BURY has received a £50,000 boost to take football to all sections of the community.

The Football Foundation has stumped up the money to fund a borough-wide football development officer to co-ordinate a programme of activities over the next three years.

The foundation is funded by the Premier League, the Football Association, Sports England and the Government and is dedicated to revitalising the grassroots of the game.

It aims to build modern facilities, develop football as a force for social cohesion and as a vehicle for education in communities.

The money will be presented by Lord Pendry, president of the Football Foundation, to the Mayor of Bury, Councillor Barry Briggs, at half-time when Bury FC play Rushden & Diamonds on Saturday. The game will also celebrate national Black History Month and the annual Kick It Out anti-racism event.

Among the courses it will pay for is a multi-cultural community football development programme, with coaching and education for local voluntary sports clubs.

A range of partners drew up the football inclusion programme, including Bury Council for Voluntary Service (CVS). Chief executive, Mike France, said: "Sport in general, and football in particular, is a great way of bringing people together. A game of football can lead to real friendships being developed despite the lack of common language or cultural experience. You only have to look at the multi-national make-up of football at all levels in the UK to see how easy it is to build hope instead of hate."