A Dunmow football club is one step closer to fulfilling its dream of becoming the district’s best facility for young players.

The club was one of 29 organisations to receive a substantial grant from Stansted Airport Community Trust, which distributes around £100,000 every year between deserving beneficiaries within a 10 mile radius of the airport.

“They’ve been tremendous, it’s a brilliant contribution,” Dunmow United Football Club’s chairman Rob Irvine told the Broadcast.

Mr Irvine said the donation towards the purchase of six aluminium goalposts would be a huge help with the club’s transformation.

“At the moment we have plastic goalposts. They are okay but they never last more than six months.”

“This grant will help us to deliver our vision of what we want our home grounds to be – the best youth football club in Uttlesford.

“We want to have the best-run club with the best facilities.

“It was a relatively quick and painless process – I can’t fault them.”

It was only late last year that the 120 player club gained exclusive use of the Laundry Lane grounds, while sponsorship looks set to change the face of the facility.

Other organisations to benefit from the grant of up to £2,000 include Duton Hill Community Association, which will purchase new ukuleles with the grant, High Easter Village Hall, Hatfield Heath Pre-school and bowling clubs in Elsenham and Stansted.

Stansted Airport Community Trust is in its 11th year of helping organisations close to the airport.

“They’re giving back to the community over which they fly,” Chair Cllr Susan Barker, county councillor for Dunmow, told the Broadcast.