In partnership with the Football Foundation, Hounslow Council aims to transform three sports facilities that will help local residents to get active.
Plans are underway to upgrade three new sports facilities for local residents to improve their physical and mental health. Working with the Football Foundation, the pioneering PlayZones initiative will invest and deliver refurbished outdoor mini pitches, which will deliver an array of sporting activities for communities in the greatest need. These areas have been specifically targeted due to lack of access to high-quality sports facilities and higher levels of long-term health conditions among local residents.
This has been made possible through £724,663 funding from the Football Foundation, while the Council will contribute nearly £300k from its Thriving Communities Fund, which provides thousands of pounds to local charities, community initiatives and infrastructure projects every year.
The Council is now looking for feedback from residents and the local community on Heston Farm Estate, Clayponds Estate in Brentford and Brabazon Estate in Heston. After consulting with the local community, the plans will be submitted to the Council’s planning committee with works scheduled late in 2026. The new facilities will be available for use from 2027 and will include a mix of sports including football, netball, basketball, cricket and even yoga. The Council will work with local charities such as Brentford FC Community Sports Trust to develop an array of activities for the local community.
Councillor Salman Shaheen, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Public Spaces at Hounslow Council, said:
Too many people in our borough still encounter barriers to accessing sporting activities. We face some of London’s highest obesity rates and poor health is strongly linked with deprivation.
This pioneering programme is our commitment to the residents of Hounslow – we will harness the power of sport to confront health inequalities and ensure those most in need find easy, accessible ways to keep active.
I want to thank the Football Foundation for its commitment to our borough and for helping us forge this partnership that will help transform health for our residents.
The Council’s recent budget also announced an additional £250,000 to break down barriers for young people, including discounts and offers on leisure and wellbeing at the Council’s six leisure centres.
Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said:
When it comes to tackling the greatest inequalities to becoming active, the Football Foundation knows a ‘one-size fits all’ approach doesn’t work. That’s why community engagement is at the heart of our PlayZones programme.
As with all PlayZones, the new facilities at Heston Farm Estate, Clayponds Estate and Brabazon Estate will be shaped by the local community in Hounslow who’ll be able to step out onto the pitch and get active in a way that suits them.
Thanks to the funding we receive from our partners – the Premier League, The FA and Government, the Foundation will be delivering over 200 PlayZones, like the three in Hounslow, across the country.
This initiative builds on the success of the Cruyff Court located at Brentford Towers in Green Dragon Estate, which saw Hounslow Council team up with Brentford FC Community Sports Trust and the Cruyff Foundation to transform a multi-games facility into state-of-the-art facilities for local children and young people.
Lee Doyle, Founder and CEO of Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, said:
Realising potential in people and places is at the core of the Trust’s mission. This new partnership initiative will create space for participants to meet and play. Moving forward, we plan to facilitate regular sessions through our Premier League Kicks and the Council funded Street Sports initiatives for boys and girls with competitions, extending to other opportunities within the Trust such as training and work experience.
Residents can find out more about the project and share views, as part of the Council’s planning submission. Along with surveys, the Council will be hosting drop ins at Clayponds Community Centre, Brabazon Community Centre and Heston Farm Estate Community Centre very soon and residents will be contacted directly about these sessions.
To read more about PlayZones, click here.
To read more about our Thriving Communities Fund, click here.
