Multi-sport and PlayZones - Rise North East

Multi-sport and PlayZones are a Football Foundation capital investment programme using investment from the Premier League, The FA and the government, through Sport England.

The programme aims to engage with local communities across the country to create outstanding sports and activity spaces and tackle inequalities in participation. The project also includes facilities provided by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) Parks Programme and England Hockey.

The project aims to focus investment and resource into communities with the greatest need. This will deliver new or refurbished outdoor mini pitches designed for football and other sports and activities.

Multi-sport and PlayZones will allow priority groups to be more active.

The four priority groups are:

People from lower socio-economic groups (LSEG)
Women and girls
People with disabilities and long term health conditions
Ethnically diverse communities

The Football Foundation aim to deliver over 240 PlayZones by 2026.

PlayZones are safe, inclusive and accessible outdoor facilities that bring communities together through recreational forms of football and a range of other sports.

Communities are at the heart of multi-sport and PlayZones.

Rise has a regional officer (North East and Cumbria) who provides an overview of the regional Football Foundation multi-sport facility provision, particularly PlayZones.

This has included supporting consortiums with the community engagement which is at the heart of the PlayZones approach to ensure that the location, design and activation meet their needs.

We are also responsible for the administration of the Sport England Activation Fund pilot scheme which seeks to activate the Multi-Sports Activity & Facilities Fund.