Carlisle's Stanwix Football Club has been named as a finalist for the Community Improvement Grant, launched by The Cumberland News in partnership with New Balance. The club aims to use the £20,000 grant to set up and run four junior teams. The club currently uses six natural grass pitches across two Carlisle sites and has 27 registered teams spread over 5 different league structures, with age categories ranging from under sixes to over 35s. The club has over 600 registered players and over 80 managers, coaches, assistants, and club officials. Stanwix FC has been maintaining the pitch at The Glebe in Stanwix Village since its formation in 1994, and has since expanded to incorporate five pitches in Rickerby Park, none of which they own. The club's secretary, Ken Kirkpatrick, spoke of his pride in being chosen as a finalist, saying: "We certainly feel we've worked hard over the years, to try and sort of put a good package together for the people in our part of the city. "And if we could win it, it would show we've been recognised and we can use those funds to great effect to improve the proposition we have for all the kids that we look after." Next fixture: vs Eastleigh (at home, 2027-02-20) (13th in the table).