**State-of-the-art changing rooms were officially opened by Luton Town FC's Mick Harford in Caddington thanks to investment from the Premier League, The FA and the Government’s Football Foundation.**
After netting a £241k grant from the Football Foundation, work began on the site in September 2025.
The new facility comprises of 2 team changing rooms, 2 referee's changing rooms, a fully accessible supporter's toilet and shower facilities and a full refurbishment of the original changing rooms at the site.
It's completion was marked at an event on 2nd October 2026, where invited guests including Ward Councillor Kevin Collins; Caddington Parish Council Chair and Vice Chair, Mark Russell and Matthew Tomlin; and many members of the general public were taken on a tour of the new facilities after Mick Harford had cut the ribbon and declared the changing rooms open.
The Caddington Recreational Association is a registered charity whose objectives are to provide sporting and social opportunities to the community of Caddington and the surrounding area. The new changing rooms have been particularly beneficial for supporting Adult Women's Sport and on 6 September 2026, Caddington Football Club hosted its first ever Adult Women's league match, almost 130 years after the first Caddington men's team are noted to have played football in the village in 1889. The facility will be of benefit to countless footballers and cricketers for generations to come.
The new facilities have replaced changing rooms built in the early 1980's when funding was tight and compromises on space and design had to be made leaving the Association with poor facilities that were not fit to support adult women's sport or anyone with accessibility issues. The site will be used by both Caddington Football and Caddington Cricket Clubs.
This project has also been supported by a £310k grant of Section 106 funds administered by Central Bedfordshire Council and other smaller amounts granted by The Angus Brewer Foundation, Caddington Santa Float, Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation and The Caddington Recreational Association. In addition legal charity LawWorks have supported the project by providing pro-bono legal advice.
**Mark Sutton, Secretary of the Caddington Recreational Association said:**
“I'd like to thank Mick Harford and all those who have turned out today to celebrate the opening of this new facility. It was designed, built and created through the vision and efforts of people living locally including our Architects JB Designs (Herts), our Builders S and S Contractors, our Engineers Gyoury Self Partnership and our Surveyor Mick Gregory. I also thank all of our funders for their financial support and the help and advice from LawWorks, BeActive and Beds FA "
**Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said:**
“The Football Foundation is working closely with our partners – the Premier League, The FA and Government – to transform the quality of grassroots facilities in England by delivering projects like this across the country.
“Good quality playing facilities have a transformative impact on physical and mental health and play an important role in bringing people together and strengthening local communities.
“We’re delighted that the local community in Caddington will now be able to enjoy all these benefits thanks to the new facilities at Caddington and District Sports Club.”