Bottesford Town recently had cause to celebrate following a ?186,180 grant awarded by the Football Foundation.

The cash bonanza from the UK's largest sports charity is a major contribution towards the club's ?342,405 project which provides changing room facilities and the enhancement of the immediate surrounding area at their Birch Park ground.

It enables the club to meet its current and future needs of its development as a FA Charter Standard Community Club.

It will provide for four changing rooms with showers, two officials changing rooms, W.C. provision for male, female and disabled, disability access, a meeting room, a player's treatment room and a utilities room.

The proposed layout will accommodate all personnel who utilise the present playing facilities at Birch Park, all on a seven days a week basis.

Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation and the FSIF, said: "We warmly congratulate Bottesford Town Football Club and the Lincolnshire County FA for their hard work and dedication in securing this award.

"Sport is playing a central role in helping people to stay fit, strengthen communities and promote responsibility amongst young people.

"I am delighted that Football Foundation funding and FSIF funding are supporting this excellent facility project in Scunthorpe that will improve the quality of sporting experience enjoyed by the Football Club, as well as local people."

Tony Reeve, Chairman of Bottesford Town FC, said: "The project has come to fruition as a result of the efforts and hard work undertaken by members of the Football Club management team and the significant support and contributions from a number of 'partners' in the project.

"Guidance was sought and obtained from the Lincolnshire Football Association who in conjunction with the Football Foundation Technical Department assisted in determining the project specification.

"The Voluntary Action North Lincolnshire team (VANL) provided guidance on how to approach partnership funding and, as a result, we established the following 'stakeholders' in our scheme to all of whom I express the sincere thanks of the Football Club:

"The Landfill Communities Fund of Waste Recycling Group (WRG) which is administered by the Environmental Body WREN, who provided a grant of ?46,760.

"To Biffaward, a multi-million pound environment fund managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT), which utilises landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services, a grant of ?38,377.

"The Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF) who contributed ?16,093 towards the scheme on the basis that the club's 1st team who play in Division 1 of the Northern Counties East League, will benefit from the use of the facilities."

The Chairman went on to emphasise the support that the club had received throughout the planning and preparation phases of the scheme from members of the North Lincolnshire Council who awarded the Club with a grant of ?30,000 from the 'Aid to Communities' Fund, and also the local Bottesford Town Council who also made a generous donation of ?5,000 towards the project.