use and making the area look great. It's going to be fantastic. The new facility is for the local community to use, and it's going to make an enormous difference to getting our local community active, as well as giving young people something positive to do."