RUNCORN Linnets Junior Football Club is celebrating the improved security at their Millbank Stadium.

A grant of £32,500 from the Premier League and FA Facilities Fund has paid for new boundary fencing around their training area.

Previously, the club’s nine training pitches were accessible to the public and subject to damage from quadbikes, motorbikes and casual use.

Now, thanks to the security provided by the fencing, the club will be able to maintain their pitches more effectively.

The club now hopes to expand with 20 new teams taking their total from 41 to 61.

This 150 per cent increase in onsite football participation is for young people aged 14 to 25.

Players already compete in various leagues including the Cheshire Women's and Youth League

The project was funded by the Football Foundation.

Since it was founded in 2000, the Football Foundation Funding Partners’ investment has provided 345 grants worth £12.3m towards grassroots sports projects worth more than £23 million across the whole of Cheshire.

The Football Foundation is the largest sports charity in the UK funded by the Premier League, The FA and Government through Sport England.

It develops new and refurbished grassroots sports facilities in order to improve the quality and experience of playing sport at the grassroots level.

The foundation has awarded around 15,000 grants worth more than £580 million towards improving grassroots sport which it has used to attract additional partnership funding of more than £800 million – £1.4bn of investment into the grassroots game.