Thanks to support from various organizations including Middlesex FA, the Premier League, The FA, and the government’s Football Foundation, Wealdstone and Ickenham Youth Football Clubs are set to establish permanent homes for their operations.
Wealdstone, a grassroots youth football club founded in 2008, hosts 49 youth teams catering to ages four to 18 year of age at New Pond Playing Fields in Ruislip. Meanwhile, Ickenham, formed in 2006, serves over 500 youngsters across 13 age groups at Hillingdon House Farm, Uxbridge.
Both clubs have recently been accepted into the Football Foundation’s Home Advantage Programme, which assists grassroots clubs in securing long-term leases or licenses for their playing sites. This opportunity comes after successful applications by Hillingdon Council last year.
As part of the programme, Wealdstone and Ickenham will receive guidance and support from the Foundation and The FA, along with legal assistance to streamline the transfer process. Additionally, they can apply for up to £250,000 in funding to enhance facilities, including security fencing, storage units, maintenance machinery, and catering cabins.
Securing permanent homes not only solidifies the clubs’ presence in their communities but also sets the stage for growth and self-sustainability.
Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services said: “We are delighted to have been successful in these two bids for Wealdstone and Ickenham Youth Football Clubs and I’m especially proud of the fact that Hillingdon was the only successful London borough for the first phase of this exciting programme. I’m now looking forward to seeing how these sites are improved.
“This national scheme supports our commitments of creating a thriving local economy and healthy households, and will allow these clubs to take more ownership of the places they call home and create more sustainable assets for the local community.”
Gavin Shepherd, Chairman Ickenham Youth FC said: “Ickenham Youth FC is really pleased to have been awarded a place on the Football Foundation’s Home Advantage Programme.
“It will support the club to secure its home for many years to come and allow us to further invest in our facilities to benefit our players and the wider community.
“We hope to use this opportunity as a way of building a closer connection with those outside our football community and hope to see as many people as possible supporting our players on a Saturday and Sunday. “We would like to acknowledge Hillingdon Council and Middlesex FA in working with us on the initial expression of interest to join the programme and look forward to sharing details of our progress in due course.”
