A £1.5million project is set to revolutionise sporting opportunities in a West Lothian village.

Blackburn United Community Football Club are set to benefit from a massive upgrade of their sporting facilities, thanks to a £1.15million investment from West Lothian Council and £400,000 from sportscotland's Sports Facility Fund.

The development will see a new changing pavilion built, including six changing rooms, referee changing and community club room, along with a new floodlit seven-a-side third generation synthetic turf pitch and new 11-a-side grass pitch.

The new facilities are the culmination of years of hard work by Blackburn United, which was formed in 2004 by Blackburn United Junior FC and the local youth football teams, supported by the council and the Scottish Football Association. Upgrades to the grass pitches and other improvements around Blackburn United's Murrayfield Park home have already been completed by the council in recent years.

Alistair Shaw, West Lothian Council's Head of Area Services, said: "We are pleased to confirm this significant investment from the council and sportscotland in sporting facilities in West Lothian.

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"The £1.5 million project will provide a local sporting hub for the community of Blackburn and the development of opportunities for participation in physical activity, volunteering and diversionary programmes.

"It will also assist the further development of Blackburn United in providing opportunities for young children to participate in community sport and adopt an active and healthy lifestyle from an early age."

Stewart Harris, Chief Executive of sportscotland, said: "sportscotland has a strong relationship with West Lothian Council and we are delighted to be working closely with them on this jointly-funded development and provide our experience in designing and constructing infrastructure projects.

"This is an exciting project that significantly improves sporting facilities and their accessibility for people in Blackburn and the surrounding areas, which is why our Sports Facility Fund is providing £400,000."

Blackburn United have achieved the Quality Mark Status (Community Club level) from the Scottish Football Association and also the Community Club level of the West Lothian Council Club Accreditation Scheme. These awards demonstrate the good practice by the club in providing opportunities to participate in football from an early age in a safe and enjoyable atmosphere.

Ian McGinty, Blackburn United chairperson, added: "With upwards of 140 boys and girls being coached each week by the football club, this much needed improvement in our facilities will help continue to develop our presence in West Lothian.

"They will provide a base from which our absolute determination to create a well coached player pathway into adulthood can flourish. In offering a new, safe and caring sporting environment we hope to encourage more youngsters to the club and hope too to encourage parents and the wider community to become engaged with and involved in what we are attempting to achieve here in Blackburn."

(GK)