FREETHORPE Football Club is celebrating netting a cash bonanza towards a top-class community pavilion.The news is a big boost to the club, the only one in the immediate area providing youth football with around 150 male and female players in teams from eight upwards and training sessions for younger children.

FREETHORPE Football Club is celebrating netting a cash bonanza towards a top-class community pavilion.

The news is a big boost to the club, the only one in the immediate area providing youth football with around 150 male and female players in teams from eight upwards and training sessions for younger children. Now it will be the envy of rivals with the award of more than £260,000 for new facilities.

The pavilion will replace the current village hall providing six changing rooms for players and officials, a small club room and kitchen, wheelchair accessible toilets and a storage space, writes Miles Jermy.

Village hall vice-chairman and club secretary Stephen Smith said: “The football club, village hall and the wider community are thrilled and excited by these massive awards and look forward to providing the opportunity of giving youth a chance, which will now be possible after the construction of the pavilion.”

The money is made up of two Football Foundation grants worth £211,822 and £50,000 from the Community Club Development Programme for Charter Standard clubs.

Norfolk FA's county development manager Gavin Lemmon said: “Norfolk County FA congratulate Freethorpe FC and Village Hall for their achievement. The grants that have been awarded are testament to the fantastic community spirit and hard work of the many football club and village hall volunteers.

“The Freethorpe pavilion was highlighted as one of the top strategic priority projects in Norfolk due to the strength of the football development programme that the football club has in place, along with additional opportunities the new facility will offer the local community.”

The pavilion will go alongside the existing multi-use game area - used by the village school and for community sports.

It attracted a £50,000 award from Barclays Spaces for Sport and £27,000 from Sport England.

Chief executive of the Football Foundation Paul Thorogood said: “Freethorpe FC will now be able to play an even bigger role developing the grass-roots game in the area.

“Football Foundation investment, alongside the CCDP funding is strengthening the bond between local clubs and the communities they serve. Since its launch in 2000, the Football Foundation has funded 134 projects worth over £7m across Norfolk, and we welcome more applications from the region's schools and clubs.”