Former England football Lioness will help to open Blackpool's new £6 million Common Edge Community Sports Village

Ahead of the Women’s World Cup starting in July, the ex-England footballer and media pundit – yet to be officially named - will join primary school girls and representatives from Blackpool Council at the £6 million Common Edge Community Sports Village on Friday June 30.

The new sports amenity is designed to help more girls get into football, buoyed by England's Lionesses sensationally winning Euro 2022 after beating Germany 2-1 in extra-time at Wembley.

The Women's World Cup 2023, which is being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, is scheduled for July 20 to August 20.

More than 80 girls from primary schools across Blackpool will be competing in the finals day of the Blackpool Primary School Games, which aptly will be staged at the Common Edge Community Sports Village on the day.

Blackpool Council is currently taking a lead in growing girls football across the town, working to ensure over 90 per cent of primary schools in the town offer equal access to regular football outside of lessons, and at least three-quarters of local schools make girls football available in PE lessons.

The new sports village includes 14 new grass football pitches, along with a full sized 3G football pitch, a sports pavilion with changing rooms and community space, plus a grass rugby pitch and training area to follow.

Support to build a new access road to the sports village, as well as a future access road to the Enterprise Zone, has been provided through a £7.5m grant from HM Government Town Fund, while £250,000 of funding for the construction of the sports pavilion was granted by Football Foundation.

STRI Group delivered the design, and their construction arm, Carrick Construction, undertook the works for the natural grass sports pitches in phase one of development and have been subsequently appointed to deliver and build the new 3G and rugby pitches.

Tina Jessop, STRI Group representative, said previously: “We’re delighted to have a continued involvement in this development.”