Eddlewood Football Association will receive £40,000 of funding from the council-administered Renewable Energy Fund (REF), towards an overall total project cost of £80,049.

Match funding for the project is coming from local company Procast, with the Whitelee Windfarm contributing the money into the REF.

Gerry McGhie, Chairperson of Eddlewood Football Association, said: "We are incredibly grateful for this support from the Renewable Energy Fund and our partners at Procast.

“This grant will allow us to install a high-quality drainage system that will significantly improve our pitches, ensuring they can be used all year round without disruption.

“This is a huge step forward in our plans to develop the Eddlewood Sports and Community Campus, and it will have a lasting impact on the health and well-being of the local community by encouraging more active lifestyles and reducing isolation through sport.

“We look forward to seeing the positive effects it will have on our teams and the wider community."

Chair of the council’s Community and Enterprise Resources Committee, Councillor Robert Brown, said: “We are all too aware of how much rain we can get in this part of the world, so hopefully the drainage system will ensure less call-offs for the football teams moving forward.

“It’s another great example of how the REF can benefit local community groups and organisations.”

You can find out more about the REF on the council website.