Ground has broken on a permanent spectator stand and team dugouts at the Meadowbank grass pitch at Kirkwall Grammar School (KGS).

The project is fully funded by the Scottish Football Association and was proposed by the newly formed Orkney Football Hub, which brings together representatives from Orkney FC, the Orkney Amateur Football Association, Orkney Women's Football Club, the Orkney Youth Development Group, Orkney Islands Council and the Scottish FA. The Hub says the work forms part of a wider investment in football at KGS.

The new facilities will provide covered, accessible seating for fixtures and training, alongside dedicated storage for clubs using the pitch.

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Karl Adamson, Orkney Football Hub, said: "We are grateful to Orkney Islands Council for its collaboration, and critically, we thank the Scottish Football Association, not only for the funding but also for their continued and invaluable mentoring and support."

Beyond football, the space is intended to support outdoor learning for the school and a broad range of community activities, making it a multi-use addition to the site.

Graeme Sutherland, Scottish FA North Regional Manager, said: "We are delighted to be able to support this project, one we see as a key component in creating a 'home for Orkney football'. Improving existing football and community facilities through our 'Pitching In' fund is only possible through collaboration, and on this occasion, work undertaken by local volunteers at the Orkney Football Hub, in partnership with OIC, has contributed massively to the realisation of this important project. We welcome this asset to the football landscape, and look forward to continuing to work with local partners to improve the game."

Garry Burton, Head of Active Communities, said: "I'd like to thank the Scottish Football Association for their investment, and the local football clubs and community groups who've supported this project along the way."