Exciting work is underway at Foulston Park to introduce Plymouth’s first-ever Football Foundation PlayZone. Designed to help families stay active, the facility is a major step in ensuring the people of Devonport and surrounding communities have access to high-quality, safe, and inclusive sports.

The Foulston Park site will accommodate one of more than 200 PlayZones to be built throughout England, supported by a £13.5 million commitment from the Premier League, The FA, and Government, through Sport England, providing a home for recreational football, basketball, netball, and more. The site at Foulston Park is going under wider redevelopment after receiving of over £2.2 million of funding from the Football Foundation as part of their Hubs programme. The Hub will include a new 3G pitch, suitable for rugby, the redevelopment of the existing leisure centre into a new community hub, new changing rooms and the upgrading of the existing 3G pitch.

Levelling the playing field

Unlike traditional sports pitches, PlayZones are specifically designed with, and for, the local community, providing safe, inclusive, and accessible outdoor facilities that bring communities together. They aim to engage with local communities to create outstanding sports and activity spaces and tackle inequalities in participation.

Four main groups facing the greatest inequalities will be prioritised to provide opportunity and access to safe, inclusive, and welcoming facilities:

  • Lower socio-economic groups
  • Women and girls
  • People with disabilities or long-term health conditions
  • Ethnically diverse communities.

Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “The Football Foundation is working closely with our partners – the Premier League, The FA, and Government – to transform the quality of grassroots facilities in England by delivering projects like this across the country.

“We’re delighted that the local community in Devonport and Plymouth will now be able to enjoy all these benefits thanks to the new facilities at Foulston Park, including the new Football Foundation PlayZone.

“As with all PlayZones, the new small-sided pitch will be designed by the local community who’ll be able to step out onto the pitch and get active in a way that suits them. We look forward to the opening of these new facilities in the coming months.”

Cabinet Member for Customer Experience, Sport, Leisure & HR, and OD Councillor Kate Taylor added: “This is why we signed up to being part of Foulston Park. The project has always been about encouraging as many people as possible to be active and healthy and Football Foundation Playzones have been created specifically to make sure those facing the biggest hurdles get better access to brilliant and welcoming facilities. I can’t wait to see this open.”

Maurice West, Vice Chair of Devonport Community Leisure Ltd, adds: “Devonport being favoured with the first of these new community facilities is a fantastic achievement and ensures that Foulston Park will be able to deliver even more Health and Wellbeing opportunities for people of all ages.”

Lewis Coombes, Argyle Community Trust Head of Facilities, added: “We are incredibly proud to be managing the provisions at the new PlayZone. Our mission is to use the power of sport to inspire and change lives, and this facility gives us the perfect platform to do that. We can’t wait to see the first sessions kick off.”

The PlayZone is scheduled to officially open in late spring/early summer 2026. It will host a mix of structured Argyle Community Trust programmes and dedicated slots for community bookings.

For more information on the new PlayZone, The Hub at Foulston Park, and how you can get involved, visit https://foulstonpark.co.uk/the-hub/.