The collaborative programme will deliver 200 places to play across England by 2025, with around 75 featuring basketball. It is supported by a £13.5million commitment and delivered in partnership with Basketball England and other sports bodies.
The Concord Youth Centre in Birmingham was the first new facility to be opened and has benefited from an investment of more than £250,000.
Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games 3x3 gold medallist Kayne Henry and former Premier League star Dion Dublin joined locals for the opening of a PlayZone.
“We are really excited for the opening of the first of many football and basketball PlayZones at the Concord Youth Centre in Birmingham! This location is special, as it provides many opportunities for the local community to engage in physical activity.
“The PlayZone represents a fantastic opportunity for sports like basketball to collaborate with other stakeholders in developing a diverse range of offerings that benefit the community. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Sport England and the Football Foundation for including us in this journey, allowing us to expand opportunities to play basketball on a national scale.
“Through BE's involvement with the PlayZone programme, we can help tackle inequalities in physical activity and access to facilities."
“I know how important it is to provide quality sporting facilities for communities up and down the country and I was delighted to be at the launch of this new Football Foundation PlayZone in Birmingham, a city very close to my heart.
“Thanks to funding from the Premier League, The FA and the Government, along with EA SPORTS, this fantastic facility will be a huge boost to everybody in the local area, helping to bring the local community together and keep children and young people active."
About PlayZone
The PlayZone Programme aims to focus investment and resource into communities with the greatest need, delivering new or refurbished outdoor mini pitches designed for basketball, football and other sports and activities that will allow four priority groups - lower socio-economic groups, women and girls, disabled people and people with long-term health conditions and ethnically diverse communities - to be more active.
The Concord Centre facility is expected to be used by more than 500 people each month, including running and wheelchair basketball, walking and running football.
Clubs or organisations interested in activating PlayZones spaces should contact [email protected].
