Exciting building work underway at The Cedars Academy

The project, which has been bubbling for 15 years, will be a fantastic resource for the students, supporting the delivery of PE lessons and further extracurricular opportunities.

It will also benefit the wider community of Birstall and surrounding areas, who will be able to hire the facility for use outside of school hours. In addition, a service level agreement will see three local partner clubs, Birstall United Juniors FC, Mountsorrel Juniors FC and East Goscote United Girls and Women FC enjoy regular use of the pitch.

Designed to a very similar specification as the pitch built at The Cedars Academy’s partner school, Beauchamp College in Oadby, the layout of the 3G will mean it can be utilised as one full-sized pitch, two seven-a-side pitches or four five-a-side pitches.

To mark the start of the construction work, a ceremonial ‘breaking of the ground’ took place on the site of the new pitch with Mo Khan – a long-standing PE teacher – alongside two of the school’s football team captains.

On the project, Associate Principal James Rolfe said: “I am delighted that after many years in the planning stages, work has started on our 3G football pitch which, once complete, will be a truly phenomenal resource both for our pupils and the wider community for years to come.”

The project is funded by the Premier League, The FA and Government via the Football Foundation, Charnwood Borough Council, Leicestershire County Council and Lionheart Educational Trust. It is also only possible thanks to the support of the Palmer-Tomkinson Trust who are generously leasing the land at a peppercorn rent.