Work is now underway to deliver a new PlayZone in Sandown, funded by a £250,000 grant from the Premier League, The FA and the Government’s Football Foundation.
The small-sided sports facility will be located at Sandham Grounds and is expected to open in January 2026.
PlayZones are multi-use pitches designed to support football as well as a variety of other sports, with each project shaped by feedback from the local community to ensure it meets specific local needs.
In April 2025, Sandown Town Council was awarded a substantial grant to bring the facility to life. A further £152,000 in support has been provided directly by the Town Council.
Following engagement with residents, the new PlayZone in Sandown will be used for community sports and outreach programmes. The Bay Youth Project is set to lead the youth-focused element of the initiative, working in partnership with England Netball and the Isle of Wight Cricket Board.
Sandown’s local youth football club, which has previously struggled to find adequate training space, will now be able to use the facility to train and develop its girls’ teams. Adult netball sessions will also be delivered at the site by England Netball.
Alex Lightfoot, Mayor of Sandown Town Council, has said:
“The PlayZone will be a community-led space which will be designed to make physical activity more accessible to Sandown residents, promoting inclusivity, as well as providing a space for the youth of Sandown and other priority groups to participate in sports which would not otherwise be accessible to them.”
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Rob Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, has said:
“When it comes to tackling the greatest inequalities to becoming active, the Football Foundation knows a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach doesn’t work. That’s why community-led engagement is at the heart of our PlayZones programme.
“As with all PlayZones, the new facility at Sandown Grounds has been shaped by the local community in Sandown who’ll be able to step out onto the pitch and get active in a way that suits them.
“Thanks to the funding we received from our partners – the Premier League, The FA and the Government – the Foundation will be delivering over 240 PlayZones like this one across the country.”
Great idea now the local kids have somewhere to burn off their energy
Whilst vaping.
They did before but it wasn’t maintained brilliantly.
Bay School has great sports resources for hire.