Work starts on £240k football and basketball pitch

The new football and basketball centre is being built on the site of an old sports centre in Southwick

Work has started on turning an old sports centre into a new football and basketball pitch.

Sunderland City Council said the £243,000 scheme would help tackle inequalities in Southwick and improve access to physical activity for its community.

It is being built on the site of the old sports area in Church Street, near the Southwick Community Centre.

Ruth Walker, of the Southwick Neighbourhood Youth Project which will operate the pitch, said: "It's going to make an enormous difference to getting our local community active as well as giving young people something positive to do."

The project, funded with money from the Premier League, The FA, the government's Football Foundation and the council, is one of 200 PlayZones to be created across the country.

It will also include smart-access technology, a booking system and will be open seven days a week.

Councillor Beth Jones, cabinet member for communities at Sunderland City Council, said: "This space will not only enhance physical well-being but also serve as a gathering place for families and friends to develop new, positive experiences with sport, play and physical activity."