Year-round access to free pitches, equipment and FA training for communities in Exeter
Our Pitch isn’t just a festival – it’s a pathway!
As well as our free, alcohol-free festival at Flowerpot Fields, we’re developing a free community football pathway in Exeter. The aim is to make it easier for people who face barriers to football to play regularly, feel welcome and, if they want to, take steps into coaching and leadership.
Subject to funding, we plan to offer:
- Free, pre-booked time on local 3G pitches
- A shared football equipment bank (balls, bibs, cones and basic kit)
- Support for local people to access FA training such as Safeguarding, First Aid and Introduction to Coaching Football
Our focus is on residents from lower-income neighbourhoods, refugees and asylum seekers, women and girls, young adults who aren’t in clubs, and anyone who loves the game but hasn’t felt welcomed into football.
How it works
- Our Pitch will coordinate 2 weekly slots on all-weather 3G pitches in or near central Exeter.
- Groups from priority communities can use these slots free of charge.
- Equipment is stored nearby/on site where possible so nobody has to buy or carry kit too far!
- In the early stages, Our Pitch staff and volunteers help set up mixed-ability games and keep things welcoming and safe.
- Participants who are interested in doing more can access FA course bursaries and light mentoring to grow into activator or assistant coach roles.
The pathway is directly linked to the Our Pitch festival. Exeter City Community Trust will help deliver football activities at the festival itself, and we’ll use that day to connect with people and groups who want to carry on playing afterwards.
Want to link in?
- Are you part of a community or refugee group who’d like to use free 3G pitch time?
- Are you a woman or young adult who’d like a more relaxed way into football?
- Are you interested in basic FA training so you can help lead sessions in your community?
- Are you a potential sponsor who’d like to support this pathway?
Get in touch at george.best@our-pitch.org or follow us on Facebook or Instagram to stay updated
