A PROJECT to create a new home for grass roots football in North Yorkshire has been boosted by one of the largest ever grants from the Football Foundation, the country's biggest sports charity.

The Foundation has awarded £875,000 to the Stokesley Sports Club and the North Riding County FA, who have teamed up to establish one of the country's most modern sports complexes.

The money will go towards a new clubhouse, incorporating six changing rooms, a social area and two referees' changing areas, as well as an all-weather pitch, four mini soccer pitches, two junior and three senior football pitches.

The remaining funding for the project has been made available with grants from the NRCFA (£320,000), The FA (£145,000), Hambleton District Council (£10,000) and Stokesley Sports Club (£50,000).

The existing clubhouse will be replaced and a newly acquired piece of land will also be developed to provide an additional four mini soccer pitches, one junior and two further senior pitches.

The new development will also accommodate the new North Riding County FA regional headquarters and will act as a catalyst for the development of football throughout the county.

The project will develop significant opportunities for all footballers with a particular emphasis placed on players from rural communities, female players, players with disabilities and improvements to the retention rate of players aged over 16.

More than 200 new players are expected to become regular users of the complex, which should be completed in time for the next football season.

The club is also committed to establishing extra-curricular sessions in three local primary schools and to hosting primary and secondary school football festivals.

Peter Lee, chairman of the Football Foundation, said: "Our congratulations go to Stokesley Sports Club and to the North Riding County FA for the truly inclusive nature of their proposals. Footballers of all abilities deserve the very best the modern game has to offer and this new facility is a blueprint for the future of grass roots football in North Yorkshire."

Mark Jarvis, chief executive of the NRCFA, said: "We are looking forward to moving to Stokesley where we can fully fulfil our development plans for the future. The headquarters of the NRCFA has been in Middlesbrough for over 120 years and is now moving to a more central location for the county."