Football has come home to the Lewis Place estate, with Hackney Wick FC’s women’s
team making full use of a newly refurbished community pitch.
Housing provider Southern Housing has teamed up with contractor Axis to transform
a community space which had fallen into disrepair. The rundown area had been used
by Hackney Wick FC, who reached out to Southern Housing to explain their struggles
playing regularly there.
So Southern Housing and Axis jumped into action, installing brand-new astro-turf,
netting and pitch borders, upgrading the lighting, and replacing the goals. Their hard
work has ensured the pitch is safe, durable, and ready for community use.
Hackney Wick FC is part of Grassroots for Good, a charity committed to supporting,
developing, and fundraising for grassroots football clubs. Their new pitch is dedicated
to women’s and girls’ football, while also serving as a hub for a wide range of
community football activities across Hackney.
With the new Hackney Wick FC pitch in place, training delivered through Grassroots
for Good will help drive the charity’s mission to get more women and girls into playing
the game both at grassroots level and professionally.
John Culleton, Contract Manager for Southern Housing, said: “We’re incredibly
proud to have delivered this project alongside Axis. What started as a conversation
with members of Hackney Wick FC became a shared commitment to restore a space
that means so much to the community. Seeing the pitch back in use by Hackney Wick
Football Club, with young people and residents enjoying it again and smiles on
people’s faces, makes this project truly special.”
Brian Akintokun, Community Director for Hackney Wick FC community and
Grassroots for Good charity, said: “We’re delighted to see the work that’s been done
to get the pitch back into community use, as this will be used for some of our community
engagement activities to provide safe recreational play to members of the wider
Hackney Community. We’d like to thank both Southern Housing and Axis for their work
and dedication to grassroots community football/sports.
