Richhill AFC has confirmed it has secured £500,000 in funding to install a new full-size synthetic floodlit pitch at its leased grounds at Richhill Recreation Centre.
The money has been awarded through the Irish FA / DCMS 2025/26 Grassroots Facilities Investment Fund, and construction work by local firm Clive Richardson Limited (CRL) is already well underway. The club is hopeful the project will be completed by March, with further updates to be provided in the coming months.
Club Chairman Neil Megaw described the award as “transformational” for both the club and the wider community.
“First and foremost, as a Club, we are extremely grateful to the Irish FA / DCMS panel for approving our application and awarding us this funding – funding which is going to transform both our Club and community,” he said.
“Our growing number of teams will now have access to state-of-the art facilities while the PE and extra-curricular multi-sports programmes of local schools (particularly nearby Hardy Memorial PS) will also benefit during off peak hours.
“A wide range of other football and non-football community groups will enjoy access to the facility thus dramatically increasing the number of visitors into Richhill village, which subsequently can also only be good for local businesses. Therefore, everyone is a winner.”
Mr Megaw stressed that securing funding of this scale required extensive collaboration and support from across the community.
“Achieving funding of this magnitude doesn’t just happen and so I wish to thank all the different community groups and representatives who provided letters of support,” he said.
“However, ultimately, the success of any project comes down to the contributions of a few key individuals and so I wish to acknowledge the outstanding support that we received from Richard Forsythe (Forsythe Consulting Ltd) and Colin Lindsay (CT Lindsay Chartered Architect Ltd).
“Finally, I want to thank our Club Committee of William Anderson, Bobby Farquhar, Matthew Finlay, Gary McCoo, Jackie McCoo, Sam McElveen and Paul Nellins with special mention reserved for Club Secretary Mark McCune, who has been a constant driver of this project from the outset.”
The new facility is expected to significantly increase participation in sport and physical activity in the area, providing a high-quality, all-weather surface for club teams, schools, and community groups, and bringing additional footfall and economic benefit to Richhill village.
