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Sefton Council is delighted to announce that it has been successful in a bid for £780,000 funding from the Football foundation to create brand new 3G pitches at Orrell Mount.

Alongside around £350,000 direct investment from the Council, this welcome additional funding will allow the Council to create brand new, all-weather 3G playing pitches to replace the existing grass pitch and to install new changing facilities on the site.

Local Sefton former professional footballer Jamie Carragher’s 23 Foundation will be running the new facility, to maximise its potential. They will provide a managed programme which supports partner club growth and offers a range of recreational football activities to people of all ages, genders and abilities to deliver the FA strategic outcomes.  Any profits made from operating the facility will be put back in to the community.

The Council’s plans include the installation of measures such as sound proofing boards to address any concerns residents may have about noise from the pitches; and there will be strict operating times to ensure that any light pollution is minimised.

Cllr Ian Moncur, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said

“This is an exciting and much needed project for Sefton. Pitches such as those being created at Orrell Mount (sometimes referred to locally as Silcocks playing field) are desperately needed in our borough.   Our Playing Pitch Strategy indicated that around 17 such sites are needed across Sefton.  These all-weather pitches will support residents to maintain their health and wellbeing all year round, as well as provide the opportunity for local junior football teams to train and play the whole year round.

“I’d also like to reassure the local community that Sefton Council has not sold Orrell Mount / Silcocks playing fields, they remain in council ownership and there are no plans to sell the land.  Dog walkers and the public will still have access to the open land around the 3G pitches as they always have done. There are no plans to build on the site.

“Longer term, we are hopeful that in the future we will also be able to refurbish the existing pavilion for wider community use.

“We hope these new pitches will increase participation in football amongst the local community so that the health and wellbeing benefits that football provides can be accessed by players of all abilities and ages.”

James Olsen, Director of Jamie Carragher Soccer Schools, said:

“Sefton doesn’t currently have any 3G pitches, so the facilities due to be created at Orrell Mount are a welcome addition.

“This scheme is about creating a space for our local community to come and play football in a safe environment and help improve children’s wellbeing. We will be working closely with schools and running half term events to keep kids off the streets.

“We cannot emphasise enough how much this will have a positive effect on our local community.

“Our aim is to put any profits back into the local community, through free coaching and coach education for volunteer managers/parents to get proper training qualifications.”

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Students from Hugh Baird College have formed a volunteer group to help clean up the streets around the College’s Bootle campus.

The group, comprised of learners from across the College’s courses, have created their own ‘Community Action Group’ to tackle the litter on the streets of Bootle with an aim to make a difference to the local community.

Support from the Council’s Cleansing Team

The students were supported during their first litter-picking sessions by Sefton Council’s Locality Services who provided bags and litter pickers as well as two Eco vehicles to assist with sweeping and clearing.

In total they filled over 100 refuse bags of rubbish, ranging from takeaway bags to plastic bottles.

Rebecca Clegg, a Hospitality and Catering student at Hugh Baird College, said: “I enjoyed our first get-together to clean up the streets around our campus and I was astonished to see the amount of litter we collected after just a few hours. I feel proud of the difference we’ve made so far.”

Thank you

Cllr John Fairclough, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Locality Services, said: “Our Cleansing Officers were so impressed with the students from Hugh Baird College. I also caught up with a group of them after a successful few hours of litter clearance and was able to say a massive thank you on behalf of our communities to them for their efforts.

“Often the youngsters in our neighbourhoods are blamed for making a mess and not caring about their environment. It was fantastic to see this group, and the College, playing their part in looking after the streets here in Bootle.”

Working together with our communities 

Peter Moore, Sefton Council’s Head of Highways & Public Protection, said: “These students are setting a real example for how our communities have a role to play in keeping our Borough looking great. I hope that people will take notice of these students, leading by example, and will think again before they decide to drop litter. Perhaps they’ll even encourage others to keep their streets tidy too.

“We do have limited Council resources and so strengthening relationships with local building and landowners, as well as volunteer and community groups, ensures that we can work together in a collective effort that means we all take responsibility to keep Sefton clean, green and beautiful.”

Proud to be in Bootle 

Rachael Hennigan, Principal and Chief Executive of Hugh Baird College, said: “As a College, we care deeply about our local community and we are proud to have our Balliol Road Campus based in the heart of Bootle. The litter pick was an excellent example of how, by working together, we can make a real and positive difference to the area.

“The students are a real credit to the College and it was inspiring to see so many of them take part. This is the first of many community litter picks through which we can continue to grow our collective sense of pride for the place in which we live, work and study.

“I’d like to thank Sefton Council’s Locality Services team for the support they’ve given to our students and their new group.”