Mounts Bay Academy Lands £793k Investment for New 3G Pitch in Penzance

Penzance is getting a major upgrade to the 3G pitch at Mounts Bay Academy. Mounts Bay Academy has secured funding worth up to £793,188 to completely redevelop its existing 3G pitch, with installation scheduled for 2026.

Where the Money Comes From

The bulk of the investment, £543,188, comes from the Football Foundation, the charity backed by the Premier League, The FA and the Government. It is one of the rare cases where a facility that has already received Football Foundation support has been approved for reinvestment.

Two people inside the academy have been doing the legwork. Kevin Lawrence and Neil Eddy spent the past two years working with Cornwall FA and the Football Foundation to build the funding application. The case rested on more than 15 years of community hire at the site, the track record of the Mounts Bay Football Development Centre, and the strength of partnerships with local clubs in what the application identified as a disadvantaged area.

What the New Facility Will Include

The redeveloped pitch will feature:

• A new playing surface with line markings for 5v5, 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11 football
• Designated spectator hard-standing areas in line with the FA Respect campaign
• Brand new professional-standard goals
• High-performance floodlighting
• Secure goal storage areas
• A World Rugby-compliant shockpad, allowing the pitch to host contact rugby

The new surface is also designed to resolve the long-standing drainage and flooding issues that have affected the current pitch.

Why It Matters Locally

The facility is intended to act as a mainstream provider for local schools, community clubs and FA development pathways, covering men’s and boys’, women’s and girls’, and disability football.

Kevin Lawrence, Lettings and Football Development Manager at the academy, reflected on what the existing pitch has produced over 14 years.

“My team and I are immensely proud to have led the development of the 3G pitch over the past 14 years and to have seen first-hand the incredible impact it has had. From MBA teams winning County and Regional titles and reaching national finals, to players progressing to represent their district, county and even their country — and many going on to sign professional contracts. Given our geographical challenges, these opportunities simply would not have been possible without a 3G facility. The pitch has been at the heart of countless success stories.”

Neil Eddy, Director of Communities, called the announcement amazing news for the academy and the wider area.

“A huge thank you to our team, the Football Foundation and Cornwall FA for getting this project confirmed. This has been a significant amount of work and I am incredibly excited to see the finished facility and see the impact across the community supporting sport, activity, and healthy lifestyles.”

Principal Simeon Royle said the academy was now looking ahead to delivery.

“Mounts Bay Academy would like to thank everyone who supported and contributed to this successful application. We now look forward to the next phase of the project and sharing further updates as we move towards delivery in 2026. This development will provide significant benefits to the wider community, and we are especially excited to see more children and local residents engaging in sport and active, healthy lifestyles.”

The Bigger Picture

Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said the grant fits into a broader national programme.

“Good quality playing facilities have a transformative impact on physical and mental health and play an important role in bringing people together and strengthening local communities. This grant award to Mounts Bay Academy towards developing a new 3G pitch and upgrading their existing facilities is fantastic news for the local community and will help give more people access to a great place to play.”

Since 2000, the Football Foundation has put more than £1 billion into grassroots facilities across England, including 1,100 3G pitches, 12,000 grass pitches and 1,400 changing rooms. That investment has pulled in a further £1.3 billion of partnership funding.

Clubs or organisations interested in using the new facility once it is open can contact [email protected].