The pitch will be available for grassroots teams, community groups and Accrington Stanley Community Trust’s charitable projects.

Bringing the total investment in the Stanley Sports Hub to £ 4 million since 2019, the state-of-the-art facility was developed on an unused grass area behind the Hub.

The new pitch also received support from the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund for football community projects in England and Wales, with Accrington Stanley becoming the first EFL club to receive the maximum £100,000 grant.

Already proving extremely popular with the local community, a series of holiday camps have taken place on the 3G pitch during the summer, with the funding from the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund also meaning even more groups of every age and ability can use the facility.

Martin Fearon, CEO of the Accrington Stanley Community Trust, said: “This is an incredible facility and one which we are really proud to open here at the Stanley Sports Hub.

“It provides even more opportunities for the people of Hyndburn to get involved in sport, and we have hosted some fantastic holiday camps here over the summer. We are extremely proud to be able to provide one of Hyndburn’s best facilities for sport and community services.

“The funding from the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund will also allow us to welcome even more groups to the facility and we can’t wait to see everyone down here.”

To learn more about using the brand new 3G pitch, visit www.stanleysportshub.co.uk or contact the Accrington Stanley Community Trust by calling 01254 475 013 or by emailing info@stanleytrust.co.uk.

You can also learn more about the Accrington Stanley Community Trust on their website: www.stanleytrust.co.uk