The park where three Ashington youngsters began their journey to footballing legend has received a major National Lottery boost.

Hirst Park, at the heart of Sir Bobby Charlton, Jack Charlton OBE and Jackie Milburn’s hometown, and where they first began to play and train, has gained support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Big Lottery Fund for a £2.3m project which will see its currently under-used football pitches restored and its footballing heritage revived. The funding will also establish an annual Charlton and Milburn Cup tournament for local youth groups to follow in their footsteps.

Sir Bobby Charlton welcomed the news, saying: “Hirst Park is as necessary and valuable to the youth of today as it was for me. Thanks to the generosity of the National Lottery may it continue to flourish for the benefit of the community.”

Jack Charlton, OBE, was spotted playing at Hirst Park by scouts from Leeds United. He said: “The football pitches where we played were created on the ash tip from the colliery and these were our first training grounds – our very own Wembley. The park was a precious place where me and Bobby learned our craft, training and playing for fun, before going on to join Leeds and Manchester United and then playing in the world-cup winning England side in 1966. Hirst Park made it all possible for us and we would play all day if we could… and we often did.”

As experienced by the Charltons, parks provide the freedom and space to get active and nurture talent. National Lottery investment in parks is ensuring today’s generation has the chance to also make the journey from their local park to Wembley and Rio’s Maracanã.

Hirst Park was built in 1915 to provide much-needed green space for a rapidly expanding mining population, now the project led by Northumberland County Council will enable it to continue its 100-year role at the heart of the community. As well as inspiring the next generation of footballers, people will benefit from a new horticultural training centre, water splash zone and facility for charities. A Growing Zone including beekeeping and therapeutic gardening will provide valuable wellbeing activities and contribute to the long-term maintenance of the park.

Among the parks and cemeteries receiving funding today are two of London’s Magnificent Seven’ cemeteries, including Brompton Cemetery, where Emmeline Pankhurst is buried, the historic grade II* Registered Sheffield General Cemetery and the spectacular hillside public park of Rivington Terraced Gardens in Lancashire, the former home of Lord Leverhulme which has views over north Wales and the Lake District. These projects will conserve fragile historic buildings and monuments, enhance wildlife habitats and help people to make the most of these historic landscapes.