Wokingham Borough Council is in the process of appointing Berks & Bucks Football Association (FA) as the new leaseholder of Cantley Park, taking over the running of pavilion and football pitches.
Subject to contracts, Berks & Bucks FA will begin operating the facilities later this year, which also includes the café, Ashridge room and the changing facilities.
Whilst the move will enable the County FA to have a greater presence in the area, the Berks & Bucks FA’s Headquarters will remain in Milton Park, Didcot, with additional team members recruited locally to support the day-to-day operations at Cantley Park.
“I am pleased to see Cantley Park is going to be given a new lease of life under Berks & Bucks Football Association,” said Cllr Mark Ashwell, executive member for economic development, sport, leisure and the arts.
“Our national sport of football’s association seeing the potential in Wokingham Borough is a massive boost for Cantley Park and for our Borough as a whole.”
Leasing the site to Berks & Bucks FA, a respected not-for-profit organisation with strong local roots, offers a sustainable way to invest in the park’s future. The organisation brings specialist expertise and a commitment to improve the quality of the pitches, improve customer experience and maintain affordability for current users.
Jon Wood, Head of Delivery at Berks & Bucks FA, said: “Our desire to operate Cantley Park, goes beyond maintaining a successful facility. The vision for this facility is for it to become a hub for the community and aid us in ‘Connecting People and Changing Lives.’
“This opportunity enables us to ensure this integral site for local residents and clubs, maintains good facilities that are accessible to all. Furthermore, we hope to build closer connections with existing partners at Cantley Park, to deliver even more engaging activities.
“We very much look forward to working with the existing clubs and users of the site and will be engaging with them in due course.”
