Liverpool County Football Association Sefton (LCFA), a trading subsidiary of the Country Football Association, provides some of the best community sports facilities in the wider Merseyside area. They aim to improve peoples’ mental and physical wellbeing through football. LCFA Sefton also plays host to a range of Football Association (FA) Education courses and CPD to support local grassroots coaches, officials and volunteers.

LCFA Sefton have run initiatives supporting a wide variety of groups in the community, including 16-25 year olds who are out of work, women and girls via female coaching network, refugees via the FA Just Play programme, people experiencing homelessness in partnership with Liverpool Homeless Football Club (LHFC), and people struggling with their mental health in partnership with (me) united and Liverpool Football Therapy.

Our Support

• In 2021 Sporting Capital invested £100,000 into LCFA Sefton to deliver a new full-size community 3G Artificial Grass Pitch (AGP), changing facilities, and improvements to the clubhouse at the community football hub
• Sporting Capital’s investment worked alongside funding from other institutions, including The Football Foundation, to support the £1.4m project.

Outcome 

The new and improved facilities have enabled LFCA Sefton to greatly increase the number of events and initiatives run on the site, covering a wide range of activities in which all people can get involved. In November 2023, LCFA Sefton also started operating as a ‘Warm Space’, open to the community from 9am to 9pm with hot drinks and snacks available.

Following the Sporting Capital loan, Sporting Assets has also worked with LCFA Sefton to provide a Cost of Living grant. LCFA Sefton will use the funds to improve their on-site kitchen facilities. This will allow them to extend their Warm Space and also help the hub to diversify their income streams through an on site food offer to site users but also an enhanced offer for functions and events.