Cambridge United Men’s player Paul Digby and Cambridge United Women’s player Charlotte Crisp helped mark the start of refurbishment works of a local football pitch by meeting children from neighbouring St Laurence Catholic Primary School...
Cambridge Investment Partnership and Club partners, Hill, invited the U’s players down to the site to commemorate the start of the work which will see a new Sports England approved football pitch built at St Albans Road Recreation Ground in Cambridge.
The players met local school children and challenged them to a game of keepy-uppies during their lunch-time break.
Paul Digby said, “It is wonderful to see and hear about the plans to deliver this fantastic football pitch for all the local community to enjoy. Football at grass roots is so important and to have a facility like this will be such an asset to local people and local football teams so I am delighted to be here and show my support.”
Tom Hill, Regional Director of Hill said, “We would really like to thank Paul and Charlotte for taking the time to come and meet the children and see for themselves where we will be refurbishing the current sub-standard pitch into a much anticipated Sports England approved football pitch.
“Once the initial archaeology work has been completed in the next couple of weeks, we will be reopening part of the football area which will allow for more of the open space to be used by the local community in the summer holidays before further works take place in early September.”
Cllr Mike Davey, Executive Councillor for Finance and Resources at Cambridge City Council and CIP board member comments, "This initial work on the football pitch is an exciting stage in the overall development of our Meadows and Buchan Street site which will eventually deliver a modern highly sustainable community hub, 106 new council rented apartments, as well as public open space, a new MUGA, public plaza and the retention of a café and shop space.
“I am really pleased that we have been able to accommodate feedback from local residents and are able to open up part of the area again for local residents to enjoy throughout the summer months. I’m looking forward to seeing local teams making the most of the upgraded football pitch from Summer 2022 onwards."
At the Meadows site CIP will be providing 78 new one and two bedroom apartments for council rent and the Buchan Street site will see 28 one and two bedroom council rented flats built. Four of the flats at The Meadows and one at Buchan Street will be for wheelchair users.
For further information about Cambridge Investment Partnership please visit www.ip-cambridge.co.uk