The Oxfordshire Youth Sport Trust, in partnership with Sport England and Oxford City Council, has secured a landmark £1.65 million grassroots sports modernization grant to comprehensively renovate community sports pavilions, multi-use games areas (MUGAs), and all-weather football pitches across Rose Hill, Barton, and Wood Farm. The investment represents one of the largest single community sports development commitments in southern Oxfordshire in recent years.
Under the approved funding package, the aging Rose Hill Sports Pavilion off Ashhurst Way will undergo a complete structural overhaul, transforming into a state-of-the-art community active wellness and youth sports hub. Upgrades will include modern, fully accessible gender-neutral changing suites, energy-efficient LED floodlit pitch lighting, an indoor multipurpose studio for gymnastics and martial arts, and a community health coaching clinic operated in partnership with local NHS primary care networks.
At Barton Neighbourhood Centre, the grant will finance the resurfacing of two floodlit 3G artificial turf pitches, enabling year-round football, netball, and basketball coaching regardless of adverse winter weather conditions, alongside subsidized after-school sports academies for young people aged 7 to 18.
Keith Kelly, Chief Executive of the Oxfordshire Youth Sport Trust, highlighted the long-term public health and social development benefits of accessible grassroots facilities. “High-quality community sports infrastructure is not a luxury; it is a fundamental catalyst for physical health, mental resilience, youth mentorship, and community cohesion,” Kelly said during an unveiling event at the Rose Hill Community Centre. “This £1.65 million investment breaks down financial and physical barriers, ensuring every young person growing up in Rose Hill and Barton has access to world-class sports coaching and safe, modern recreational facilities right on their doorstep.”
Local grassroots football clubs, including Rose Hill Youth FC and Barton United, have celebrated the announcement, confirming that the new facilities will allow them to double their registered youth teams, with specialized expansion into girls’ and disability football leagues.
Construction works across the three sites are scheduled to commence in November 2026, with the modernized Rose Hill pavilion slated for a grand community opening ahead of the 2027 summer sports season.
