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Local sports enthusiasts in Dover are celebrating after plans were approved for a new £1.2 million, state-of-the-art sports facility at Dover Christ Church Academy (DCCA).
The project, funded by a £942,281 grant from the Premier League, The FA, and the Government’s Football Foundation, along with contributions from Dover District Council, Turner Schools, and local sports clubs, will bring a much-needed all-weather 3G artificial grass pitch (AGP) with floodlighting and an access footpath to the area. The development also includes the refurbishment of two netball courts with floodlighting.
The new facilities will be a boon for DCCA students during school hours and will be available for community use by local teams, including Dover Rangers, Whitfield Juniors FC, and Dover Athletic Youth FC, during evenings, weekends, and holidays. This will ensure year-round access to high-quality playing surfaces, regardless of the weather.
Cllr Charlotte Zosseder, DDC Portfolio Holder for Community and Corporate Property, highlighted the importance of regular team sports for young people’s mental health and emphasized the benefits of floodlit facilities for winter play. She also noted the contribution of £178,000 from Section 106 money, derived from local housing developers, towards the project.
Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, expressed his delight at the project, emphasizing the foundation’s commitment to transforming grassroots facilities and the positive impact such projects have on physical and mental health, community building, and bringing people together.
Seamus Murphy, CEO of Turner Schools, underscored the importance of first-class sporting facilities for students and the transformational impact this investment will have on both the school and the wider community. DCCA Principal Manj Nijjer echoed this sentiment, highlighting the vital role of sport in developing teamwork, resilience, and wellbeing, and the excitement surrounding the new facilities, particularly for the school’s newly formed girls’ football team.
Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2025.