Young people in the South Side of Glasgow will soon be improving their skills at a state-of-the-art football facility.

GHA helped bring together a variety of organisations – including Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Community Justice Authority, the Scottish Government and sportscotland – to transform a disused piece of land in Corkerhill.

The derelict stretch of land, used mainly for dog-walking, will now be turned into an all-weather football pitch complete with changing rooms and floodlights.

The £300,000 facility will be used by Pollok United Soccer Academy, but will also be open to the public – and free for young people in the area.

Staff from GHA’s Mosspark local office and GHA’s South Area Team, as well as local councillors and representatives from sportscotland and Pollok United, were on hand to mark the start of work on the site.

Hazel Young, GHA’s South Area Director, said: "We want to increase opportunities for all our tenants, and this new facility will be very positive for the community.

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"It means young people can have fun, get fit and improve their football skills.

"A lot of people have worked very hard to bring this project together and I’m delighted work has started on the pitches. It’s another stage in the continuing regeneration of Corkerhill."

Bailie Elaine McDougall, Chair of Glasgow Community Justice Authority, said: "I am pleased this very worthwhile project is being backed by Glasgow Community Justice Authority.

"Community sentencing is about offenders putting something back into society. The new football academy is sure to be well-loved and those who work on it are entitled to take some pride from their efforts. That's good for the offenders involved and for the community, as those offenders will be less likely to commit crimes in future."

Work at the Corkerhill site should take around eight weeks to complete.

Pollok United’s Soccer Academy currently works with 230 boys and girls from across the South Side.

Stewart Harris, Chief Executive of sportscotland, said: "The new synthetic pitch in Corkerhill will help to increase the number of children involved in sport and physical activity, as well as widening the sporting opportunities throughout the area."

A range of partners were involved in funding the facility, including GHA, sportscotland, Glasgow City Council’s Greater Pollok and Craigton Area Committees, Glasgow City Council’s Integrated Grants Fund, the Scottish Government’s Cash Back for Communities, Network Rail, and the Scottish Football Partnership.

Last year, staff at GHA’s Mosspark office helped transform a derelict piece of land in Craigton into a community garden.

(GK)