Nearly £250,000 will be spent to build a new club house and renovate pitches in Blackburn.

Nine local clubs who are set to benefit from equipment upgrades after the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport announced the latest in its funding for grassroots sport.

Clubs in East Lancashire applied for £348,115 in funding and have received grants worth £265,798 to help more people get active.

The remaining £82,317 will need to be fundraised to cover the full cost of the projects.

The biggest allocation were funds for the site next to Greenfields Community Centre. A total of £249,121, to pay for the creation of new football pitches and a new clubhouse at the venue for Mill Hill Juniors.

Seven football clubs across Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Rossendale and the Ribble Valley have all received cash – ranging from £677 to £3,240 – to pay for new goalposts, while Mill Hill St Peters FC also in Blackburn has received £5,495 for grass pitch and artificial grass maintenance.

Three projects in Blackburn with Darwen have received grants, as well as three in Hyndburn, two in the Ribble Valley, and one in Rossendale. No teams in Pendle or Burnley were selected.

Stuart Andrew, sports minister for the government, said: “We want people in the North West to be able to hit their New Year’s resolution of exercising more.

“But we know one of the major barriers in the way of people getting active is access to high quality sports facilities.

“That is why this investment of more than £7 million in grassroots projects through the Football Foundation will go a long way in helping us to reach our ambitious target of 3.5 million more people active by 2030.”

Since 2021, thousands of new sites have been delivered across the UK through the £325m programme of investment by the government, the FA’s Football Foundation, and the Premier League.

Chief executive of the Football Foundation, Robert Sullivan said: “This year, the Football Foundation will provide more great places to play than ever before. 

“Thanks to investment from the Premier League, The FA and Government we will deliver better pitches ensuring healthier lives and stronger communities.”

The full list of East Lancashire recipients: 
• New grass pitches and clubhouse at Greenfields Community Centre – £249,121
• Mill Hill St Peters FC – grass pitches and artificial pitch maintenance - £5,495
• Mill Hill Juniors FC – goalposts - £1,440
• Peel Park FC – goalposts - £1,346
• Oswaldtwistle Juniors FC – goalposts - £1,265
• Globe Bullough Park FC – goalposts - £971
• Longridge Town Juniors FC – goalposts - £2,243
• Chipping FC – goalposts - £677
• Rossendale Valley Juniors FC – goalposts - £3,240