UK pledges £85 million for grassroots sport facilities, with half going to the most deprived communities

Great sporting careers often start on modest ground: a floodlit pitch, a set of goalposts, a community hub open in the evenings. The UK Government is betting on exactly those foundations, confirming £85 million for grassroots sport facilities across the country in 2026/27. The money is part of a wider £400 million boost for grassroots facilities running through 2030.

The funding, delivered via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme, will pay for artificial grass pitches, goalposts, floodlights and community hubs — practical improvements designed to remove barriers to physical activity and keep people active where they live. Applications opened first in England, with Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland to follow, and a further £15 million earmarked for England in 2026/27, including £5 million for basketball invested alongside £5 million from the NBA.

“The UK Government is betting on exactly those foundations, confirming £85 million for grassroots sport facilities across the country in 2026/27.”

Crucially, the programme is built around fairness. At least half of all funding is set to go directly to the 30% most deprived communities in the UK, targeting the places where good facilities are scarcest and can make the biggest difference. Projects are specifically designed to increase participation among under-represented groups, including women and girls, disabled players and people in disadvantaged areas.

It is the kind of investment that rarely makes headlines but quietly shapes lives — the difference between a young person having somewhere to play and having nowhere at all. By pouring money into local pitches and community spaces rather than elite arenas, the plan aims to make sport a genuine option for far more people, and to ensure the next generation of players, coaches and volunteers has room to grow.