Local Football Facility Plan Knowsley

Demographics for the area can be seen below:

Local authority

Knowsley 2030: A long term strategy for Knowsley presents the Council’s vision for the Borough and has five priorities to make Knowsley:

• A place with welcoming, vibrant, well-connected neighbourhoods and town centres;
• A place with a thriving, inclusive economy, with opportunities for people and business;
• A place where people are active and healthy, and have access to the support they need;
• A place where people of all ages are confident and can achieve their full potential; and,
• A place where strong and safe communities can shape their future

The Council and its partners are looking to the future and how best to support Knowsley and its communities to thrive in the coming years. People need good local services and facilities – access to good local shops, leisure facilities, green spaces and more. It is looking to develop The Knowsley Offer, a package of support, services and facilities that the Council and its partners will deliver for its residents.

The local authority has a Playing Pitch Strategy in place, produced in 2021. The key findings for football include a shortfall of 11v11 3G pitches for football team training, specifically in central part of the Borough in the Huyton and Prescot, Whiston and Cronton areas. There are current capacity shortfalls for youth 11v11 grass football pitches which will be exacerbated in future and future shortfalls are anticipated for youth 9v9 pitches also. Pitch quality is mixed, most sites having standard or poor quality pitches and with scope for improvement. The PPS identifies that there is no club activity for rugby union, rugby league or hockey in the Borough, with cricket activity limited at just one club managed site, evidencing the popularity and prevalence of football as the key focus for community sports facilities in the Borough.

The stated overarching priorities are to develop more 11v11 3G pitches to reduce the shortfall, maximise their use for match play to help reduce grass pitch shortfalls and facilitate club growth, as well as to support club-led and Council-led maintenance of key sites to increase quality. There is central venue play in the region, mostly based within leagues at 3G pitch hub sites in neighbouring Liverpool and the priorities for Knowsley are to manage this transition back to grass pitch sites in the Borough at youth 11v11 and 9v9 formats, evidenced by the grass pitch shortfalls at these formats. The Council manages relatively few pitch sites directly, with resident clubs undertaking regular maintenance in partnership with the Council, there is a need to support the provision of maintenance and facilities at these sites.

County Football Association

Knowsley is covered by Liverpool County FA. It provides governance for, and development support to, all aspects of local football including coaches, referees, volunteers, clubs and leagues; supporting football for all. The County FA has a designated facilities investment lead officer who works to ensure the right facilities are located in the right locations.

Football Foundation

The Regional Delivery Manager and Regional Technical Project Manager at the Football Foundation work collaboratively with the County FA to provide pre-application support and lead on the delivery of priority projects for potential investment. The Regional Facility Planning Manager (FPM) will lead and be responsible for all aspects of strategic planning and will lead on refreshing of LFFPs.

Sport England

Has a network of planning managers who have a statutory role in the planning system to protect playing fields and provide consultation responses to planning applications relating to sporting facilities . They also play a key role in strategic planning for sports facilities, providing advice and support to local authorities to assess need for facilities in their local area.

Professional community club organisations (CCOs)

These offer a variety of programmes and services to support local communities (sporting and non-sporting). The Liverpool FC Foundation and Everton in the Community each run a variety of health, education, engagement, football and sporting activities within the local area.

Local leisure operator

Volair is the leisure operator in Knowsley and is responsible for the management and delivery of the Council's leisure services. It is a Council owned and controlled organisation that has been established specifically to maintain leisure services across Knowsley. Volair operates five leisure facilities across the Borough,including six swimming pools, a velodrome, BMX park and a further five centres for learning.

It currently runs five key sites including the following key sites for football:

• Kirkby Leisure Centre - 11v11 3G pitch, 2x 5v5 sand based pitches
• Halewood Leisure Centre - 11v11 3G pitch, 2x 5v5 sand based pitches
• Prescot Soccer & Leisure Centre - 11v11 3G pitch, 7x 5v5 3G pitches

Local consultation

Local consultation took place with a broad and diverse set of community groups to inform the development of the 2019 LFFP, as well as to inform and develop the Knoswley PPS (2021). See Appendix B for full list of consultees who helped inform the LFFP update. It is a requirement that all projects that move through to application phase undertake detailed community engagement to ensure that facilities fully serve the communities they are being designed for.

Clubs

There are over 91,000 community football teams in England, spread over an expansive network of clubs and leagues. Knowsley has a total of 316 teams in 2022/23, a growth of 60 teams from the 256 identified in the Knowsley PPS (2020/21 season).

Survive. Revive. Thrive is the FA Grassroots Football Strategy 2020-2024. To deliver the goals for male and female football, there must be a vibrant, best-in-class club network around the country. The FA will work to encourage as many clubs as possible to achieve FA-Accredited status, assuring quality in everything they offer, including ever-safer and stronger player pathways. This will be coupled with a commitment to improve the quality of thousands of pitches up and down the country, with a particular focus on grass pitches.

Over the last 10-years there has been a significant national increase in the number of large multi-team football clubs. In Knowsley, 13 clubs have more than 10 registered teams. The largest of these (based upon 2022/23 affiliation data) are:

• Mags - 44 teams
• FGS - 36 teams
• AFC Knowsley - 34 teams
• Kirkby Town - 32 teams
• Mini Huyton Soccer - 30 teams
• Huyton Junior - 28 teams
• Halewood Town - 20 teams
• Kingsthorne - 18 teams
• Prescot Cables JFC - 18 teams
• FC Kirkby - 16 teams
• Quarry Green - 16 teams
• Berkley - 15 teams
• Whiston Junior - 14 teams
• Parklands - 12 teams

Leagues

The Knowsley Junior Development League is the only league which operates in the Borough, providing opportunity for youth boys and girls play. It has 48 teams playing central venue fixtures on 3G pitches at Prescot Soccer & Leisure Centre. The League has reduced in size since the 2019 LFFP when it had 87 teams, it has since stopped running leagues at some mini soccer age groups due to reported lack of access to facilities and volunteers to administer them. These teams now mainly play in central venue leagues in other local authorities.

There are no adult male or female leagues based in Knowsley. Adult male participation is typically within the Liverpool County Premier League or the Liverpool Old Boys Amateur Football League and adult female participation within the LCFA Women's League. While there are no specific league opportunities for disability within Knowsley there is however suitable provision provided in neighbouring Liverpool.

The County FA reports that there is significant cross boundary migration in Knowsley due to teams migrating outwards to 3G pitch hub sites in Liverpool to play at league central venues, such as the Merseyside & Halewood JFL.

Disability football

There are 9.4 million people in England with a long-standing limiting disability, illness or condition which equates to 18% of the population – almost one in five. Football playing opportunities should be flexible, inclusive and accessible for everyone, whatever their level of ability. This could entail inclusion in mainstream activity or teams / sessions specifically for people with a disability.

In Knowsley there are 11 football teams and three sessions specifically for people with a disability. It is a priority of the County FA to grow this provision. For talented players the FA runs regional centres and England national squads.

Women and girls

The FA had big ambitions for women and girls football and managed to double levels of participation between 2017 and 2020. To achieve this required a combined effort across four pathways: education, recreation, competition and talent. Despite achieving this ambitious target more places to play are still required for women and girls. The focus now is to give all girls equal access to football by 2024 and this will be a key objective of any facility investment. The FA’s four-year strategy, titled Inspiring Positive Change, pledges to create a sustainable future for women’s and girls’ football in England. The strategy outlines eight transformational objectives to be achieved by 2024, the following across grassroots football:-

• Early Participation – Every primary school-aged girl to have equal access to football in school and in clubs.
• Development Participation – Every girl to have equal access to participate for fun, for competition and for excellence.
• Club Player Pathway – Collaborate with clubs to develop an effective high-performance, inclusive player-centred pathway.
• Football For All – Recruit and support a motivated, diverse range of local leaders organising football for their communities.
• Coaching – Support the development of exceptional coaches at every level of the game who are representative of our society.
• Refereeing – Ensure that every female referee afforded high-quality bespoke learning and development opportunities from grassroots through to the elite game.

Education environments have a huge impact on the first experience of football for young girls. This pathway can offer many opportunities for females of all ages to develop and grow a lifelong interest in football.

FA Wildcats girls football centres provide the first step on the recreational pathway, the programme provides girls aged 5-11 with regular opportunities to play football in a fun and engaging environment. Knowsley has six FA Wildcats girls football centres and the priority is to grow this activity. FA Squad Girls' football sessions provide girls aged 12-14 with a fun, non-competitive way to play football locally with friends, whether completely new to football, transitioning from Wildcats, or simply wanting to play. There are currently no FA Squad sessions registered in Knowsley for 2022/23.

At nine (including one dedicated mini girls team), Knowsley’s number of female teams is lower than local areas of a similar size. The County FA’s priority is to support existing clubs to grow and encourage more clubs to develop playing opportunities for females. The local girls’ league is the LCFA Girls League and matches are played on a central venue basis in Liverpool. It is expected to grow provision in future years. The local adult female league is the LCFA Women's League and matches are played on a home and away across Merseyside. It too expects to grow provision in future years.

For talented players, the most local FA regional talent clubs (RTCs) are Everton Women (Childwall) and Liverpool FC Women (Walton). Higher talent pathway opportunities are also provided regionally and nationally by the FA, culminating in the England Women’s national squads. The most local Women’s Super League teams are Everton Women and Liverpool FC Women, both of which provide player pathway opportunities for gifted and talented female players and a spectator interest for fans.

Small sided football

Many different types of small-sided football are played in England, from teams and leagues to recreational and informal. It is an established and important part of the modern game.

Small-sided teams and leagues are organised and competitive activities; typically with players registered to clubs and affiliated to leagues and their County FAs. Examples include futsal and local small-sided leagues running at venues such as sports halls, 3G pitches or small-sided 3G centres. Elite Sixes at Prescot Soccer & Leisure Centre is the key local provider in Knowsley for small-sided teams and leagues.

Recreational football

Recreational football is played where facilities are typically booked and there might be someone to help organise. Examples include FA Just Play sessions, walking football and casual pitch hire for small-sided match play.

There are currently three FA Just Play centres in Knowsley, all three with a focus on disability participation. Walking football sessions are delivered by a range of community organisation such as Volair (Prescot Soccer & Leisure Centre twice weekly, Knowley Leisure & Culture Park indoor) and LFC Foundation (Kirkby Leisure Centre). Walking football and Just Play are County FA priorities for further growth and development.

Liverpool County FA delivers recreational football sessions across the Liverpool City Region through the Active Through Football Programme to encourage participation for specific priority groups. A session is held in Knowsley to improve lives and increase activity level in and around Roby Jubilee Park, focussing on activity for women. The Women's Active Through Fitness Session for Parents in partnership with Huyton Juniors is run weekly at Roby Jubilee Park.

The key strengths of local football in Knowsley include the large number of club-led sites and number of large multi-team clubs and it is recommended that these are sustained and also encouraged to grow further. However, there are aspects of football provision that are lower than local authorities of a similar size, specifically female participation and particularly competitive teams for adult female.

It is therefore recommended that the future football development priorities for Knowsley are:

1. Adult Female
2. Mini Female
3. Youth Female
4. Disability Football
5. Adult Male

The facilities required to assist this are now set out in the Assets and opportunities section.

Each priority project that progresses to a funding application via the Football Foundation will produce a detailed ‘site development plan’ specifying all football development activity, usage and key partner engagement.

This section reviews existing football facility assets. It identifies current issues and presents opportunities for improvements, including a list of priority projects for potential investment.

Local assets and opportunities have been reviewed in line with four investment priorities:

• 3G Artificial Grass Pitches (AGPs)
• Improved grass pitches
• Off pitch and ancillary facilities (e.g. toilets, changing rooms, catering)
• Small sided facilities

To ensure a consistent and high quality approach, each local area has been reviewed applying a standard approach, supplemented by input from consultation with local partners and stakeholder organisations.

While each investment priority is reviewed individually, it is understood that they can be inter-reliant; account is, thus, taken of these potential connections.

3G pitches are a high quality and indispensable part of modern football facilities; their impact cannot be underestimated. In recent years the industry has seen major innovations and improvements to artificial surfaces (and sports lighting). This has created playing surfaces that replicate a good standard natural turf pitch whilst significantly increasing levels of use (x20). All 3G pitches must have sports lighting to achieve this.

The high quality, consistent playing surface is the ideal environment to play the game and for young people to learn. With regular maintenance programmes, 3G pitches can be heavily used all year round with no decline in quality. They almost completely negate annoying fixture cancellations during winter months, helping football to be a key part of a regular physical activity habit.

High capacity levels offer a great opportunity to embrace all formats and engage all participants. A full-sized 3G caters for an average of 1,200 participants per week and is suitable for various location types. That means being fully inclusive to all sections of the community, with a particular focus on under-represented groups such as women and girls, people with a disability, BAME communities and people from lower socio-economic groups.

The way 3G pitches are used is rapidly changing; current line-marking systems allow for match play across all formats of football (5v5, 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11). This enables significant levels of match-play to be transferred from grass to 3G.

There are nine 11v11 3G AGPs in Knowsley, four of which meet FA recommended full size pitch dimensions (100x64m):

• All Saints Academy (91x55m)
• Halewood Academy (92x50m)
• Halewood Leisure Centre (100x64m)
• Kirkby Leisure Centre (100x64m)
• Lord Derby Academy (91x50m)
• Prescot Soccer & Leisure Centre (95x55m)
• Liverpool FC Academy (100x68m) - unavailable for community use
• Everton FC (Finch Farm Training Ground, 104x68m & 98x58m) - 2x pitches unavailable for community use

Additionally, there are eight small sided 3G pitches in Knowsley, one at Arncliffe Sports & Community Centre (marked with two 5v5 pitches) and Prescot Soccer & Leisure Centre which has seven 5v5 3G pitches alongside the 11v11 3G pitch.

Knowsley has a PPS undertaken in 2021, which identifies that current 3G APGs are operating at or near to capacity. The PPS recommends that a steering group Task and Finish Group be established as part of Stage E (Delivery and Implementation) of the PPS, to assess the extent of spare capacity of existing 3G AGPs to help inform whether they can accommodate unmet and future demand or if new provision is required.

The FA training model when applied to the PPS indicates that there is a current shortfall of two full size 3G pitches, one each in the Huyton sub-area and the Prescot, Whiston & Cronton sub-area. The shortfall increases to three 11v11 3G pitches when accounting for future demand, with a second additional pitch required in the Huyton sub-area.

In addition to the shortfall of full size 3G AGPs there are also two 11v11 3G AGPs, one each at Halewood Academy (2010 build) and Lord Derby Academy (2009 build), which exceed their respective surface lifespans and that require replacement. Both are at Academy sites managed via PFI contract and as such it is the contractual responsibility of the PFI provider to fund the renewal of these surfaces. Built in 2013, the seven 5v5 3G pitches at Prescot Soccer & Leisure Centre also require resurfacing due to age.

Six of the nine pitches are available for community use, with Liverpool FC Academy (one pitch) and Everton FC (Finch Farm Training Ground, two pitches) both unavailable for community use as they function as private sites used by professional clubs. All six available pitches are on the FA Register for 3G AGPs (meaning they are quality checked and can be used for football match play), as are the small sided 3G pitches at Prescot Soccer & Leisure Centre and the private use indoor 3G pitch at Everton FC (Finch Farm Training Ground).

The geographic spread of existing facilities is relatively even, with two available 11v11 3G pitches in each part of the Borough, the north (Kirkby), the central (Prescot, Huyton) and south (Halewood). Consultation undertaken as part of the PPS reveals a common issue with low availability, with some clubs reporting they cannot access sufficient capacity on 3G pitches for training, mainly those based in the central area of the Borough where the identified quantitative shortfall exists. It is recommended that this is addressed.

The FA has seen unprecedented growth in football over the last five years, particularly in the youth and women & girls game. Overall participation is estimated to grow year on year, equating to an additional 88 teams in the local authority by 2030, of which 15 will come from women and girls. This could represent the equivalent of at least two additional 11v11 3G FTPs.

Allowances have been made for ancillary provision for each pitch if needed, however this is subject to the final agreed location of any additional future provision and an assessment as to whether there are existing suitable facilities available.

The following priority projects for potential investment are identified:

The Football Foundation is on a mission to transform the quality of grass football pitches across England, because great facilities enhance physical and mental wellbeing, strengthen communities and empower people. The quality of football pitches is a huge issue for community football; 150,000 matches were postponed due to poor pitches during the last full football season. We are therefore on a mission to improve 20,000 grass pitches across England.

The Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund is a £21m fund that provides eligible clubs and leagues with a tapered six-year grant to help them sustain pitches already at a 'good' level and enhance pitches that are either considered 'poor' or 'basic'. In order to be eligible, clubs and leagues must use the PitchPower app to assess their pitches. This provides a detailed assessment report with recommendations on improving the quality of grass pitches. The PitchPower app is available to all pitch owners as a way to assess grass pitch quality and gain access to grass pitch improvement recommendations. See Football Foundation | PitchPower

The key challenge is to create a sustainable approach to provide good quality football pitches for the long term. Most local authorities (78%) intend to increase pitch hire fees in the future. However, the majority of players (63%) believe facilities are already expensive and some (16%) believe prices are prohibitive. A sustainable solution should, therefore, carefully balance pitch quality and affordability.

Through the use of PitchPower we are able to identify the demand for investment into new or additional machinery and equipment and see this as an important step towards sustainability for the voluntary sector. Ensuring clubs and leagues can maintain their own sites, supplemented by contracted out major works (e.g. aeration) is potentially a more cost effective approach in the long term.

While the education sector (23.8%) and local authorities (51.8%) are still the principal asset owners of grass pitches and have the heaviest reliance for affiliated matches, clubs / leagues own or maintain an increasing share and we will continue to prioritise investment into sites that are maintained by clubs or leagues.

From the time of the 2019 LFFP, the introduction of PitchPower has allowed all Club owned and leased sites to apply for funding to improve grass pitch maintenance.

Football Foundation investment is now available for the direct improvement of grass pitches through the Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund (GPMF), which should result in pitch quality improving over the next couple of seasons. The aim now should be to get the pitches up to the 'good' standard and work to sustain them. In Knowsley, no eligible organisations have applied yet for this revenue funding, though Knowsley AFC has accessed the fund to obtain new machinery and equipment to better maintain pitches at Lord Derby Playing Fields likewise, a GPMF application is also in assessment for new machinery and equipment to support FC Kirkby to maintain the pitches it now leases at Eddie McCardle Playing Fields.

There are currently 11 grass pitch sites in the local area that contain 35 grass pitches, that have been identified as either currently maintained, in part or whole, by grassroots clubs or leagues, or are maintained by the public sector and are of strategic importance to football locally. All have been assessed via PitchPower and are known to have 13 good or better (high or advanced) quality pitches, 10 basic quality pitches and 20 poor.

The total number of pitches includes club owned or operated sites which are a priority for grass pitch investment and are eligible for the Football Foundation's grass pitch maintenance fund. These sites are listed below (if possible):

• Broad Lane (Quarry Green)
• Eddie McCardle Memorial Playing Fields (FC Kirkby)
• Halewood Town Junior Football Academy (Halewood Town)
• King George V Playing Fields Prescot (Berkley)
• Lord Derby Memorial Playing Fields (AFC Knowsley)
• Parklands Sports Club (Parklands FC)
• Pool Hey Playing Fields (MAGS)
• Purple Hub @ King George V (City of Liverpool FC)
• Roby Jubilee Park (Huyton Juniors)
• Windy Arbour Road (Whiston Juniors)

The priority now is to concentrate on those local authority owned sites that require improvements and agree sustainable solutions for pitch maintenance going forward. The Council has undertaken PitchPower assessments across its football pitch portfolio. Nineteen Council managed sites (including some schools) have been assessed via PitchPower and are known to have 23 good or better (high or advanced) quality pitches, 18 basic quality and 15 poor.

Of the 11 key club/league maintained pitch sites referenced above it was determined that nine of these should be prioritised for improvements. Five are local authority managed sites (one Halton Borough Council) and two are Town Council managed, but are maintained by clubs and should be prioritised for improvements. Some of these sites may hold opportunity for future transfer to club or league led management and maintenance models. A further one Parish Council managed site, one community managed site and three school sites are should also be prioritised for improvement. In total this will result in quality improvements to 35 full size pitch equivalents.

Fourteen priority projects for potential investment have been identified. Pitch quality rating was evidenced by PitchPower (or the PPS and ratified by local partners where PitchPower data isn't available). Prioritisation was based on a rationale of selecting sites that were most well utilised, with a strategic focus to improve club and key local authority maintained pitches.

These can provide a number of different benefits. While the primary function is normally the provision of changing rooms to accommodate match-play and training (for players and officials), there can be equal value in facilities such as community and education rooms, catering facilities and spectator toilets.

Each project will take a progressive approach to pavilions and clubhouses (beyond the provision of changing rooms) and be open to new opportunities to engage the whole community. That means, creating environments that are welcoming to players, spectators, volunteers, officials and all sections of the community.

Such assets should support other investment priorities (e.g. 3G FTPs and grass pitches) and be located at sites that will have the greatest impact on local communities. To ensure this, focus is given to sites with three or more full-size pitch equivalents. However, as pitch quality is the number one priority for players this is prioritised before investment in changing room pavilions /clubhouses.

Clearly, facilities need to be well managed and maintained to keep them in a good state of repair. Consideration will be given to reviewing the best operator solution for key sites and the installation of revenue generating features such as catering facilities and community rooms. To achieve this, business plan support will be given to each priority project as it progresses to an application to the Football Foundation.

One of the changing room projects identified in the last LFFP at Lord Derby Memorial Playing Fields has now received Football Foundation and has been delivered. The project included a new four team changing pavilion, new vehicular access, car parking, surface and drainage improvements to the existing natural grass turf pitches and grounds maintenance equipment.

Of the 17 key grass pitch sites in Knowsley deemed to be of strategic importance, 12 sites have suitable changing rooms, two sites require improvement, two require replacement and one has no facilities and requires new changing rooms.

Subject to detailed exploration of site options for the possible development of new 3G pitches, it may be that proposed sites could require the development of new or additional ancillary provision such as car parking, additional changing rooms and/or toilets to service increased use of the site brought about by having a 3G pitch.

The FA has seen unprecedented growth in football over the last five years, particularly in the youth and women & girls game. Overall participation is estimated to grow year on year, equating to an additional 88 teams in the local authority by 2030, of which 15 will come from women and girls. This could represent the equivalent of at least two additional 11v11 3G FTPs.

Allowances have been made for ancillary provision for each pitch if needed, however this is subject to the final agreed location of any additional future provision and an assessment as to whether there are existing suitable facilities available.

The list below identifies priority projects for potential investment.

Good facilities are important to all small sided football players, but it is important to understand the different formats of the small-sided game, the audiences and the various facility types they relate to.

Research suggests that small-sided players in teams and leagues, and in organised recreational sessions, prefer a 3G surface type because it replicates a good standard natural turf pitch. These facilities have already been covered in the 3G AGP section of this LFFP.

Indoor environments currently accommodate 20% of football participation and are also popular with players in teams and leagues and recreational sessions . Indoor sports halls are most popular, along with some community halls and indoor 3G centres. Environments need to be engaging, have clear line-marking and the correct size goalposts.

Whilst our priorities will always be football led, we believe Small sided facilities provide a good opportunity to collaborate with other sports to deliver high quality spaces for people to play recreational sport. This will be achieved via our PlayZones Programme:

Football Foundation PlayZone Programme

PlayZones are modern, safe, and engaging facilities that are designed for recreational football and at least one other sport. There are a range of facility types to meet the needs of different sports.

Through this programme we want to address stubborn inequalities in activity levels and access to sports facilities within four priority groups:

• Lower socio-economic groups
• Women and girls
• Disabled people and people with long-term health conditions
• Ethnically diverse communities

Our research also shows us that when it comes to small sided facilities one size does not fit all and localised design and ownership will yield the greatest engagement from under represented groups. Activation is also as important as the facility itself for these groups. This section of the LFFP will concentrate on suitable places for PlayZones.

Suitable places will be identified through a combination of mapping, to include identification of our priority groups and crossover with other multi-sport priorities. Further community engagement will be required for design and delivery. Where some engagement has already been carried out projects will appear in the project list.

All projects will then need to be developed by a cross sector consortium where partners who understand and represent the people and the place come together to drive the project forward and create access and opportunities for priority groups.

Our research shows us that community engagement is the key to developing great small sided facilities and that we shouldn't try and identify sites without first identifying two key things:

• Key priority places within the local authority
• Key priority groups within the local authority

Once these two things are identified local community engagement is required to identify potential sites for investment. In Knowsley the starting point for priority places, identified through previous Local Authority work around deprivation and inactivity, is:

• Huyton
• Kirkby
• Halewood
• Prescot
• Cherryfield

The key priority groups in Knowsley are:

• Lower socio-economic groups
• Women and girls
• Disabled people and people with long-term health conditions
• Ethnically diverse communities

This priority group of places and people will be ratified throughout the process and the next step is to now begin community engagement to help identify where the specific sites are that will help to tackle inequalities and provide spaces for activity.

A range of local agencies were invited to participate in the LFFP consultation. Those that contributed are listed below:

• Sports Development Officer - Knowsley Council
• Green Space Development Officer - Knowsley Council
• Football Development Manager - Liverpool FA
• Facilities Investment Manager - Liverpool FA
• Delivery Manager - Football Foundation
• Head of Partnerships - LFC Foundation
• Senior Programme Manager - Everton in the Community
• Planning Manager - Sport England
• Director - Merseyside Sports Partnership
• Multi-Sport Network Manager - Active Partnerships
• Facilities Development Manager (North) – Rugby Football Union
• Facilities Planning Manager (Recreational Game) - England & Wales Cricket Board
• Cricket Development Manager - Lancashire Cricket Foundation
• Facilities Relationship Manager - England Hockey