A new village sports pavilion has been given the green light thanks to a grant.

A sports pavilion and community room in Barkway has been given the go-ahead thanks to a £59,779 grant from the Premier League and The FA Facilities Fund.

The grant will go towards replacing the existing dilapidated changing rooms on the Barkway Recreation Ground with sports facilities that will be available for use by all Barkway village organisations and football clubs.

The new pavilion will comprise of two changing rooms, an official’s room with showers and a community room complete with kitchen and disabled facilities.

Barkway Parish Council worked in partnership with the Hertfordshire County FA to secure the grant from the Premier League and The FA Facilities Fund, and will also work with Royston Town Football Club going forward.

Gordon Baker, secretary of Barkway’s Pavilion Project Committee, said: “The village of Barkway is extremely grateful to the Premier League and The FA Facilities Fund for the very generous offer of funds enabling work on the new building to commence. This is a very ambitious project for a village such as Barkway and it has taken a lot of hard work and sleepless nights in reaching this stage.

“We are also really grateful to everyone who has helped with the funding of this project, including North Hertfordshire District Council, which has contributed a grant of £50,000 towards the project together with additional section 106 funding of around £30,000, and donors from the village who subscribed to our ‘Buy a Brick’ campaign.

“Our arrangement with such a notable football club as Royston Town FC is a real bonus as it will go a long way in helping young people in the village and the outlying area to benefit from skilled coaching and will undoubtedly maintain and improve grassroots sports in the area.”

Paul Thorogood, chief executive of the Football Foundation, said: “This funding from the Premier League and The FA Facilities Fund is excellent news for Barkway Parish Council. Evidence shows that improved facilities enhance the experience of those who play at the lowest levels. When complete, the Barkway Pavilion will lead to a significant increase in local participation levels.

“Working alongside the Hertfordshire FA, the Premier League and The FA Facilities Fund is supporting a new generation of facilities across the region.”

Since 2000 the Football Foundation funding partners’ investment has provided 99 grants worth £8 million towards grassroots sports projects across Hertfordshire.